The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices (Xinran)

 

I read this book a while ago, but could not bring myself to write my comments. Even though this book left me distraught and shocked, I could not put it down. When I thought things could not be any harsher, they just did. From one chapter to the next, women fell even lower. And when I say women, I mean females. Little girls are definitely not spared. The last chapter of the book was just horrible. It's called The Women of Shouting Hill. They treat cattle better than women there. What these women go through is just inconceivable. I can't even give examples, they just made me so sick.

Xinran is a journalist who, for 8 years, hosted a radio program for women who were invited to call in and talk about themselves. After she left China to live in England, she wrote a book using some of the testimonies she collected. I am always interested in reading about how other people live, and even though this book is very disturbing, I can only recommend it. Some days, I just feel so lucky!