Under Red Skies

Three Generations of Life, Loss, and Hope in China

De: Karoline Kan

Narrado por: Allison Hiroto

A deeply personal and shocking look at how China is coming to terms with its conflicted past as it emerges into a modern, cutting-edge superpower.

Through the stories of three generations of women in her family, Karoline Kan, a former New York Times reporter based in Beijing, reveals how they navigated their way in a country beset by poverty and often-violent political unrest. As the Kans move from quiet villages to crowded towns and through the urban streets of Beijing in search of a better way of life, they are forced to confront the past and break the chains of tradition, especially those forced on women.
Raw and revealing, Karoline Kan offers gripping tales of her grandmother, who struggled to make a way for her family during the Great Famine; of her mother, who defied the One-Child Policy by giving birth to Karoline; of her cousin, a shoe factory worker scraping by on 6 yuan (88 cents) per hour; and of herself, as an ambitious millennial striving to find a job--and true love--during a time rife with bewildering social change.

Under Red Skies is an engaging eyewitness account and Karoline's quest to understand the rapidly evolving, shifting sands of China. It is the first English-language memoir from a Chinese millennial to be published in America, and a fascinating portrait of an otherwise-hidden world, written from the perspective of those who live there.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A heartfelt introduction into China's recent history -- and a rare firsthand dispatch from its millennial generation....For those seeking to understand the future of China and U.S.-China relations, voices like hers are an essential part of the conversation."—The Wall Street Journal

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"Vivid and humane, Karoline Kan's memoir of coming of age in China is richly revealing and contemporary, shaped both by the pain of history and the hope for the future - at turns bold and vulnerable, like China itself."—Evan Osnos, National Book Award-winning author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China and New Yorker staff writer

"At first glance, Karoline Kan's Under Red Skies is a simple coming-of -age story. A young girl from a poor family grows up, goes to university, falls in love and gets her heart broken (repeatedly), and finally triumphs as a journalist. But contained within is a sharply observed critique of all that is dysfunctional in Chinese society. You can learn more about modern China through this compulsively readable memoir than from many weightier tomes."—Barbara Demick, National Book Award finalist and author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

"Karoline Kan's intimate portrait of growing up in contemporary China opens a new window onto a country going through lightning-fast change."—Edward Wong, International Correspondent and Former Beijing Bureau Chief, The New York Times

"Under Red Skies is a beautiful look at the struggles of China's fast-changing society. In Karoline's inspiring and heartfelt stories of her family, she voices how much Chinese people have overcome. This book should be read by people from all corners of the world if they want to know the real story of China."—Xinran, author of The Good Women of China

"Karoline Kan's Under Red Skies is an engrossing account of a rapidly changing China seen through the eyes of an imaginative, ambitious young woman... An intimate coming-of-age story, this book should be read by anyone seeking to understand the aspirations and frustrations of young people in China today."—Leta Hong Fincher, author of Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China

"A fascinating memoir about three generations of Chinese women. Whereas classics like Wild Swans end with the Cultural Revolution, Under Red Skies picks up where Jung Chang leaves off in this look at contemporary Chinese life and history as it changes before our eyes."
—Lijia Zhang, author of Socialism is Great! A Worker's Memoir of The New China

A Nice Lite Story

This book is mostly for junior high school girls but also of interest to more serious readers who will find nuggets well worth the time.

Get to know the real China better

What a fascinating, insightful and personal tale to better understand China’s challenging controlling and hopefully, now, a little bit more freedom.

Good listen and insight into China

Having lived in China 1986 to 1987, I enjoyed this insightful generational tale of China under Communism,. I especially enjoyed hearing what life is like for young people today, which is so different from when I lived there. I just wish there had been more detail about the affects of communism on their daily lives as that was especially intetesting.

Well written, well told

Brought back fond memories. Illustrates well the struggles of young people growing up in China.

Great book about modern China.

I have lived in China for 10 years and this book is sooo spot on about modern China. Loved it.

Great story, but pronunciation could use work

I liked the story and the narrator's voice was warm and well suited to the topic of family history. However, the Mandarin words and names were not pronounced correctly sometimes.

Memoir of Growing Up in China

Unsophisticated memoir of childhood, teen years and young adulthood in China during the 1980s and 1990s. Carefully details and discusses the effects on political policy on the lives of individuals and families. I enjoyed this book.

An intimate view of real life in China

The story is touching . Even though I Have studied and visited China multiple times, I still gained valuable and substantial new insight into the plight of young Chinese women.
The only thing I found in error is the criticism of the Trump administration. Obviously Ms. Kan based her views on erroneous and biased news agencies from the USA and in China.
A strong and determined American president is exactly what is needed to check the abuses of the CCP she describes. I trust Ms. Kan will independently research American politics for herself and form her own conclusions. America loves Chinese people, but not the Chinese government. Our cities are full of smart , hardworking Chinese who are a wonderful part of the AMERICAN fabric. May
God bless them!!

Probably fantastic if you’re not from China of this generation, but...

It’s probably an amazing book for a non-Chinese to read. But for me, someone born in 1996 and lived in Beijing all the way till 18, probably not as intriguing. Still a pleasant read.

History of life for Chinese women

I have lived in China three times - once in 1989, once in 2006, and presently. I have an understanding of how China has changed over time, but I appreciated an insider's perspective of how the private lives for one family's women has been impacted by that changing China. The author was born in the Tiananmen Square era - her life reflects the growing economic stability that was promised. It was interesting to consider the costs of those gains. I recommend this book to anyone curious about the past for decades of the sleeping dragon.