The Cry of the Silkworm

by Shi Naseer

Growing up in 1990s China, in a village where failure to observe the rigidly enforced one-child policy is deemed tantamount to a crime, Chen Di must fight to get the education she craves in a world in which boys are prioritized. Following her mother's untimely death, 16-year-old Chen Di's thirst for vengeance against those she holds responsible brings about her transformation from a gutsy, marginalized child into an aikido-practising young woman who braves Shanghai. A startling illumination of the ripple effect of the authoritarian regime's policies still being felt today, this moving debut is perfect for readers of The Beekeeper of Aleppo and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Genres: Fiction

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2024

Reviews

[Rainbow Goth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh this was an absolute masterpiece. I was completely captivated by Naseer's beautiful writing style from the very beginning. The plot revolves around a young girl named Chen Di who lives in a rural part of China. The story is set against the backdrop of the country's one child policy and explores various topics that are often overlooked by society.

One of the most striking aspects of the book is the portrayal of the abuse that girls had to endure, simply because they were considered inferior to boys. It also sheds light on the desperation of parents to have a male child and the infanticide that occurred when multiple females were born. The book also delves into the psychological impact that such policies had on children.

Despite the dark and disturbing nature of its themes, the book is beautifully interwoven with Chen Di's story, both as a child and a young adult. The author has done a remarkable job in telling a story that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

I believe that this book is an important contribution to literature as it sheds light on the harsh realities that many people had to endure under the one-child policy. It provides a glimpse into the abuse that girls had to endure and the indoctrination that was instilled in people's minds over time. I am grateful to the author for writing such an impactful book that raises important issues in a beautifully written way.

I want to thank Netgally, the publishers and the Author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review with thanks.

[Iva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Бях чувала като дете през 90-те години, че Китай имат политика за едно дете (казвам дете, защото съм родена в ранните години на 80-те), нямах ни най-малка представа колко тежко е било всичко това и че е премахната едва чак през 2015 година официално. Не съм запозната и чак толкова добре с Китай, както с Корея, и това признавам.

Историята на Чън ди (главната героиня) определено е трогателна и писателката прилично е описала предполагаемата реалност.
Чън ди жадува да отмъсти на човека, който смята за виновен за смъртта на майка си още от 16 годишна възраст. През цялото това време, докато расте, тя получава образование, след което отива в Шанхай да го търси, но по време на цялото си пътуване се запознава с хора, които имат същият жадуващ дух за отмъщение.
Дали това е правилният път?
Оставям това на четящите книгата :)

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: violence, murder, rape, talk of unwanted abortions, sexual assault, abuse, detailed descriptions of violence and abuse.

There’s nothing I love more than a multigenerational story. Focusing on Chen Di, this book brings to life the recent struggles faced by families in China, and the one child policy. Chen Di not only faces abuse from her grandfather, but when her all important younger brother is born, she is torn over the love he receives, while she is still beaten. While she is eventually sent to school, despite her families wishes, her schooling experience is swayed by her teacher and his dangerous ideas.

Weaving together 1990 and early 2000s China, this book tackled the incredibly complex subject of family planning and intervention by the government, and just how far those in power are willing to go. There were several scenes that were uncomfortable to read and the entire book was heavy with pain and suffering. I’ve not read a book that shines the light on China’s family policies in an unwavering and honest way before. This was a gripping and incredibly poignant debut that doesn’t shy away from the horrific reality that so many families suffered at the hands of China’s policy. Unparalleled and incredibly well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheCryOfTheSilkworm #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly haunting and humbling read about China’s one child policy. Chen Di is such an incredible character and her journey is outstanding. Brilliant writing and I found it hard to put this book down!

[Madeleine Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book five stars because it was un-put-down-able and held my attention from the very first page. Few books do that for me—it usually takes me more than a few chapters to become invested. Shi Naseer’s The Cry of the Silkworm is a beautiful and heartbreaking coming of age and revenge story about a young woman (Chen Di) growing up in rural China during the one child policy, in a place where boys are valued over girls. When her mother dies as a result of the brutally enforced law, Chen Di travels to Shanghai to take revenge on the one man she holds responsible. An exciting and suspenseful novel with a strong sense of place and a host of larger-than-life characters, The Cry of the Silkworm really stayed with me. It would be a great one to discuss in book group! 

