Wild Swans

Three Daughters of China

By: Jung Chang

Narrated by: Joy Osmanski

The story of three generations in twentieth-century China that blends the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history—a bestselling classic in thirty languages with more than ten million copies sold around the world, now with a new introduction from the author.

An engrossing record of Mao’s impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love, Jung Chang describes the extraordinary lives and experiences of her family members: her grandmother, a warlord’s concubine; her mother’s struggles as a young idealistic Communist; and her parents’ experience as members of the Communist elite and their ordeal during the Cultural Revolution.

Chang was a Red Guard briefly at the age of fourteen, then worked as a peasant, a “barefoot doctor,” a steelworker, and an electrician. As the story of each generation unfolds, Chang captures in gripping, moving—and ultimately uplifting—detail the cycles of violent drama visited on her own family and millions of others caught in the whirlwind of history.

Awesome Epic

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

Yes, I would recommend this to some friends with similar interests

Who was your favorite character and why?

None

What aspect of Joy Osmanski’s performance would you have changed?

She has a very harsh tone. Soften it a bit please. It is hard listening to her for long

Historical with real characters

This was an eye opener into the history of China and the changes in government that impacted the lives of the Chinese. A very good insight into the beliefs and values of these people as well as their strengths in facing their many trials.

Not like a history book but very informative. I was drawn into the book immediately.

The best kind of intimate history

If you could sum up Wild Swans in three words, what would they be?

Frightful, sad, courageous

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wild Swans?

The stories of the author's mother, desperately trying to be a good communist and to believe in the ideology, but at every turn harassed and thwarted by an irrational state and her husband.

What does Joy Osmanski bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She tells the stories in a believable way. She handles the Chinese names and words well.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were dozens. It is appropriate that this is one of the biggest best-sellers of all memoirs in English. 16 million sold. Everyone should learn about China in the 20th century, and this is a good start to learn about it. I'll be assigning the print version for my world civilization students, at the college level.

A must listen.

What did you love best about Wild Swans?

Any one interested in China or with Chinese friends should listen to this book.

Incredible story with such historical background.

The story of three generations of Chinese women was interesting on its own merits but adding the background of the rise of Mao in China, made it the best book I have read in a long time. There was so much that I didn't know about this part of China's history. Especially at this time in the U.S., I think it's crucial that we see how a dictator can take control and how the people can not even realize it until their lives have been destroyed.