Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1 edition
Release Date: May 7, 2013
ISBN-10: 1596916982
In 1994, Anchee Min made her literary debut with a memoir of growing up in China during the violent trauma of the Cultural Revolution. Red Azalea became an international bestseller and propelled her career as a successful, critically acclaimed author. Twenty years later, Min returns to the story of her own life to give us the next chapter, an immigrant story that takes her from the shocking deprivations of her homeland to the sudden bounty of the promised land of America, without language, money, or a clear path.
It is a hard and lonely road. She teaches herself English by watching Sesame Street, keeps herself afloat working five jobs at once, lives in unheated rooms, suffers rape, collapses from exhaustion, marries poorly and divorces.But she also gives birth to her daughter, Lauryann, who will inspire her and finally root her in her new country. Min's eventual successes-her writing career, a daughter at Stanford, a second husband she loves-are remarkable, but it is her struggle throughout toward genuine selfhood that elevates this dramatic, classic immigrant story to something powerfully universal.
My Thoughts:
In her latest memoir, Anchee Min provides a very personal and candid account of her struggles and triumphs as she accustomed herself to living in a foreign land, as well as the early development of her writing career and later her marriage to author, Lloyd Lofthouse. As readers, we often romanticize the life of a writer and embellish it with a bit of glamor and ease. This was certainly not the case for Anchee Min. Although she left behind the physical pain associated with the Labor Camps of China, the emotional pain and lasting physical injuries continued to follow her and yet, some of her most difficult struggles were still ahead as she pursued her goal of the "American Dream". I found it incredibly amazing that she knew very little English, if any at all, upon her arrival, and yet, through her unwavering sense of determination and perseverance she continued to move forward. Her work ethics throughout her life and her philosophy towards parenting surpass that of most natural-born Americans and should be commended. Viewing our culture through the eyes of a foreigner often reveals the most insightful truths. Although it may be difficult to admit, we cannot deny the realism of the portrait that Min has presented. At times, Min's accounts are explicit and brutally honest, but nonetheless captivating and inspiring with moments of soothing humor. Anchee Min is a very gifted and talented writer with a great capacity for detail. This will easily become one of my favorite memoirs and one that I simply cannot praise enough. Five stars and highly recommended!
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This review has been linked up with Cym Lowell's Book Review Wednesdays!
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