[Donald Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cry of the Silkworm is a challenging book to read at several levels: dealing openly with the harshest realities of recent history during the One-Child era in China, engaging with multiple intricate levels of story and character development, slowly revealing subtle, hidden connections among the characters, and taking the narrative perspective of the ultimate outsider to what is transpiring. As such, the book is tremendously worthy of close reading of the sort that only the best novels provide. I was quite surprised to find this level of sophistication in a debut novel.

What was the experience like for me? I was transported into a set of circumstances and emotions that are quite foreign to me ... but in a way that allowed me to enter into the situations and appreciate a great deal more about each character than I expected ... and I welcomed this intimacy as I experienced it. I came away unexpectedly better informed about China during that period, the ramifications of the One-Child policy, differences between rural versus urban China at that time, the changing culture in China, and the fundamental values and traits of many Chinese people when dealing with adversity. I also cared about the characters, something that often fails to occur when I read historical novels, except possibly for a guiltless, victimized narrator.

It would be easy to spoil this story, so I will omit mentioning details.

Those who will like this book best are those who enjoy deep and broad character development, on-going intricate revelations that expand what a limited narrator notices and appreciates, and gaining a deeper understanding of what the thoughts and emotions are that lead to tragedy and redemption in the most ugly human circumstances.

I would rarely choose to read a book like this, but I am glad that I read this one.

I personally look forward to reading more from Ms. Shi Naseer. Brava!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Cry of the Silkworm" is a a very emotional story about the subject I personally haven't encountered in any novel before. The characters were really interesting and the ending really got to me. The only thing that didn't work for me completely was the writing style that took me some time to get used to.

[Preslava Peneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am ruined, thanks.

[Sarah Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It grew on me as it went along. For probably the first half of the book, I didn't particularly like the writing or the subject matter, but I think it became more nuanced.
Book club choice I possibly wouldn't have picked myself, so good to expand my reading horizons! Informative about China's one-child policy.

[Dima · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Chen Di, a 20-ish young woman living in Shanghai and stalking a certain Mr Lu. The story jumps between the "present", and a period between Chen Di's being 9 years old and about 17, describing the events that led her to her to where she is today. The two timelines intertwine, as we meet some of the same characters. The main themes are the implications of the one-child policy on the socio-psychological fabric of Chinese society and individuals, including breaking down families, making officials complicit in murder, etc etc.

The ambition of this book is impressive, and the research that has gone to it in equally staggering. For this reason alone the book is worth reading and remembering - a topic that is rarely spoken of and discussed has such fundamental impact on Chinese society till this day, and everyone should know more about it.

That being said, I really struggled with this book. At one point I even said to myself that I wish this book made up its mind - it wasn't good enough to really like, but it also wasn't bad enough to stop reading. This was apparent in all the various aspects of the book and the storytelling. First and foremost, the characters were caricatures and felt like they needed to exist to help tell the story. They were written in a rigid and unrealistic fashion, leaving the impression that they were almost like parables intended to convey a message. While I read other books in the Chinese tradition that had this aspect, it's not something I enjoy. I should actually say - I vehemently dislike it. The other thing I struggled with was the overly moralistic tone of the book - a combined effect of implying that people carry little personal accountability for their actions (vs the system which they happen to inhabit), with highlighting too much aspects of redemption, understanding, and regret. In this way, the book almost feels like a vehicle of Chinese propaganda.

Overall, I do recommend reading this book to help understand and learn more about China. It will make you angry, and that's also a good thing perhaps. There should be better books written about this topic, but I haven't seen them yet.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good coming of age story and this one ticked so many boxes for me! It was such a gripping and interesting dual-timeline read, which I can hardly believe is the author’s debut.

In the 1990s, we meet Chen Di as a young girl in a village in rural China. With the one child policy strictly enforced by the local chief, and any failure to comply severely punished, we begin to see the reality of life under the regime and the desperate lengths ordinary families will go to to be able to have a much-coveted son. Against this backdrop, Chen Di must fight for her education and her place as a girl in a society that places greater value on boys.

