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My Name is Number 4: A True Story
A powerful and passionate memoir for young readers, Ting-xing Ye tells, through the eyes of a child, the moving story of growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution.When Ting-xing Ye was born her aunt declared, “Ah Si shi ge lao lu ming” – Number Four will have a difficult life – for the signs were unlucky. Events soon bore out this cruel prediction.Here is the true story of fourteen-year-old Ting-xing’s tumultuous life turned upside down by China’s Cultural Revolution. After the death of both her parents, Ting-xing and her four siblings endure the brutality of Red Guard attacks on their schools and even their house as they struggle against poverty and hunger. At sixteen, Ting-xing herself is exiled to a prison farm far from home.Full of personal and historical detail about this dramatic period in Chinese history, My Name is Number 4 has at its centre the feisty and courageous Ting-xing, fighting to survive as a young woman caught up in events beyond her control.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
20 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Ting-xing Ye
13 books27 followersTing-xing Ye, author of the best-selling memoir, A Leaf in the Bitter Wind, was born in Shanghai, China, in 1952, the fourth of five children born to a factory owner and his wife. At sixteen she was “sent down” to a prison farm during the Cultural Revolution, spending six years there before being admitted to Beijing University. She took a degree in English Literature, then began a seven year career as English interpreter for the national government in Shanghai. Ye came to Canada in 1987. She has been a child-care worker, bank clerk, and secretary. She published her first picture book in 1998. She also writes Young Adult fiction and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 15, 2019
I liked this book a lot! My only criticism is that it was a bit boring towards the end of the book. But I enjoyed reading about her life and this fascinating period of history :D
August 18, 2014
I am guilty, as are most Americans, of being hopelessly myopic about other cultures. I read books like "My Name is Number 4" in an effort to combat my limited horizon and was not disappointed. I feel more attuned to the depredations, privations and tragedy that the "Cultural Revolution" inflicted on the individual. I could feel the author's pain and hopelessness throughout the book. Even at the end, when the author had escaped to the West and was free, the reader couldn't escape the sense that Ye will always suffer the psychological ravages of Maoism.
Now for the undertones; as an armchair literary forensic sleuth I have to read between the lines and look for things that are there, and as often as not aren't there. Subliminal current one: while working diligently to portray events and actors as accurately as possible, there is a clear distinction drawn between the Maoists and the current government of China, which is never mentioned at all. This horrible experience was forced upon Ye by the central government... the same central government which, despite new leadership, is still in power. So if it were evil then, isn't it still evil now? Ye makes no comment or observation, thunderous in its absence. If I had to guess I would say Ye still has family in China she has to protect by not speaking out about abuses of the current regime, at least when she wrote this book. Subliminal current two: while Ye goes out of her way to downplay it, I can still see that she credits the English language with her salvation. English, the language of the capitalist West, became her ticket to freedom. It was a struggle for Ye to "find herself" in the West, but she has arrived: she is an author, published, and a gazillion miles away from the forced labor she endured in China. Her story is one of the triumph of individuality over conformity; her message is as important in America today as it is in China. Conformity allows abuses like hers to occur; our Bill of Rights is all that saves us from the same fate. Individuality good, conformity bad, the basis for the same Capitalism vs Communism cold war of the late 20th century. The next cold war: individuality vs conformity. Better hope the individuals win, Comrade.
Now for the undertones; as an armchair literary forensic sleuth I have to read between the lines and look for things that are there, and as often as not aren't there. Subliminal current one: while working diligently to portray events and actors as accurately as possible, there is a clear distinction drawn between the Maoists and the current government of China, which is never mentioned at all. This horrible experience was forced upon Ye by the central government... the same central government which, despite new leadership, is still in power. So if it were evil then, isn't it still evil now? Ye makes no comment or observation, thunderous in its absence. If I had to guess I would say Ye still has family in China she has to protect by not speaking out about abuses of the current regime, at least when she wrote this book. Subliminal current two: while Ye goes out of her way to downplay it, I can still see that she credits the English language with her salvation. English, the language of the capitalist West, became her ticket to freedom. It was a struggle for Ye to "find herself" in the West, but she has arrived: she is an author, published, and a gazillion miles away from the forced labor she endured in China. Her story is one of the triumph of individuality over conformity; her message is as important in America today as it is in China. Conformity allows abuses like hers to occur; our Bill of Rights is all that saves us from the same fate. Individuality good, conformity bad, the basis for the same Capitalism vs Communism cold war of the late 20th century. The next cold war: individuality vs conformity. Better hope the individuals win, Comrade.
