Wild Swans

By: Jung Chang

Narrated by: Pik-Sen Lim

Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Few books have had such an impact as Wild Swans: a popular best seller and a critically acclaimed history of China that opened up the country to the world.

Through the story of three generations of women in her own family - the grandmother given to the warlord as a concubine, the Communist mother, and the daughter herself - Jung Chang reveals the epic history of China's twentieth century.

Breathtaking in its scope, unforgettable in its descriptions, this is a masterpiece that is extraordinary in every way.

©1991 Globalflair Ltd, 2003 (P)2015 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

"Immensely moving and unsettling; an unforgettable portrait of the brain-death of a nation." ( The Sunday Times)

" Wild Swans made me feel like a five-year-old. This is a family memoir that has the breadth of the most enduring social history." ( The Independent on Sunday)

A powerful personal history of China

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For an understanding of the last century of Chinese history, I believe this book is a must read.

What did you like best about this story?

It is difficult to imagine the society described in this book. Orwell's fictional 1984 pales in comparison to this personal and family history of life under communism and its predecessors. This story depicts unbelievable suffering and oppression. Man's inhumanity to man is laid out plainly in event after event.

What about Pik-sen Lim’s performance did you like?

Very well read, but felt a bit slow. However, it's a weighty story and the pace allowed me to keep up.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It's too long, and the story is too oppressive to listen in one sitting for me. I listened in 4-5 hour chunks and that was sometimes hard to handle.

Fascinating history

What a great insight into life in China in the 1900s. Well written and read. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have highly recommended it to many people.

The Reality behind the History.

I read Jung Chang's life story for the first time many years ago before I had my own family. I recently decided to listen to Wild Swans. Jung sketched a very vivid picture of her life ( and that of her mother and grandmother), whilst integrating the historical facts. This made the book gripping and informative. Not only do I now have a better understanding of the situation in China during that time but also grew in my empathy for people who face so many difficulties beyond their control. Jung kept a fine balance between telling her story objectively but added enough emotional information to take me with her and her family on their journey of sadness, anger, frustration and joy . The integration of the bigger picture history with the impact on her family circle made Wild Swans an unforgettable experience. Pik-sen Lim brought the book to life with very good narration and authentic Chinese pronunciations. #pastmeetpresent #heartfelt #China #multigenerational #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes

A BOOK FOR THE AGES

A touching personal story/national history; reads like a novel; universal significance. I cried, too, Jung.

Mildly Disturbing. A Great Cultural Awareness Read

Swans was such a poignant story. It provided an in-depth look at the struggle of three generations of women in China by exposing the stark contrast between power and peasants, women and men, loyalty and betrayal, and how the people of China had yo adapt to survive in an ever evolving China.

Amazing

The amazing resilience of the Chinese comes to life in this captivating book. Absolutely mesmerizing.

A must read to truly understand modern China

As an expat living in Hong Kong, I often wondered how there could be such a drastic change in people by just crossing the border into Shenzhen or a quick flight to Xi’an. Wild Swans provided a vivid history through an amazing story or hardship and perseverance.

A story of transformation

We got an amazing insight into the history of China, which was mostly untold before. The insights, as painful as they were, did make the book hard to read emotionally. Ms. Chang was honest about the events in her life and her suffering. She told the story of how her beloved China transformed herself and took many wrong turns along the way. Definitely worth reading/ listening.

Learning History

Great memoir of life in China; three generations. Great audio reading voice. Feet binding, concubine, Mao communist, indoctrinated child — people trapped in lives without choices — ruled by authoritarianism. A testament to perseverance and so much more.

An astonishing gift

What a astonishing gift this book is. So brilliantly written and honest. It is as though I have journeyed to the very heart of China through the experiences if Jung Chang and her family.

I also feel that she has made me look at my own life anew even though I grew up in a completely different world in Zimbabwe in southern Africa. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all.