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Wild ginger -
Anchee Min.
Publisher description
Sample text
Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
217 p. ; 22 cm.
Reviews:
- Kat Kan (VOYA, February 2003 (Vol. 25, No. 6))
In the People's Republic of China during the Cultural Revolution, fourteen-year-old Maple is constantly persecuted by a classmate because her father does not toe the party line. The new girl in school, Wu Jiang-Wild Ginger-is also considered different because her late father was half-French. As a fascinated Maple observes, Wild Ginger fights to survive despite all the odds-her mother's suicide, the government's refusal to give aid, and politics that declare her a second-class citizen. Wild Ginger's fortune finally changes when she catches Accountant Choo and his cronies cheating, and the government proclaims her a heroine for exposing the corruption. In her obsession to maintain her revolutionary zeal, however, Wild Ginger sets up trouble for herself and her friends. Feeling that her sexual attraction to Evergreen, one of Maple's friends, is unhealthy and against Mao's teachings, she begs Maple to observe from her closet whenever she and Evergreen are together. While watching them in their strange relationship, Maple begins to fall in love with Evergreen. Such a triangle can only lead to tragedy, which shatters all of them, particularly Wild Ginger. This novel is one of the most authentic depictions of the Cultural Revolution's insidious effects on a whole generation in China. Min lived the life of Wild Ginger, and the psychological pain of the three young people comes across as palpable and gut-wrenching. Sections of the novel are frankly erotic, making it suitable for older, more mature teens. Min's work is powerful and important for bringing this particular period of recent Chinese history to vivid life. VOYA CODES: 5Q 2P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult-marketed book recommended for Young Adults). 2002, Houghton Mifflin, 224p, $23. Ages 15 to Adult. Subjects:
- Young women Fiction.
Communism Fiction.
China Fiction.
Political fiction.
Bildungsromans.
| Language | Call Number | LCCN | Dewey Decimal | ISBN/ISSN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English (eng) | PS3563.I4614 W35 2002 |
2001051611 |
813/.54 |
0618068864 9780618068869 |