May 25, 2017
A rather gut-wrenching portrayal of what we do to one another in the name of 'patriotism' and 'loyalty to our leaders'. Even more so when we teach our children to do so.
August 30, 2015
If you're looking for an in depth analysis of China's Cultural Revolution under Mao, then this is not the book you're looking for. It's not in depth and it analyzes nothing much. You'll come away with no greater understanding of the Cultural Revolution than you had when you first picked the book up - and that's all right. Analysis was not Ting-Xing Ye's purpose. This was a personal memoir; a relating to the reader of what life in China during the Cultural Revolution was like. Ting-Xing Ye was not one of the worst victims of the Cultural Revolution. Compared to some things I've read about how some suffered, it's hard to call her a "victim" at all. Essentially, because of her family's "capitalist" background, she ended up having to spend several years at a "prison farm." Because of her suspect background she had few friends, living conditions were hard, working conditions were worse, and the nature of the Revolution meant that life was lived with a lot of fear. But from time to time she got to leave the farm and visit her family of "Great-Aunt" and her 4 brothers and sisters, all of whom were affected by and reacted to the Cultural Revolution in different ways. What makes this book so enjoyable is not what it teaches about the Cultural Revolution. One is left with the impression that those who lived through it really didn't understand what it was about, except that it raised the personality cult around Mao to ridiculous levels. That lack of real purpose or achievement might be the most important thing of all to know about the Cultural Revolution. But what makes the book enjoyable is Ting-Xing Ye's writing style. She pens a wonderful, and very human, and extremely engaging and readable story about life during this insane period of China's history. You may not put the book down knowing much more about the political and social underpinnings of the cultural Revolution - but that was not the author's intent. You will, however, find the book hard to put down once you start it.
April 19, 2010
Reviewed by hoopsielv for TeensReadToo.com
An old proverb says: When at home, depend on your parents; when away from home, rely on your friends.
Ah Si, which means number four, was told this by a beloved teacher when she was sixteen and about to leave for a prison farm.
The author was born into a capitalist family in China. Her father was a prosperous business owner who was forced into becoming a laborer. His sudden death caused the family to take drastic steps to survive. The older children needed to find jobs to support the others. Then their mother died of cancer and the children were totally on their own.
Number 4 found herself in the middle of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. She was treated poorly because of her upbringing as a capitalist and protested with other students in Beijing. She made a brave decision to work at the prison farm in exchange for her sisters to remain in Shanghai.
Life at the prison farm was grueling and Number 4's capitalist background causes the guards to bombard her with questions. Yet Number 4's spirit and drive remain strong and she knows she has the courage to succeed.
This was a very good novel full of history about a time period that Americans may not be familiar with. I found it to be educational as well as motivating.
An old proverb says: When at home, depend on your parents; when away from home, rely on your friends.
Ah Si, which means number four, was told this by a beloved teacher when she was sixteen and about to leave for a prison farm.
The author was born into a capitalist family in China. Her father was a prosperous business owner who was forced into becoming a laborer. His sudden death caused the family to take drastic steps to survive. The older children needed to find jobs to support the others. Then their mother died of cancer and the children were totally on their own.
Number 4 found herself in the middle of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. She was treated poorly because of her upbringing as a capitalist and protested with other students in Beijing. She made a brave decision to work at the prison farm in exchange for her sisters to remain in Shanghai.
Life at the prison farm was grueling and Number 4's capitalist background causes the guards to bombard her with questions. Yet Number 4's spirit and drive remain strong and she knows she has the courage to succeed.
This was a very good novel full of history about a time period that Americans may not be familiar with. I found it to be educational as well as motivating.
