by Jung Chang
First published 1989
As the 20th century dawns in China, three women's lives become inextricably linked. Jung Chang's grandmother endures the brutality of warlord rule. Her mother survives the chaos of civil war. And Jung herself comes of age under Mao's oppressive regime. Through their eyes, we witness a nation in upheaval, its ancient traditions colliding with modernity's violent birth pangs. Intimate and epic, "Wild Swans" soars above the personal to capture the resilience of the human spirit in the face of history's most harrowing storms.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets, political-intrigue, rising-action
Setting: China, Manchuria, Himalayan Foothills
Period: 1909, 1932, 1960s
538 pages · Paperback
Content warnings: abuse, violence