Wives of the East Wind

View other editions of Wives of the East Wind.
View books by Liu Hong.

Disappointing - Rated
As a BA in modern Chinese history, I was drawn to this book, with reviews promising a captivating epic over the first 4 decades of the People's Republic of China. Indeed, the author makes a desperate attempt to weave in as many historical details of the chinese revolution as possible, including the "Great Leap Forward", the cultural revolution, and all the horrors that ensued from Chairman Mao's various follies.
Unfortunately, Liu Hong's efforts to create a historically convincing novel are dampened by her questionable talent as a storyteller. The main character is abominable, making strange inexplicable choices in life. Her emotions and thoughts are described superficially in obscure, cliche statements. The events are so predictable that you begin to questions the characters' intelligence for not forseeing their own future. As much as I liked the periodical setting (which was in itself somewhat twisted, but the author does make a disclaimer about it, saying she moved events around to make the story easier to tell...) reading the book was painfully dull and I found it hard to care about the characters enough to give a toss as to what happens to them in the end.

A very worthwhile read - Rated
Liu Hong writes with such apparent ease. Her characters are so real they could be part of your life. I would thoroughly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading her others.