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Sign up todayUnder Red Skies
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Learn moreA deeply personal and shocking look at how China is coming to terms with its conflicted past as it emerges into a modern, cutting-edge superpower.
Through the stories of three generations of women in her family, Karoline Kan, a former New York Times reporter based in Beijing, reveals how they navigated their way in a country beset by poverty and often-violent political unrest. As the Kans move from quiet villages to crowded towns and through the urban streets of Beijing in search of a better way of life, they are forced to confront the past and break the chains of tradition, especially those forced on women.
Raw and revealing, Karoline Kan offers gripping tales of her grandmother, who struggled to make a way for her family during the Great Famine; of her mother, who defied the One-Child Policy by giving birth to Karoline; of her cousin, a shoe factory worker scraping by on 6 yuan (88 cents) per hour; and of herself, as an ambitious millennial striving to find a job--and true love--during a time rife with bewildering social change.
Under Red Skies is an engaging eyewitness account and Karoline's quest to understand the rapidly evolving, shifting sands of China. It is the first English-language memoir from a Chinese millennial to be published in America, and a fascinating portrait of an otherwise-hidden world, written from the perspective of those who live there.
Karoline Kan is a former New York Times reporter who writes about millennial life and politics in China. She's currently an editor at China Dialogue. She lives in Beijing.
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Audiobook details
Author:
Karoline Kan
Narrator:
Allison Hiroto
ISBN:
9781549199837
Length:
8 hours 42 minutes
Language:
English
Publisher:
Hachette Audio
Publication date:
March 12, 2019
Edition:
Unabridged
Reviews
"A heartfelt introduction into China's recent history -- and a rare firsthand dispatch from its millennial generation....For those seeking to understand the future of China and U.S.-China relations, voices like hers are an essential part of the conversation."โThe Wall Street Journal Marie Claire, Inspiring Memoirs by Women That Are More Addictive Than Fiction!โLijia Zhang, author of Socialism is Great! A Worker's Memoir of The New China "With her revealing and introspective account of growing up in post-1989 China, Kan fills a void in contemporary literature on the country. While the profound societal shakeup that unfolded during that period has left everyone of her generation with a remarkable story, few have possessed such skill and courage in telling theirs."โEric Fish, author of China?s Millennials: The Want Generation "Poignant, humane, and insightful, [Under Red Skies] brings the extraordinary story of the last fifty years in China vividly alive. The Kan family's struggles to survive and prosper through many adversities, largely inflicted on them by government, are a moving testament to the resilience and determination of three generations of women."โIsabel Hilton, OBE, founder of China Dialogue and author of The Search for the Panchen Lama "A remarkable multigenerational memoir that clearly explores 'the real China-its beauty and ugliness, the weird and familiar, the joyful and sad, progressive and backward at the same time.'"โKirkus Reviews (starred review) "Kan presents an engaging debut memoir that would make an excellent book club choice."โLibrary Journal "[Kan is] an eloquent, restrained and gripping writer."โTruthDig "[Kan] has written the gripping autobiography of a generation--and a superpower--caught between tradition and ambition."โThe Economist "Razor sharp... [this book is a] coherent explanation of the dizzying changes that have affected daily life in contemporary China."โThe South China Morning Post "[Kan] is a clear and straightforward writer, walking readers through her own life and that of her family... An impressive [story]."โAsian Review of Books "Stunning."โRemotelands.com "It's enjoyable to get to know Kan on the page; she tells moving family tales as well as poignant personal stories, and serves as an engagingly candid guide to the fascinating generation she is a part of."โNew York Times Expand reviews