What do you think?
Rate this book
Blood Letters: The Untold Story of Lin Zhao, a Martyr in Mao's China
Blood Letters tells the astonishing tale of Lin Zhao, a poet and journalist arrested by the authorities in 1960 and executed eight years later, at the height of the Cultural Revolution. The only Chinese citizen known to have openly and steadfastly opposed communism under Mao, she rooted her dissent in her Christian faith--and expressed it in long, prophetic writings done in her own blood, and at times on her clothes and on cloth torn from her bedsheets.
Miraculously, Lin Zhao's prison writings survived, though they have only recently come to light. Drawing on these works and others from the years before her arrest, as well as interviews with her friends, her classmates, and other former political prisoners, Lian Xi paints an indelible portrait of courage and faith in the face of unrelenting evil.
Miraculously, Lin Zhao's prison writings survived, though they have only recently come to light. Drawing on these works and others from the years before her arrest, as well as interviews with her friends, her classmates, and other former political prisoners, Lian Xi paints an indelible portrait of courage and faith in the face of unrelenting evil.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published March 20, 2018
39 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 29, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review.
A microscopic examination of one Chinese girl's journey from Christianity to Communism and back again. Blood Letters is the author 's personal mission to introduce Lin Zhao to a generation of readers that may have otherwise never learned about the enthusiastic young journalist. Using a number of primary sources, including letters written by Lin Zhao during her imprisonment and continuing until the days of her execution, this young woman certainly proved fascinating.
Why the 3 star? Admittedly, it was a bit of a struggle to get into the story and sometimes I felt there were way too many quotations and not enough of the author's voice in the book. In addition, there were some parts that I felt were a bit repetitive or appeared "filler like " in nature. Overall, if a reader has a bit of curiosity about the early years of communism in China, then definitely give it a try, but maybe wait until your library has a copy..
A microscopic examination of one Chinese girl's journey from Christianity to Communism and back again. Blood Letters is the author 's personal mission to introduce Lin Zhao to a generation of readers that may have otherwise never learned about the enthusiastic young journalist. Using a number of primary sources, including letters written by Lin Zhao during her imprisonment and continuing until the days of her execution, this young woman certainly proved fascinating.
Why the 3 star? Admittedly, it was a bit of a struggle to get into the story and sometimes I felt there were way too many quotations and not enough of the author's voice in the book. In addition, there were some parts that I felt were a bit repetitive or appeared "filler like " in nature. Overall, if a reader has a bit of curiosity about the early years of communism in China, then definitely give it a try, but maybe wait until your library has a copy..
June 6, 2018
A well-written, clear account of one of the most famous dissidents in Mao's China. Lin Zhao's story has continued to grow in China, despite government efforts to snuff it out. Today, she is seen as a founder of the modern dissident movement, and every famous dissident, from Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, to the independent filmmaker Hu Jie, credit her for inspiring their work. The author, Lian Xi, has done an admirable job in bringing this courageous woman to life in the first rigorous biography in any language.
I noticed that some reviewers thought the book was a bit too detailed. I guess this depends on your expectations. It's only about 200 pages of text, if you exclude the endnotes, and other academic apparatus. To me, this wasn't too much--on the contrary, the book is an easy read that can be done in a few hours. Someone else also criticized the poetry as being hard to translate because she wrote in classical verse, but Lian mainly translated her modern prose poems. In any case, it's just about two pages of translated poetry, so about 1 percent of the book. Given that she was famous for her poetry and one of the poems resulted in her imprisonment, this seems completely fair.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in order to write a review. I was not asked to write anything positive.
I noticed that some reviewers thought the book was a bit too detailed. I guess this depends on your expectations. It's only about 200 pages of text, if you exclude the endnotes, and other academic apparatus. To me, this wasn't too much--on the contrary, the book is an easy read that can be done in a few hours. Someone else also criticized the poetry as being hard to translate because she wrote in classical verse, but Lian mainly translated her modern prose poems. In any case, it's just about two pages of translated poetry, so about 1 percent of the book. Given that she was famous for her poetry and one of the poems resulted in her imprisonment, this seems completely fair.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in order to write a review. I was not asked to write anything positive.
October 3, 2019
This is a remarkable book that I finished listening to last night while painting our dinning room. There were moments when I had to just sit on the floor, pause the book and ponder.
I listened to a podcast interview with the author Lian XI and was intrigued enough pick up the book. Xi is a professor at the Duke Divinity School. The story begins with the 1965 sentencing of Lin Zhao, a poet and journalist fighting as she wrote “the dark forces of repression and injustice.” She was executed in 1968. As required by the law, her family then had to pay a 5-cent fee for the bullet, which was how her family learned of her death.
