Tiananmen Square, by Lai Wen - Tom
When I picked up this book, I thought it was going to be a history of the notorious incidents in China when the state attacked student demonstrators. I soon found, however that it was a novel describing very loosely what it was like to be an ordinary Chinese citizen in a very controlling state. I say loosely because that is how the author describes the book as being based on her life. The book describes what it was like to live in the communist controlled society from the time of Mao Zedong, up to and including the events in the Square. The events described are seen through the eyes of a young girl through to her life as a young adult student on the periphery of events.
It was a fascinating read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I am old enough to remember the events in Tiananmen Square being broadcast on TV, and this novel provided some background to why the students were protesting. Persist in reading and you will enjoy an unusual twist at the end.
Tom
