Audiobook13 hours
Heart for Freedom: The Remarkable Journey of a Young Dissident, Her Daring Escape, and Her Quest to Free China's Daught
Written by Chai Ling
Narrated by Karen White
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
The dramatic and fascinating story of Chai Ling, commander-in-chief of the student protesters at Tiananmen Square and witness to the massacre of thousands of Chinese civilians. Risking imprisonment and possible death for her leadership role in the student democracy movement, she was on the run in China for ten months while being hunted by the authorities. She eventually escaped to the U.S., completed her education at Princeton and Harvard, found true love, and became a highly successful entrepreneur. But her desperate quest for freedom, purpose, and peace--which she had sought in turn through academic achievement, romantic love, political activism, and career success--was never satisfied until she had an unexpected encounter with a formerly forbidden faith. Her newfound passion for God led to her life's greatest mission: Fighting for the lives and rights of young girls in China.
Related to Heart for Freedom
Related audiobooks
Not Forgotten: The True Story of My Imprisonment in North Korea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Song of Saigon: One Woman's Journey to Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Man on Mao's Right: From Harvard Yard to Tiananmen Square, My Life Inside China's Foreign Ministry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Lai: Vietnam, 1968, and the Descent into Darkness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond the Yellow Star to America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fire Road: The Napalm Girl's Journey through the Horrors of War to Faith, Forgiveness, and Peace Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5No Wall Too High: One Man's Daring Escape from Mao's Darkest Prison Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Somewhere Inside: One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Road From Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Name Is Mahtob: The Story that Began in the Global Phenomenon Not Without My Daughter Continues Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Time to Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Growing Up bin Laden: Osama's Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their Secret World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Out the Depths: The Story of a Child of Buchenwald Who Returned Home at Last Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee--A Look Inside North Korea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inside the Jihad: My Life With Al Qaeda, A Spy's Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fox Hunt: A Refugee's Memoir of Coming to America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Freedom Trip: A Child's Escape from North Korea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sisters of the War: Two Remarkable True Stories of Survival and Hope in Syria (Scholastic Focus) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mastermind: The Many Faces of the 9/11 Architect, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Four-Four-Two Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Favored Daughter: One Woman's Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I Was Told to Come Alone: My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Blood Brothers: The Dramatic Story of a Palestinian Christian Working for Peace in Israel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Cave in the Clouds: A Young Woman’s Escape from ISIS Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Religious Biographies For You
An Exorcist Tells His Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover: Key Takeaways, Summary & Analysis Included Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: Third Edition with Bonus Content, New Reflections Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Confessions of St. Augustine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Autobiography of a Yogi (Unabridged) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hiding Place Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pure Act: The Uncommon Life of Robert Lax Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In the Presence of My Enemies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5God's Smuggler Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Magic of Marie Laveau: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil is Afraid of Me: The Life and Work of the World's Most Famous Exorcist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith and Redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak: Lessons on Faith from Nine Biblical Families Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twelve Ordinary Men Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Autobiography of a Yogi: The Original 1946 Edition plus Bonus Material Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Paul: A Biography Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Toltec Art of Life and Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bare-Faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome: A Memoir of Humor and Healing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finding God in the Waves: How I Lost My Faith and Found it Again Through Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Heart for Freedom
Rating: 3.4523809523809526 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
21 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I abandoned this at the halfway point, it was just too slow. The events that the book claims to be about had only just begun by the time I stopped reading. A lot of authors make this mistake--writing in great detail about their early life, families and childhood when it doesn't have much if anything to do with their subject. Maybe a really famous person or someone with a fascinating life can do this but otherwise their auto-biography may only end up being of interest to their family members or someone studying their life for a history project! One chapter on early life as an intro is okay but beyond that.....zzzzzzz.
The author gives personal details about mistakes she made resulting in at least three abortions. She goes into a lot of the reasons for these and the circumstances. This served to shine a light on the effects of China's laws relating to marriage and family life--one child policy and needing to have a combined age of 48 prior to any marriage...
The book is actually about the author's involvement in leading democratic protests that led to mass casualties in China when the authorities acted to quell the peaceful demonstration. It was one of the first such attempts to challenge the regime. But, as the author waited a number of decades before writing about it, the events in question have probably faded from the vast majority of memories, although I'm sure the families still sadly grieve the tragedy that took so many student lives.
I read elsewhere that the author gave an interview to the media and subsequently tried to prevent its disclosure. She effectively said during the interview which occurred before the uprising that it would take a mass slaughter of students by the government to make their protest heard. There was understandable consternation about her comments as it was suggested by some that the students had deliberately caused the deaths by their actions, turning themselves into martyrs for the cause.
I didn't get as far as reading about the author's conversion to Christianity in 2009.
This book may appeal to those interested in China, communism, activism or with a particular interest in this uprising. I didn't really enjoy it but others might. There was no bad language or sexual content and the violence wasn't graphic, at least up to the halfway point.... - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A moving and inspiring autobiography of one woman's quest for freedom, meaning and significance.