October 14, 2015
This book was pretty incredible. I've read some of the history of China with respect to the Cultural Revolution and Chairman Mao's reign but to get some insight on it from a girl who grew up in it was eye-opening. I felt so much for her when her life would keep getting derailed by whatever ridiculous imperative the politicians were pushing threw at that moment. It really shouldn't be too much to ask to want to live in a safe place, with your family, to get a decent education and to not be condemned or ridiculed because of who your parents happen to be. I can't even imagine being told that I cannot live in the city I grew up in anymore and *have* to go work for the rest of my life in some remote, desolate part of the country away from everyone I love. Just heart-wrenching!
May 12, 2019
This book was good. It reminds me of the stories my mom and dad would tell me about their time as children in China. Although not as harsh, they would tell about the same ideals and actions of Chairman Mao, and how scary he was. My mom always told me about his ideas of having the city folks and farmers swap places, but I’d never really thought about how devastating it could be. It was interesting learning about this kind of stuff.
February 5, 2023
As someone who grew up poor in a 3rd world country, all I could think about while reading this book was "poor rich little girl".
Don't get me wrong, the writing is pretty good, but every "injustice" reported that I remember of was actually the absence of previous privileges. I wish every young person in my country had the opportunities the autor did as a "victim" of the revolution.
Still, the reading is good and worth it.
Don't get me wrong, the writing is pretty good, but every "injustice" reported that I remember of was actually the absence of previous privileges. I wish every young person in my country had the opportunities the autor did as a "victim" of the revolution.
Still, the reading is good and worth it.
March 10, 2017
Every account I read of the cultural revolution is more bleak than the last. Holy cow. What an existance. I can't believe they still have Mao on their money. The whole thing is so crazy. I'll never not be shocked by it.
May 28, 2018
My Name is Number Four by Ting-Xing Ye is a book that ticks many of the right boxes when looking for a work that discusses an issue as sensitive and controversial as the Chinese Cultural Revolution. For a demographic audience that may not be well versed in the background required to properly understand the events in the story, Ye does a very good job of providing context where required. Nowhere did I feel that the book was tedious to read or difficult to understand; there is no excess nor lack of exposition. The story flows smoothly, and the characters are relatable – though we cannot necessarily relate strongly to the situations they are in, they do experience relatable issues and thought processes nevertheless. However, a smooth plot does not necessarily imply an engaging one, and that is the one problem I have with the book – I feel that there is insufficient suspense. Although it is understandable that there are narrative limitations due to the novel’s basis upon true events, more suspense and anticipation could have been created during the book’s biggest moments. I felt that the book deliberately glossed over some of these parts, such as the time when the main character is waiting to see whether she has been accepted to her dream school. Interrupting the flow of the story and failure to utilize suspense led this novel not to provide that feeling of being on the edge of my seat like many others of its genre. Some literary techniques are intentionally foregone, such as foreshadowing, which I believe could have added elegance to a well-crafted plot.
August 19, 2021
A young adult memoir covering the 1960s Cultural Revolution in China. Simple and straightforward. I have read many books of this genre and found this one to be okay okay. Since it was written for younger readers, it covered only up to the author's entrance to university.
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Called Number 4 all her life, our author had to undergo relocation and was sent to a prison farm at the age of 16. Her grandfather was a landowner, a despised identity during the Cultural Revolution, and she was branded counter-revolutionary. She could do nothing but follow orders. She tried her best to go through the days - working as a forced labourer and finally secured a place in Beijing University, freeing herself from the farm.
.
Lots of things I have learnt -
1. The fate of one's family was determined by the State.
2. An authoritarian state often used the excuse of 'progress for all' in undermining the citizens' rights.
3. The people had little notion of personal freedom.
4. A lot of power abuse since one couldn't go against the authorities.
5. People survived through the years - hard for them to live life the way they wanted. Survival was the only thing in their mind.
.
Overall, a good addition to your Chinese History collection, if you have one! And yes, I am a history nerd.
.
Called Number 4 all her life, our author had to undergo relocation and was sent to a prison farm at the age of 16. Her grandfather was a landowner, a despised identity during the Cultural Revolution, and she was branded counter-revolutionary. She could do nothing but follow orders. She tried her best to go through the days - working as a forced labourer and finally secured a place in Beijing University, freeing herself from the farm.
