Red Sorrow cover art

Red Sorrow

A Memoir

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Red Sorrow

By: Nanchu
Narrated by: Corrie James
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About this listen

At the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution, 13-year-old Nanchu watched Red Guards burst into her home and arrest her parents, whom they tortured and jailed. She was left to fend for herself and her younger brother on the streets of Shanghai, enduring poverty and near-starvation. As she grew older she herself became a Red Guard and was sent down to the largest work camp in China. There she faced primitive conditions, predatory officials, a viper's nest of party jealousies, and near-fatal injury before she finally won admittance to Madame Mao's university in Shanghai. Her testimony is essential for anyone interested in China or human rights.

©2012 Nanchu (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Americas United States World Memoir China Socialism

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Editor reviews

As important and grand as the People's Republic of China is, much about its recent history is unknown or misconceived. One of the largest paradigm shifts of the nation was the Cultural Revolution that began in the mid 1960's. At the age of 13 Nanchu was one of the children to have her home destroyed by Red Guards only to be indoctrinated and join their ranks later.

Carrie James voices Red Sorrow: A Memoir with an agonizingly poignant performance, which makes this all the more worth listening to. Also if you have any desire to understand China in a more complete way, then listen to this very personal account of penance.
All stars
Most relevant
A fascinating story I could not put down. The narrator does a very good jibbof taking us along in this unfamiliar account of a very different culture.

Riveting!

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Mesmerising book I can’t believe I didn’t know the depth of deprivation suffered by the Chinese people

Mesmerising

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a beautifully written and equally beautifully read.....a true story of the struggles encountered during the Cultural Revolution....I would gladly award more than 5 stars if I could...would highly recommend

a truly great listening experience.....

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An interesting addition to other books by individuals who became unwittingly embroiled in the cultural revolutionry years. The collective experience was well described. The narrator was appropriate and sympathetic. A recommended listen!

A worthwhile listen

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I really struggled with this.

This book is an important piece of modern history but should have had an editor, to separate the wheat from the chaff......... It would take it down to a few hours.

The story just went off on odd tangents, then just went on and on when only a paragraph would have sufficed,

The narrator although good, should have been Chinese, It would have bought an authenticity to the book that it lacked.

Mao’s modern China

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