What We've Been Reading - The Three Daughters of Madame Liang

It was only upon accepting the job in Shanghai that I discovered the writings of Pearl S. Buck. A Nobel Prize winner for literature, her stories are captivating; her characters are realistic, well developed and identifiable; and her settings are infinitely interesting. My mother handed me Peony in March, and I was immediately hooked on Buck's writing. I searched a used book fair this summer for more, and left with a pile of Buck's novels. My second read was The Three Daughters of Madame Liang. Both novels take place in China - it is my understanding that most of her writing does.

What stands out about The Three Daughters of Madame Liang is the timeframe. Although I can't find the reference, I believe that Buck stated that this book takes place in "modern times" - it was published in 1969. I include myself as one unfamiliar with Chinese history, although I am learning as quickly as I can. At that time, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, China was in the midst of the Cultural Revolution. Being in China, the best link I can find for background is this piece on Mao Zedong. It seems relatively accurate, if a bit slanted. I suppose this is why I am able to read it under my present circumstances - in cooperation with most major search engines, the Chinese government controls the masses' access to the internet, removing or blocking links to websites presenting Chinese government in a less than favorable light.

I digress.

Madame Liang is a surprisingly progressive woman in communist China in the midst of the Cultural Revolution - a dangerous time for all Chinese, especially progressive ones. She is Chinese through and through, but has educated all three of her daughters in America. Through the course of the book, some of her children come back to China to serve their country. The time period is immensely interesting - masses of people living under complete oppression, with every aspect of their lifestyle under govermental control. With her choice of characters, Buck does a beautiful job of presenting a loyal Chinese viewpoint as well as American critical thinking. For a wonderful read, as well as a fictional schooling on mid-20th-century China, I highly recommend this book.