.
Lots of things I have learnt -
1. The fate of one's family was determined by the State.
2. An authoritarian state often used the excuse of 'progress for all' in undermining the citizens' rights.
3. The people had little notion of personal freedom.
4. A lot of power abuse since one couldn't go against the authorities.
5. People survived through the years - hard for them to live life the way they wanted. Survival was the only thing in their mind.
.
Overall, a good addition to your Chinese History collection, if you have one! And yes, I am a history nerd.
January 8, 2025
There are two stories to be read in this autobiography by Ting-Xing Ye. Her own personal story of suffering and the story of China under Mao's "Cultural" Revolution.
When I read about the humanitarian disasters of Mao's "Great Leap Forward" and the cultural disasters of the "Cultural Revolution" I can only conclude that Communism is a religion as fanatical and idiotic as any other religion. A passage in the book where the author tells about a spinal surgery that she needs to have but that the surgeon does not have enough anesthesia to apply, which causes her great suffering which she must endure while listening to a woman reading excerpts from "Mao's Little Red Book" on how to overcome pain made me imagine what it would be like to be a priest giving blessings to the patient.
Just like the persecution that Ting-Xing's family suffered because of the "infected blood" (like the "Limpieza de Sangre" of the Spanish Inquisition) of her parents, small traders, a "stain" that followed her until the end of Mao's dictatorship.
Another excellent book to understand the terrible years of famine and ideological fanaticism that tormented the Chinese during the four terrible decades of Mao Tse-Tung's reign.
When I read about the humanitarian disasters of Mao's "Great Leap Forward" and the cultural disasters of the "Cultural Revolution" I can only conclude that Communism is a religion as fanatical and idiotic as any other religion. A passage in the book where the author tells about a spinal surgery that she needs to have but that the surgeon does not have enough anesthesia to apply, which causes her great suffering which she must endure while listening to a woman reading excerpts from "Mao's Little Red Book" on how to overcome pain made me imagine what it would be like to be a priest giving blessings to the patient.
Just like the persecution that Ting-Xing's family suffered because of the "infected blood" (like the "Limpieza de Sangre" of the Spanish Inquisition) of her parents, small traders, a "stain" that followed her until the end of Mao's dictatorship.
Another excellent book to understand the terrible years of famine and ideological fanaticism that tormented the Chinese during the four terrible decades of Mao Tse-Tung's reign.
January 19, 2022
I picked up this book to see if I wanted to replace Red Scarf Girl with this book for my school's 9th grade curriculum. I was drawn to age of the character (16), the higher reading level, and the idea that because of her age she was thinking about her future. In the end, although I appreciated this book, and the personal perspective of what she experienced during the Cultural Revolution, I will not suggest it as a replacement to the curriculum. Although no one asked I'll tell you why: RSG works better for school curriculums because although it has a younger protagonist, it moves at a faster pace and provides a better overview of life under the Cultural Revolution, and it will appeal to more non-readers, which is what the curriculum is looking for. Still a worthwhile read, especially for an older teenage into books who is uncertain or stressing about what their future plans should be
January 7, 2018
This isn't the first memoir I've read about China's Cultural Revolution, but I still read about this time period in disbelief. It's hard to believe how violently families were torn apart, how easily institutions like schools and the media were crushed, and how quickly neighbors turned on each other, especially given what an economic powerhouse China is today. Ting-Xing Ye's story is tragic and chilling, and I recommend that many more people read it in the hopes that history does not repeat itself. I only give it three stars because, while I find the story gripping, it didn't hold as strong as an emotional punch as I would've expected given the topic. But, I still think it's worth reading to understand how terrible this time was for those who lived through it.
March 15, 2021
THIS is an incredible read. A story of courage, injustice, perseverance, strength, humility, heartbreak.
I AM SO ANGRY at the injustice and crimes against humanity that have happened so many times in history, in RECENT history, and are yet again infiltrating the world today in the guise of political-correctness and identity politics.
