Book Review - The Red Scarf Girl

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution

About the Author: 

Ji-li Jiang is the author of Red Scarf Girl (an ALA Notable Book), her own account of growing up in China under the Cultural Revolution. Born in Shanghai in 1954, she was a science teacher before coming to the United Sates in 1984. In 1992 she started a company, East West Exchange, to promote cultural exchange between Western countries and China. She lives near San Francisco, California.

From the Back Cover:

In 1966 Ji-li Jiang turned twelve. An outstanding student and leader, she had everything: brains, the admiration of her peers, and a bright future in China′s Communist Party. But that year China′s leader, Mao Ze-dong, launched the Cultural Revolution, and everything changed. Over the next few years, Ji-li and her family were humiliated and scorned by former friends, neighbors, and co-workers. They lived in constant terror of arrest. Finally, with the detention of her father, Ji-li faced the most difficult choice of her life.

Told with simplicity and grace, this is the true story of one family′s courage and determination during one of the most terrifying eras of the twentieth century.

Red scarf girl is an eye-opening book as Ji-li tells of a child's nightmare growing up during Chairman Mao's cultural revolution in the late 1960's.  Ji-li was a 12 year old when children turned against parents, students against teachers and friend against friend. Young and old alike were encouraged to root out the four olds - old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits.  Ji-li's family had to burn old family photographs so they couldn't be used as evidence against her family.  During the revolution, homes were searched, possessions destroyed, and family members were imprisoned. Ji-li's father was imprisoned and her mother suffered from poor health.

During a lot of the turmoil, Ji-li was loyal to Chairman Mao.  I found myself wondering when she would see the light and realize how much damage he was doing to her country. I had to remind myself that this was only a 12-year-old girl with little experience in the world.  I learned several new things as I read  Ji-li Jian personal experiences with communism in China and the havoc it brought to so many families.

Red Scarf Girl is engaging and well-written, one that all young and old readers should take the time to read.