About this item
A stirring and magnificently illustrated picture-book memoir of the author's childhood during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Ying Chang Compestine was a young girl in 1966 when Mao launched his Cultural Revolution to reclaim power and eliminate non-communist values in the country. His army began punishing and arresting people who didn't agree with him, foreign reading material was banned, and children were all required to dress in uniform and carry the Little Red Book of Mao's teachings. It was a time of fear, mayhem, and scarcity that lasted until Mao's death ten years later, when Ying was thirteen. Through those ten harrowing years, Ying's parents found ways to secretly educate her and allow her dreams of visiting America to stay vibrant. Now she brings her childhood story and China's history to life in this absorbing and beautiful picture book.
About the Author
Award-Winning Author and Inspirational Public Speaker, Ying is the versatile and prolific author of picture books, novels for young readers, and cookbooks. Named one of "50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading" by the Author's Show, Ying has 19 books to her name. Frequently sought after by the media, she has been featured on numerous national television programs, and is regularly profiled in prestigious news media, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and Huffington Post. Ying frequently visits schools throughout the US and abroad, sharing with students her journey as a writer, how her life in China inspired her writing, and the challenges of writing in her second language. Her newest book, co-authored with her son, Secrets of a Terra-Cotta Soldier, is due out this fall. Her new cookbook, Cooking with an Asian Accent, is due out next spring. Ying was born and raised in Wuhan, China. Her highly acclaimed novel about her life growing up in China during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, has received over 33 national awards. Her website is www.yingc.com.