HEAR ME OUT: Just because I am a white, pro-life Christian female who advocates for medical freedom, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the Constitution at large DOES NOT mean I am a snobbish, ignorant, homophobic racist endangering others. READ HISTORY. Please!
NAZI BROWNSHIRTS—>BEIJING RED GUARDS—>ANTIFA
Ting-Xing Ye is an accomplished warrior, and none of her success was given to her in the least... on the contrary.
I AM SO ANGRY at the injustice and crimes against humanity that have happened so many times in history, in RECENT history, and are yet again infiltrating the world today in the guise of political-correctness and identity politics.
HEAR ME OUT: Just because I am a white, pro-life Christian female who advocates for medical freedom, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and the Constitution at large DOES NOT mean I am a snobbish, ignorant, homophobic racist endangering others. READ HISTORY. Please!
NAZI BROWNSHIRTS—>BEIJING RED GUARDS—>ANTIFA
Ting-Xing Ye is an accomplished warrior, and none of her success was given to her in the least... on the contrary.
August 15, 2017
Very interesting perspectives
September 24, 2019
Talks about the cultural revolution from her perspective as a capitalist.
January 24, 2023
This was a new perspective into the Chinese Cultural Revolution. I don't know much about it, and this story was a good introduction to what it was like for some to live through it.
May 25, 2023
***1/2
January 21, 2020
Very easy to binge read
I initially read this book for a class, but I soon found myself enjoying the story and reading it for leisure. It is very easy to read over a weekend or so, and I feel like I actually learned quite a bit. I really can't ask for more than that.
I initially read this book for a class, but I soon found myself enjoying the story and reading it for leisure. It is very easy to read over a weekend or so, and I feel like I actually learned quite a bit. I really can't ask for more than that.
January 31, 2022
i really liked this book considering i had to read it for english. however it was a bit draggy (?) for me??? probably won't read it soon
February 9, 2016
Ting-Xing grew up during a particularly bleak time of China's modern history: the Cultural Revolution. Despite her family's incredibly poor circumstances (with both of her parents dead and five children to feed), in middle school she is labeled "bourgeoisie" is tormented and ridiculed because her father had owned a factory before the communist take over. As the political climate gets more and more fevered, Ting-Xing is soon exiled to a prison camp as a laborer, to help "ease overpopulation in the city" and life in the camp is, if possible, even less pleasant than in the city.
One of Ting-Xing's strengths as a writer is her ability to really capture her teenage self. I think teenager readers will relate to her experiences because beyond the horrific and disturbing experiences, she includes details that still concern teens today (relationships with siblings, the horrors of menstruation, guilt and loss). Not only that, it also makes plain that often during the cultural revolution it was teens and very young adults who turned against their friends and classmates (this is consistent with other memoirs I have read of the time). And while she paints herself as a victim, I think again, she is describing her teenage feelings - so it never felt as though she is begging for our sympathy for her experience, more so she can show others that she was just a normal teenage girl going through a horrendous experience that could've happened to anybody.
As Ting-Xing survives ordeal after ordeal in the prison camp, she slowly comes into her own and finds, somehow, a seed of hope that her life won't have to end in the rice patties. Her perseverance and strength are evident and a great example for teens and adults alike.
One of Ting-Xing's strengths as a writer is her ability to really capture her teenage self. I think teenager readers will relate to her experiences because beyond the horrific and disturbing experiences, she includes details that still concern teens today (relationships with siblings, the horrors of menstruation, guilt and loss). Not only that, it also makes plain that often during the cultural revolution it was teens and very young adults who turned against their friends and classmates (this is consistent with other memoirs I have read of the time). And while she paints herself as a victim, I think again, she is describing her teenage feelings - so it never felt as though she is begging for our sympathy for her experience, more so she can show others that she was just a normal teenage girl going through a horrendous experience that could've happened to anybody.
As Ting-Xing survives ordeal after ordeal in the prison camp, she slowly comes into her own and finds, somehow, a seed of hope that her life won't have to end in the rice patties. Her perseverance and strength are evident and a great example for teens and adults alike.
August 16, 2010
When Ting-xing Ye was born her aunt stated: “Ah Si shi ge lao lu ming” meaning that “Number Four will have a difficult life because the signs were unlucky”.
