Red Azalea

Red Azalea by Anchee Min
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got this book hoping to learn more about the Cultural Revolution. And I did, though not in the way I anticipated. Instead of focusing on the travisties of the Cultural Revolution, Min simply tells the story of her life while living through it. I was distracted at first by the focus she places on her love affairs...I wanted to know more about life at the Farm. But after sitting with it for awhile, I came to appreciate this intimate tale of what it was like to live through the Cultural Revolution, not just facts about it. My journals are filled with who I loved more so than what I ate or what was happening in the world. Love is what drives us, even if, especially if the government attempts to take away family, pets, and your sense of self. Those who looked for love from their leaders turned into manipulative, petty, bitter fools. Finding love wherever she could kept Min from dispair we can only imagine where a government tries to control every aspect of its people's lives. The language is very lyrical...very beautiful, yet at times I was confused about what was actually happening, and what was imagery.

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