Lesley S. reviewed on 12/21/2008 + 50 more book reviews

The madness of the Chinese Cultural Revolution really comes to life, and vividly, in this evocative novella. The love triangle of the three main characters - the narrator, Maple, her best friend from elementary school, the beautiful Wild Ginger, and Evergreen, the man they both love - is a bit stilted and formal, however, the horror show that was daily life under that regime is engrossing and skillfully told. Due to having a French father and non-Chinese hazel eyes, Wild Ginger is branded a reactionary, and spends the rest of her short life overcompensating by obsessively quoting Chairman Mao and generally out-Mao'isting the most ardent, fanatic Maoists and Red Guard of the day. One of my favorite scenes occurred about halfway in when Maple's entire neighborhood is forced to devote a week to learning a group song and dance of "loyalty" to Chairman Mao. The mothers vaguely wave their arms back and forth, pretending to learn to dance, while slyly sharing tips on how to survive the impending food shortage - and there's a remarkable ease and charm to the writing that I just loved.

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