It wasn’t long before Ting-xing would find out how true those prophetic words would be. Her life was soon turned upside down due to China’s Cultural Revolution. Ting-xing and her four siblings lost both their parents and it was shortly after that their lives changed forever. Her family’s home was attacked by the Red Guard’s as well as their schools. Already drowning in hunger and poverty, Ting-xing, at the age of sixteen, was sent to a prison farm far from her home. There she suffered more brutality, long hours of labour and unending meetings with Guards.
At one point Ting-xing is forced for hours upon hours to write down her sins against the Revolutionists but she hadn’t made any and her captors would hear none of it. They slapped her, punched her and yelled at her for hours and hours to write something down on the paper they provided.
Ting-xing is spirited and audacious and keeps fighting to save herself in the midst of events that she had no control over.
An engaging, edge-of-your-seat read. At times you can’t believe your eyes and what you’re reading. To think that human beings had to endure the hardships that Ting-xing did. This is a story of bravery and survival.
It wasn’t long before Ting-xing would find out how true those prophetic words would be. Her life was soon turned upside down due to China’s Cultural Revolution. Ting-xing and her four siblings lost both their parents and it was shortly after that their lives changed forever. Her family’s home was attacked by the Red Guard’s as well as their schools. Already drowning in hunger and poverty, Ting-xing, at the age of sixteen, was sent to a prison farm far from her home. There she suffered more brutality, long hours of labour and unending meetings with Guards.
At one point Ting-xing is forced for hours upon hours to write down her sins against the Revolutionists but she hadn’t made any and her captors would hear none of it. They slapped her, punched her and yelled at her for hours and hours to write something down on the paper they provided.
Ting-xing is spirited and audacious and keeps fighting to save herself in the midst of events that she had no control over.
An engaging, edge-of-your-seat read. At times you can’t believe your eyes and what you’re reading. To think that human beings had to endure the hardships that Ting-xing did. This is a story of bravery and survival.
June 30, 2011
Perhaps not the best memoir about China’s insane Cultural Revolution, but it is certainly enough to make you appreciate the freedoms that come with, oh, not living in a totalitarian society. The race-like stain of her “capitalist” family remains on the author and her four siblings, orphaned in Shanghai but taken care of by a family servant. The author experiences the Cultural Revolution firsthand as it tears apart the fabric of her rigid communist society. Her teachers are humiliated and her school overthrown with the sanctioned, revolutionary fervor of Mao’s delusions. As a teenager, she is sent away to work on a desolate farm-prison camp, nearly as harrowing a description as any Gulag memoir. Surviving appendicitis, sickness, hunger, and humiliation Ting-Xing ends up one of the lucky ones, gaining a coveted spot at Beijing U to study English. Interesting descriptions of Mao worship, collective religious-like fanaticism, and the arbitrariness of sadism amplified by Communist ideology.
October 24, 2012
Nazywam się numer cztery to wspomnienia Ting-Xing Ye z czasów klęski głodu i Wielkiej Rewolucji Kulturalnej w Chinach. Ting-Xing Ye jest córką właściciela fabryki. W wyniku obowiązkowej nacjonalizacji, państwo przejmuje fabrykę ojca. Ojciec Ye popada w depresję, ciężko choruje i wkrótce umiera. Wdowa zostaje sama z czwórką dzieci i wkrótce też podąża za mężem. Sierotami zajmuje się przyszywana babka. Rodzina Ting-Xing z zamożnej staje się bardzo biedna. W dodatku dzieci czekają szykany w związku z pochodzeniem. Są przecież potomstwem kapitalisty. Mao Zendong zarządza obowiązkowe przesiedlenie części ludności z dużych miast do obozów na wsiach. Ye trafia do jednego z nich, gdzie musi walczyć z tęsknotą za domem, strachem przed przyszłością, i co tu dużo mówić często walczyć po prostu o przeżycie.
Uważam, że tego typu wspomnienia powinny być w spisie lektur szkolnych. Przede wszystkim dlatego, żebyśmy mogli uzmysłowić sobie, że naprawdę nie żyjemy w najgorszych czasach, ale również po to, żeby przypomnieć jak naprawdę wyglądał komunizm.