In the early 2000s, following her mother’s untimely death, we follow Chen Di to Shanghai, where, as a young woman, she seeks vengeance against those she holds responsible for her family’s suffering. From Chen Di and the people she interacts with in the city, we see the ripple effects of the one child policy and life under the regime that are felt many years later.

I really enjoyed this one and found Shi Naseer’s writing captivating. She completely drew me in to the characters and offers a really intimate perspective of this time in Chinese history. I enjoyed the blend of the coming of age story with intensity of the thirst for revenge and the chapters alternating between the 1990s and the 2000s really kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will definitely be looking out for any future books from Shi Naseer.

I was grateful to receive this one from Atlantic Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[LilyRose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cry of the Silkworm by Shi Nader is a moving, thought provoking novel. In 1994 rural China, twelve year old Chen Di cares for, loves and conflicted about her longed for little brother. Teacher Jia, new to the village changes her perception of herself as a girl and the world and policies around her. But upon his departure and a terrible family tragedy she witnesses with her aunties and the authorities the seed of revenge becomes her future mission. In 2002, Shanghai, the young aikido trained Chen Di is transformed and looking for her to exact revenge upon a killer. Alone in the city, she draws the attention of a young troubled boy called Lin Feng and together they confront the pain of their pasts. The book is fast paced with short chapters that change in timelines and keep the mystery and suspense building. The writing is clear and engaging and I was deeply moved by the scenes between Chen Di and her mother and father. The book is an emotional and intimate look at the impact of China’s one child policy and how this shaped the country, communities, families and individual lives. There is a shocking final revelation and I wish we had gotten more time with Chen Di upon its discovery to see how her life would continue. An interesting and heartbreaking read perfect for fans of literary fiction that confronts social and political issues 4 Stars ✨.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of Chen Di, a Chinese girl born with a birthmark in a rural area of the country at the time when the One Child Policy was being brutally enforced.

The social impact of this policy is demonstrated in terms of how the individual villagers' lives are affected, often adversely, by the policy of late abortions. Chen Di's family also suffers greatly as a result of this.

Widespread suffering was probably inevitable, given the cultural obsession with having sons and the depth of misogyny prevalent at the time (it has yet to be fully addressed in Chinese society, as elsewhere, even today).

The characters are well-drawn, even if at times the story flow and dialogues seem a little abrupt. But the reader is brought deeply into the lives of Chen Di, her parents and grandfather, Teacher Jia, the other villagers, the brutal bureaucrats, and the people Chen Di meets after moving to Shanghai, notably Lin Feng and Master Mu.

The story provides an indictment of China's One Child Policy, even as it acknowledges that some of the policy goals aimed at improving people's economic status may have been achieved. Worth a read.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Juliet Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have the habit of writing reviews but as an only child born and raised in China during the one-child policy, I have to for this book.
The Cry of the Silkworm left me a mixture of feelings. Sympathy and anger, hatred and forgiveness, remorse and reconciliation. Like a silkworm trapped in a cocoon, about to be boiled to death before breaking free, I felt Chen Di's struggle vividly as I relived her story in the 1990s to 2000s under the one-child policy, a setting so masterfully and accurately depicted by the author. Chen Di's poignant and tension-filled journey not only took me through an important part of our recent history but also allowed me to think deeply about the world and our human nature.
I can't ask for a better story to capture the struggle my generation of only children went through. I moved to the West twenty years ago and I am grateful for the opportunity to read such a novel written in English. I hope this book will reach many more around the world.

[Jenna Moquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cry of the Silkworm is a very moving tale about Chen Di, a young woman seeking vengeance against the man who she deems responsible for destroying her entire world. Shi Naseer's descriptive writing truly made me feel as if I were right beside Chen Di, feeling her pain and her passion for setting things right. The author created a character so vivid that she has stayed with me, and my heart went out to her with everything that happens to her both in backstory, and the present tale.

This story will appeal to fans of "Where the Crawdads Sing," as I drew parallels to the protagonist's strength and endurance with those of Chen Di, and the feelings of isolation, and wanting to fight back against the world that wronged her.

