We didn’t even count people like my grandmother’s death - which should really be on Mao’s account. “He was as evil as Hitler or Stalin, and did as much damage to mankind as they did… And yet the world knows astonishingly little about him… Seventy million killed at the absolute minimum. Chang also wrote the book Mao: The Unknown Story. Post-graduation, Chang flew to England on a scholarship where she still resides. When the Cultural Revolution ended, Chang came home and got a place at the university. (Image: via Amazon)Ĭhang was soon sent to the countryside for ideological reformation. The final art of the book covers the story of Chang. So she was subject to over a hundred of these ghastly denunciation meetings… Basically, the victims were stood on the platform, facing a hysterical crowd and my mother’s arms, like other victims, were twisted to the back,” she said to the BBC. My mother was under tremendous pressure to denounce my father. As a result, he was arrested, tortured… and he was exiled to a camp and died prematurely and very tragically. My father was one of the few who spoke up against the violence. “My parents were victims of the Cultural Revolution. Her father was soon labeled as a traitor. As Mao gained cult status, she realized that his actions became more and more dangerous. As a teenager, she willingly joined the state’s student outfit, the Red Guards. The final act of Wild Swans covers the story of Chang. Later on, Bao went on to give birth to five children, including Chang. Due to the stress of travel and training, she suffered a miscarriage. Bao also underwent grueling military training after the journey. In contrast, her father traveled in a jeep. During the course of the journey, Chang’s mother was made to walk due to her lower rank. She eventually married a high-ranking officer in the Party. Her talents ensured that she rose through the ranks quickly. At the age of 15, Bao started working in the CCP. Next comes the story of Chang’s mother, Bao Qin.

Wild Swans by Jung Chang