This book is well-written, engaging, and offers many topics for discussion because of the time period in which it occurs. Readers will learn about the Cultural Revolution and about the hardships of growing up in a marginalized family in communist China.

I thought this book was a wonderful memoir. It was written from the perspective of a child with adult insight. It was colorful, humorous at times, and upbeat. It was an eye opening book.

Chen has a colorful way of explaining his plight as the child of a landlord in Communist China. This book helped me realize the mindset of people who are coming from this region. Throughout much of this book, I identified with Chen in that people of certain social status are treated in a certain manner in an effort to maintian their own social status. Chen breaks through this status using his mind and spirit.

I truly enjoyed the book and recommend it to others.