[Sowmya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
this book… was a journey. this took me a while to really sink into, as it alternates between past and present and the more interesting part of the plot is slow to unfold. but when the plot was unfolding, i was hooked on. i really did enjoy the author’s style of writing and the themes presented. the climax was genuinely really interesting to get through, especially the twists and the fateful encounters that the author thought through. and yet, the ending felt so… rushed? like the author had built up all this great material and tension and then just decided to leave us with a bunch of plot holes and unanswered questions. while this was a journey, i didn’t feel great at the end of the journey and good writing isn’t enough to save from a poorly thought out ending.

[Nancy Crochiere · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an early version of The Cry of the Silkworm. The novel is beautifully written and gripping, a true page-turner. Chen Di's story is told both from her past--as a young Chinese girl born into a rural village when China's one-child policy was brutally enforced--and her present, when, as an young adult in Shanghai, she seeks justice for the wrongs inflicted on her family. This is a remarkable story that only someone who lived in China during that period could tell, and it will stay with you for a long time.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This stunning book follows a young woman's quest for revenge against the government official whose cruel enforcement of the One Child Policy destroyed her family. However, this is so much more than just a story of revenge. This novel elegantly and unflinchingly interrogates the poisonous legacy of of tradition and misogyny, the rapid social changes and growing class divide in a modernizing China, and the potential for evil within us all. Shi Naseer has a great talent for navigating the complex and the morally grey, forbidding easy answers and forcing both her characters and her readers to confront their most deeply held assumptions.

The parallel timelines and evocative prose bring rural '90s Sichuan and bustling '00s Shanghai to life. Nonetheless, my favorite part is probably the unexpected friendship between the gruff, driven Chen Di and troubled rich boy Lin Feng. Both characters will live in my memory for a long time.

[Rebecca Rolland · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story! This novel addresses such a hugely important and overlooked topic, in a way that is brought alive in such an excellent way. The author's knowledge and research shine out from every page, and I loved feeling I was in the hands of someone who knew the culture and issues intimately. Especially the jokes and humor around names, and the back-and-forth between characters, kept me reading--as well as of course the very tense and high-stakes plot! Highly recommend.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent way of explaining the effect the one child policy had on the ordinary people in China. The traumas experienced by the children whose parents had to make life changing decisions in trying to have a male child. These dilemmas were well explored and explained.
In the final pages of the ending the plot was weak and drifted off.

I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Shalene Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honor of reading an early vision of this book. Moving and complex, it's a haunting portrait of the damage China's One Child Policy has wrought on children, parents and government officials alike. Shi Nasser blends beautiful writing with a unique perspective to create an unforgettable narrative.

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is the closest I got to experience how life could have been like under this policy for many people in China. The book itself is so hard to put down. I felt the vulnerability of the main character, Chen Di, and could not wait to find out what the ending was. I hope this turns into a film at some point!

[SG · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging, insightful and nuanced account of the one-child policy and how it affected those involved. Like every good book, it provides a window into the lives of people (and a country) I don't know much about and makes their experiences relatable. The narrative jumps masterfully between the two timelines to converge on an ending I did not see coming.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

### Review of "The Cry of Silkworm" by Shi Naseer

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Cry of Silkworm" by Shi Naseer. The novel's rich emotional depth and beautifully crafted prose made it a captivating read. I highly recommend this book for its compelling storytelling and vivid imagery.

[Bev Cheetham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should have been a 5 star as up until the very end I was gripped but the ending wasn’t what I wanted 😂 I’d much rather the lad be her long lost brother and to find out more about the government official. Loved it though and couldn’t put it down for most of the read.

[Emma Greenough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I knew about the one child rule I had little understanding of it. Heartbreaking in parts to imagine families going through such trauma of forced abortions and sterilisation and the lasting impact the rule had on the self worth of girls. Not an easy read but one I felt informed by.

[Robeela Nazir]

I have just finished reading The cry of silkworm. Its a worth reading if you want to read something really linked to china’s one child policy rules and how these laws affected the families that time. I throughout Enjoyed the book, even it becomes more interesting with Every page you turn.

[Ada Fredelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and thrilling read. The story spans themes of family, revenge and the far reaching consequences of China's one child policy.

[Lena Akerblom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story

[Charlie Hawkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️