Black Country to Red China: One Girl's Journey From War-torn England to Revolutionary China

by Esther Cheo Ying

Born in pre-Revolutionary China and brought up in the Midlands, Esther Cheo Ying returned to China in 1949 after a traumatic childhood, convinced that there she would find the happiness and sense of belonging she longed for. Caught up in the turmoil of civil war and sympathetic to the Communist Revolution, she joined the Red Army and then stayed on to work in the new People's Republic. But despite her determination to make a new life in China, could she truly be happy in a country which encouraged constant self criticism and viewed her as a "false foreign devil?" Here is an extraordinary account of life before the Cultural Revolution, and a fascinating insight into one woman's struggle to come to terms with her own identity.

Genres: China

190 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2009

Reviews

[Renald Micallef · Rating 2 out of 5]

If there was hell on Earth, living in cultural revolution China must have been a great contender. The personal account of a not so famous person gives us a resume' of life under the birth and consolidation of a communist regime, that is still in power up to this very day.

Esther Cheo Ying's book came in handy while I just commenced to study Chinese Mandarin, as it gave me more insight into the recent history of China. Her personal account is a sincere one, where she questioned herself and her actions in those terrible times. Millions of people were killed under the reign of Mao Tse-Tsung, others lost their lands, while others were given land and title. The author contributed as a soldier in the people's army, and later in the Communist propaganda machine.

While reading this book, the reader would think he is reading fiction, as the story to the modern reader may seem far-fetched. This goes to show that the truth hurts and frightens. The tale of so much indifference, atrocities and brainwashing of masses is fascinating to the psychological mind. To us westerners, individualism is key to out happiness, but to the Chinese is an alien concept. They sacrifice the individual for the collective. The author mentions different stories of horror and madness, one of those remained ingrained in my mind the most: the tale of mothers throwing their babies in the river to drown and silence their cries, so that they could escape in silence.

I do not think the author got professional help when writing this book, as in parts the story has so many jumps, for instance in one paragraph she is speaking about her working life, in the next she is speaking about giving birth, skipping the whole part of becoming pregnant. It seemed to me to be a rushed book. Many parts which would have been relevant, I guess have been omitted.

[Naomi Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was told by my mum to read this book as the aunt Esther stayed with was my mums great aunt and uncle. So I found the book very interesting.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing account of a woman born in pre revolutionary China of an English mother and Chinese father and brought up in the Black Country. She travelled to China in 1949 to join the revolution and stayed for 11 years during which time she tried to fit in but found that she was not comfortable with some of the outcomes of the civil war. A fascinating read.

[Ida · Rating 2 out of 5]

Black Country to Red China gives an interesting insight into China during the revolution, but it's too poorly written to be a really good reading experience. The author jumps a lot in her storytelling and it's hard to follow the timeline. She's also quite harsh against other people, especially other women, calls them ugly and looking like cows, and describes people as busybodies and in other negative terms. She seems quite arrogant. The book doesn't exactly portrate China in a good light, it seems like hell on earth based some of the things she describes.

[Alex Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt a bit disjointed in parts which made it hard to follow at times, but it was a fascinating story and by the end I *needed* to know what happened to Cheo Ying.

[Rob Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this autobiographical novel Esther Cheo Ying describes an incredible period of history, spanning from the battles against the Kuomintang through to the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. As a snapshot of life in China during such a tumultuous period, it's fascinating. However the authoress remains an enigma: her emotions, the forces that drive her barely surface; maybe she's buried them. I would have enjoyed the book more if Cheo Ying wrote more about the big picture, the country-wide political and social changes, to provide more context for her own experiences

[Pippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a fascinating book. Having left China at age six ECY goes back in 1949, age 17. Filled with Communist ideals, she soon becomes disillusioned, and experiences a lot of unhappiness. A little bit like Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, but on a smaller scale.