21 July 2008
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
Beginning during the reign of the Last Emperor, Wild Swans tells the story of three women, and of a century of China's most turbulent history. Through the story of her grandmother, her mother, and herself, Jung Chang vividly describes life as a warlord's concubine, as an ardent young communist, and as a prisoner in a labour camp, from the Manchu Empire to the Cultural Revolution. First published in 1991, Wild Swans remains an international best seller.
Jung Chang was born in 1952 to communist party officials who were later denounced. She studied English at Sichuan University, and in 1978 received a Chinese government scholarship to study linguistics in England, where she has lived ever since.
Concludes July 25
Author: Jung Chang
Reader: Pik-Sen Lim
Production
Producer: BBC Radio
Publication
Publisher: Harper Perennial
