The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices

I was expecting to learn more about what it has been like historically to be a woman in China, but whoa boy, this was rough. We adopted a daughter from China a few years ago and I was thinking I might give this to her so she could learn more about her birth-country, but...not yet. Maybe when she's 20+ years old.The stories were moving and having lived in China and studied its history I have no doubt they're true, my only concern is that someone reading this might think it's representative of all of China, at all times. China certainly had and still has its issues, but there are also bright points of light and I've met plenty of happy, well-adjusted families in China whose husbands love their wives and whose wives love their husbands and the mothers and fathers love their children.

This is an easy read. As someone else mentioned, you can read the short stories on the subway or in short breaks. The stories are simply written. If you are not familiar with Chinese culture, you may find them shocking. They give you a nice overview on the topic.The introduction of the book where the author is almost mugged and has her manuscript almost stolen is unbelievable. What author has only one copy of her hard earned work? This is not a big deal, but it created doubt in my mind about the truth of the other stories. This work is non-fiction supposedly. How much did the author exagerate? Of course, the mugging story could be completely true and in that case I apologize to the author for questioning her.For more in depth understanding of Chinese culture and society I recommend the following:Wild SwansChina WakesChina RoadFor outstanding fiction try Ha Jin books.

As another reviewer writes: Don't miss it! Don't dismiss it! Cuz this is a book that will open your heart & change your mind.I already love the way Xinran writes cuz I have  Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet . THE GOOD WOMEN OF CHINA: Hidden Voices are from her nighttime write/call-in show for women only, back in the 1980s out of Nanjing.You will meet the people who work at the radio station.You will encounter the omnipotent presence of The Party.You will get to know the women of rural China, who have never been paid much attention.The wind will be knocked out of you as you witness the levels of neglect & abuse.Your soul will be scarified by the callowness, soullessness & non-respect for people of the female gender, no matter their age or status, endemic in that nation.Then you'll become devoted to each woman's story, & wonder how you would live that stoically, that heroically.Xinran delivers it all: someplace else; some new people & some fresh ways to stir your conscience.

Very eye opening on Chinese culture regarding the horrible discrimination of women in China, especially in rural areas who have no rights at all and treated as objects to their husbands. The book is filled with First hand accounts from women calling into to radio show anonymously stating their personally and tragic realities. Fast read that keeps one's interest pinned each and every page. Extremely well written. Highly recommend!

The writer is excellent. The first story is so interesting that I could not stop reading it . Was very disturbing and I found myself asking could this be true? Sometimes story's are played upon to make them more interesting. But still there is truth to the story I can feel it .And when I consider were these stories come from (China) I'm inclined to believe that they are true. As you can see this Chinese woman writer, Xinran , gets one to thinking! So nice to read and hear about women from other countries makes me feel closer to women in general all over the world suffering from such stupid indignities imposed upon them by society. To sum it all up I'd say this book is interesting reading. I recommend it highly.

This is an excellent book that should be read by all and should be part of every high school or college curriculum.

First off - please ignore other reviews that say this book is a novel! All of the stories in this book REALLY HAPPENED.EVERY woman must read this book. Some of the chapters are very painful. Your emotions will be tested. It is so hard to imagine that some of the occurences actually happen in the world (like Soul Mountain, whose women are forced to use leaves for their periods and are used by many men, causing them serious scarring and forever damaging their wombs). The book is so uplifting as a whole - the strength these women show is incredible. It will make you proud to be a woman.This book will forever change you, lifting a veil of a world we don't often get to see. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would.

A collection of journalistic accounts. Different histories of true women present a mosaic of real life in China. Some of these descriptions may in fact relate to an earlier period but I would not be surprised if much of what is written here is not still accurate.If you are interested in China and or women's issues I recommend this book. There is real content here but at the same time this is not heavy readingPS I read this on a Kindle

A heartbreaking account of the lives of ordinary Chinese women from the 1960s to the beginning of China's opening up to the world in the 1980s. Hardship, sexual abuse and the inexplicable mania of the Cultural Revolution are the common themes of these intimate stories, told through the filter of Xinran's nightly phone-in radio show. The stories culminate in the most distressing of all - The Women of Shouting Hill. Broadly speaking, the lives of Chinese women have improved somewhat since Xinran's book was first published in 2003, and, while there are many reasons for this progress, the fact that Xinran's radio shows and subsequent journalism helped to spark a more open debate about the status and treatment of women is certainly a contributory factor. Although upsetting to read, this book is an important chronicle of a pivotal moment in China's long history, when the lives of its women were at last beginning to be considered worthy of scrutiny and discussion.

I was interested to read some of the negative reviews of this book. Criticisms of Xinran's condescending tone; her over-simplification of the stories; that they were non-representative.Personally, I didn't feel that way about the book at all. Xinran's tone is open and unassuming, she lets her subjects speak for themselves. It is true that the stories are quite short and do not delve into detailed histories, instead they rather focus on the suffering, its causes and conditions. I found this approach highly effective. The stories are often disturbing - but their brevity, together with Xinran's light touch, create something crystalline and powerful that lingers in the mind without overwhelming.I felt humbled and intensely saddened by many of the stories. So much I take for granted. So easily violence and evil flourish in humanity once the embers are fanned. There are too many common themes in these stories for them not to be representative of thousands of women's experiences from the Cultural Revolution and beyond. To deny this is to delude oneself about mankind's innate capacity to inflict persecution and abuse whenever conditions are favourable.

A wonderful example of an author acting as a mouthpiece for the individual stories of those who have long been voiceless. A clarion call to openness and change, away from shame and self-blame, to leave behind internalised societal hatred and disdain, towards an enlightened age when humans can transcend their unevolved natures and raise our game. This collection of stories will unlock pain and allow for healing all over the world not just in China, for all of us. It is not only the abused and denigrated who are lessened by abusive behaviour, it is all of us. Difficult to put down, it is so well written. Truly haunting.

I thought these were good stories. It gives a real insight into the attitudes of the Chinese people, the lives of women in modern and recent history China and the difficulties they have faced. I do however think that the author has used a great deal of journalistic licence in order to write them. Too many of the stories have amazing coincidences which make me think the facts may have been changed slightly for better effect. I get the impression that she has gathered the stories that hundreds of woman have told her over the years and used them as a basis to give us a feel for their plight. I don't doubt that they are based in fact, and the book was still a very good read.

This is a fascinating insight into the lives of Chinese women in relatively recent times. It is a surprisingly good read, as it is very well written. Although all the accounts are about different women, the linking thread of the author's work life provides a structure.It made me reflect on the lot of women everywhere and at all stages of history. We in the West are the exception (well, many women are). We are so lucky to have lived in peaceful times and with such a lot of opportunities.