Uważam, że tego typu wspomnienia powinny być w spisie lektur szkolnych. Przede wszystkim dlatego, żebyśmy mogli uzmysłowić sobie, że naprawdę nie żyjemy w najgorszych czasach, ale również po to, żeby przypomnieć jak naprawdę wyglądał komunizm.
January 24, 2015
My Name is Number 4 , by Ting-xing Ye is an inspirational story that everyone should read. The author, otherwise known as Ah-Si, endured Mao’s Cultural revolution at the young age of fourteen. She went through the ostracism of being a capitalist, the brutality of the Red Guards as well as the stringent labor camps. She was unbreakable. She marched as a communist soldier, she worked back breaking hours in the rice paddies and she survived many diseases in the hope of living to see her family again. She had exceptional amounts of strength and proved her ability when she was able to get out of the labor camps on her own discipline. My Name is Number 4 not only shows the complexities of the period in China, but also how a child develops and manages to live through such an ugly time in history. The book is simply uplifting.
April 1, 2010
Ok, I just read 'Falling Leaves', about a Chinese girl whose family pretty much hated her. The hatred was so powerful that it was almost unbelievable. This book was a more realistic family, even though both books are non-fiction. Disclaimer: I'm not Chinese, so when I say 'realistic' I mean that it would be more realistic in American terms.
Anyway, I've heard about the Cultural Revolution in China a lot. However, I really never understood it. Nor could I figure out if Chairman Mao was a good guy or a butt head. Well, he was a butt head. Major major butt head. This book gave some great insight into how China was massively changed by Mao.
To sum up: CHAIRMAN MAO WAS A MAJOR BUTT HEAD.
Anyway, I've heard about the Cultural Revolution in China a lot. However, I really never understood it. Nor could I figure out if Chairman Mao was a good guy or a butt head. Well, he was a butt head. Major major butt head. This book gave some great insight into how China was massively changed by Mao.
To sum up: CHAIRMAN MAO WAS A MAJOR BUTT HEAD.
June 15, 2011
This is a memoir of Ah Si's experiences growing up during The Chinese Cultural Revolution. The Cultural Revolution lasted 10 years. Educated people were sent to the country to be "re-educated". Many families were forcibly displaced and young adults were sent to rural regions to work. This was a time of major social and political upheaval in China.
Ting-Xing Ye includes many Maoism's from his "Little Red Book" in her memoir. You will be amazed at the resilience of Ah Si and her siblings and how they are able to suffer and endure, but still remain hopeful. This is a powerful memoir that relates the period of the Cultural Revolution from a teenager's point of view.
To read the my entire book review, please visit my book blog at
http://www.booksnob-booksnob.blogspot...
Ting-Xing Ye includes many Maoism's from his "Little Red Book" in her memoir. You will be amazed at the resilience of Ah Si and her siblings and how they are able to suffer and endure, but still remain hopeful. This is a powerful memoir that relates the period of the Cultural Revolution from a teenager's point of view.
To read the my entire book review, please visit my book blog at
http://www.booksnob-booksnob.blogspot...
June 29, 2009
This memoir is an absolute must-read. Ting-xing Ye was born in China at the start of the cultural revolution and after the attack of the Red Guards is forced to leave with her family to a prison camp. Despite losing both of her parents, almost dying herself from starvation and having lost everything she once knew and loved, Ting-xing continues to fight for her life and those of her siblings. She is a pure demostration of what courage is and I found her to be inspiring. I had very little knowledge of the Cultural Revolution but through her eyes, I got a strong glimpse into what life was like for the Chinese during this horrendous time.
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July 30, 2011Very interesting to read about what Mao's Cultural Revolution was really like for the citizens of China. Referring to your siblings by their birth order number felt odd to me. "Number 4" truly endured much injustice and even torture during her time on the prison farm, this, after getting through a difficult childhood without parents. I found her "Great Aunt" an interesting person - she favored Number 4 yet never told her she loved her. Number 4 was strong and endured what she had to. Glad to read of her success later in life as well.
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