This is biographical novel following the lives of three generations of women. A shocking portrayal of the communist regime following the Japanese invasion and Kuomintang. It tells of the starvation, brutality and and brain washing they faced every day. It is sobering to think that Mao was responsible for an estimated 70 million deaths yet his statue still stands in Tiananman Square. This is a story of epic proportions, and is very moving. I was fascinated and horrified. A difficult book to put down, well worth reading.