I want to recommend Wild Swans by Jung Chang.  Part biography, part autobiography covering China of approx. the last 100 years seen through 3 generations of women.  It is fascinating, but very chilling in it's graphic portrayal of the terrible events of that country, particularly the Mao years.  There could have been more political background I suppose, but still I found it gripping and am glad I read it ;  very thought provoking on many levels.  I found it from recommendations by Chinese people on Amazon when I was considering reading the Joy Luck Club - don't read that one they said, read this. 

Cheers, Margaret.

Thanks for the recommendation.  I think I have that one somewhere so I'll go pull it out.  I just read For All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose about the tea trade and the guy that got the secrets out for England.  Rather interesting about that piece of history.

Thanks, I added it to my WL.  The Good Earth is still one of my favorites about China. 

I just finished The Binding Chair, it was another interesting take on Chinese culture and women.

Thanks for the recommendation Margaret, I just ordered it.

It sounds wonderful .... I just ordered it too!! The person I ordered it from had a couple more about China and Japan that looked good too!! 

Margaret, thanks for the recommendation.  I will check it out.  I want to add, DO read The Joy Luck Club.  It was my first (other than The Inn of the Sixth Happiness when I was a teen) "China" book and I loved it.  I've read it numerous times, watched the movie just as many times I'm sure.  Amy Tan did the screenplay and it is remarkably true to the book.  Then, I bought the audio which I've listened to more than once. 

Amy Tan is one of my favorite authors.  I recommend all of her books, but especially The Hundred Secret Senses.  I've read the prints, and then bought the audios of almost all of her books.

Lisa See is another author I read faithfully.  Or rather, listen to as her books shine in audio.

One of my favorite authors is Anchee Min.  Red Azalea is her memoir, and a few of her fiction books I have enjoyed are Wild Ginger, Empress Orchid, and Pearl of China.