China's Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution

By Da Chen

A candid memoir of growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution that is sure to inspire.
 
Da Chen grew up as an outcast in Communist China. His family’s legacy had been one of privilege prior to the revolution, but now in the Chairman Mao era, they are treated with scorn. For Da Chen, that means that all of his successes and academic achievements are nullified when one teacher tells him that, because of his “family’s crimes,” he can never be more than a poor farmer. Feeling his fate is hopeless, Da responds by dropping out.

Da’s life takes a dark turn, and he soon begins hanging out with a gang. However, all is not lost. After Chairman Mao’s death, Da realizes that an education and college might be possible. He begins to study–all day and into the night. His entire family rallies to help him succeed, working long hours in the rice fields and going into debt to ensure that Da has an education.
Their struggle would not be in vain. When the final exam results are posted, Da has one of the highest scores in the region, earning him a place at the prestigious Beijing University and a future free from the scars of his past.

This inspiring memoir, adapted for young readers from Colors of the Mountain, is one that will rally readers to defy the odds.

Praise for China’s Son
 
“Humor and unflinching honesty inform the narrative, which is shot through with lyrical descriptions.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Da Chen’s narrative moves smoothly, communicating setting and character with an immediacy that will draw young readers in.”—Kirkus Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 19, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307482792

Da Chen

Dr. Da Chen is currently an ARC (Australian Research Council) DECRA (Discovery Early Career Researcher Award) fellow at Department of Infrastructure Engineering, the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow at School of Civil Engineering, the University of Queensland, where he obtained his PhD degree in June 2018. He worked as a research fellow at MFM and ISMD, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. He will shortly join School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW (University of New South Wales) Sydney, as a lecturer. Dr. Chen has an interdisciplinary research background across structural, material, and mechanical engineering with a focus on the advanced composite structural forms for various end-user applications, such as novel lightweight non-uniform foam components, graphene reinforced nanocomposites, vibration absorbers, concrete columns, and offshore fish cages. His study promotes the development of functionally graded porous structures and has been widely acknowledged. His research achievements include 6 Highly Cited Papers (top performing 1%), 2330 Web of Science citations, and 7.72 for Field-Weighted Citation Impact (2017-2021, SciVal), as of January 2023.

Reviews for China's Son

[willacather · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not well written.

[aryadeschain-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was pretty interesting, but I have to say I expected a bit more solid ground here regarding how was the political situation in China. Still, I enjoyed the cultural aspects of China that Da Chen subtly included as part of his daily life's description. This book is not focused in the historical aspects of the Cultural Revolution era, but more like a memoir of his youth in China during those years until he managed to get into the university.