Loving and Learning from Wild Swans

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang is the latest non-fiction book I read this year. I picked it up randomly at Changi Airport on my way to the UK. It's not only a great book to read (I couldn't put it down), but also one that affects the readers emotionally. Well, at least I felt that way, and I still do. It's about a story about three generations of women in a Chinese family. The book vividly describes their experience throughout the Japanese occupation and Chairman Mao's Communist regime. It's now easily one of my favourite non-fiction. It's as unforgettable as Nicholas and Alexandra (about the last Emperor and Empress of Russia - a topic I'm very interested in) that I read years ago and I still treasure until now. I believe this will be the same. I guess what makes the book so great is that the writer's very honest about her family's experience over the years. This is why I love autobiographical kind of books - they come straight from the heart and the readers feel it. It's almost too painful to read sometimes, but when I nearly reached the end of the book and turned the last page, I didn't want it to end. I truly wish there's more to read, but as real as any non-fiction, it must stop at certain point.

Another reason why I'm so deeply affected and moved by the book is because of my Chinese ancestry. Ever since I was young, my dad has been repeatedly told me stories about my grandparents, who came from China. My grandfather and his younger brother immigrated from Mainland China (Fuzhou in Fujian Province) with my great-grandparents to look for a better place to live elsewhere. They came to settle in Tebing Tinggi, a small city in North Sumatra, Indonesia. That's where my grandparents were married and my dad was born. Throughout their lives in Indonesia, my great-grandparents and grandparents never forgot about their Chinese roots. My great-grandfather had five siblings in China, some of whom might still have some descendants there. This kind of story makes me rather emotional. I really wish I could visit my ancestors' birthplace one day. It's a shame that none of us can speak the Fuzhou dialect anymore at home though we all speak Hokkien. 

Also, I kept wondering what would have happened if my great-grandparents and grandparents chose to stay in China. Would they experience the same hardships described in the book? I'm not saying this as they didn't experience anything difficult in Indonesia. My grandfather had a hard time during the Japanese occupation in Indonesia. I guess in every family, there's always a story to tell and I would really love to know more. I used to listen attentively whenever my dad told me their stories. I really miss those times. Anyway, back to the book! I think everyone, regardless of their roots, should read this book if possible. It's one of those books that will change the way you think and appreciate what you have - self-reflection, in other words. I'm grateful to have come across it, really.