Lin Zhao grew up in China before and during the Communist revolution. She was born to a well-off family and was educated at a Methodist women’s school. There, she converted to Christianity at a young age. Initially she was enthusiastic about the communist nationalist government and the communists vision of a more just and equitable social vision. She joined the communist party as a young girl but had her membership revoked for disobedience. Even so, she opted to go to the communist journalism school instead of the university. There, she was trained in all of the methods of propaganda that formed the machinery for Mao’s China. As Mao’s China became increasingly restrictive, Zhao saw that the vision of justice and equality that drew her to communism was being replaced with an authoritarian regime that feared dissent. At this point, Zhao became a dissident in Mao’s China. When she was actively encouraged to offer constructive criticism of the Communist Party as part of the Hundred Flowers Movement, she did so. Those criticisms served as the basis of her arrest in 1960.
She was tortured in prison by guards who handcuffed her for long periods, exposed her to freezing temperatures, and left her in solitary confinement. As her letters wavered between clarity and delirium, her jailers accused her of “madly attacking, abusing, and slandering [the Chinese Communist] party and its leader.” In prison she returned to her Christian faith. Her criticisms of the party became much more pointed - often calling out Mao himself in letters that were never sent out of the prison. While she usually had access to ink, Lin Zhao often chose to write her letters with her own blood. She developed a way to squeeze out a little blood at a time and write with it before it coagulated. Compounding all of her suffering was tuberculosis. She spent time in the prison hospital, though she sometimes refused treatment. Lin Zhao was posthumously exonerated by a Shanghai court in 1981. Despite Hu Jie’s efforts, she is still little known in her country, or abroad.
Lin Zhao was posthumously exonerated by a Shanghai court in 1981. Professor Xi's book is a tremendous contribution in bringing Zhao's remarkable voice and story to light. Reading her story and words for me places her in the pantheon of other imprisoned resisters like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Quotes:
"History shall pronounce me innocent."
"Grind me into powder if you wish. Every bit of my broken bone will be the seed of a resister!"
"Phosphorescent green light never goes out
And lighting up souls every night
Preserving the soul
Letting go the crippled body
Burning into ashes in misfortune
Someday with a red flower on the head
Recognizing the blood stains
Just as copying a bright red flower
Impossible to paint the real color"
I listened to a podcast interview with the author Lian XI and was intrigued enough pick up the book. Xi is a professor at the Duke Divinity School. The story begins with the 1965 sentencing of Lin Zhao, a poet and journalist fighting as she wrote “the dark forces of repression and injustice.” She was executed in 1968. As required by the law, her family then had to pay a 5-cent fee for the bullet, which was how her family learned of her death.
Lin Zhao grew up in China before and during the Communist revolution. She was born to a well-off family and was educated at a Methodist women’s school. There, she converted to Christianity at a young age. Initially she was enthusiastic about the communist nationalist government and the communists vision of a more just and equitable social vision. She joined the communist party as a young girl but had her membership revoked for disobedience. Even so, she opted to go to the communist journalism school instead of the university. There, she was trained in all of the methods of propaganda that formed the machinery for Mao’s China. As Mao’s China became increasingly restrictive, Zhao saw that the vision of justice and equality that drew her to communism was being replaced with an authoritarian regime that feared dissent. At this point, Zhao became a dissident in Mao’s China. When she was actively encouraged to offer constructive criticism of the Communist Party as part of the Hundred Flowers Movement, she did so. Those criticisms served as the basis of her arrest in 1960.
She was tortured in prison by guards who handcuffed her for long periods, exposed her to freezing temperatures, and left her in solitary confinement. As her letters wavered between clarity and delirium, her jailers accused her of “madly attacking, abusing, and slandering [the Chinese Communist] party and its leader.” In prison she returned to her Christian faith. Her criticisms of the party became much more pointed - often calling out Mao himself in letters that were never sent out of the prison. While she usually had access to ink, Lin Zhao often chose to write her letters with her own blood. She developed a way to squeeze out a little blood at a time and write with it before it coagulated. Compounding all of her suffering was tuberculosis. She spent time in the prison hospital, though she sometimes refused treatment. Lin Zhao was posthumously exonerated by a Shanghai court in 1981. Despite Hu Jie’s efforts, she is still little known in her country, or abroad.
Lin Zhao was posthumously exonerated by a Shanghai court in 1981. Professor Xi's book is a tremendous contribution in bringing Zhao's remarkable voice and story to light. Reading her story and words for me places her in the pantheon of other imprisoned resisters like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Quotes:
"History shall pronounce me innocent."
"Grind me into powder if you wish. Every bit of my broken bone will be the seed of a resister!"
"Phosphorescent green light never goes out
And lighting up souls every night
Preserving the soul
Letting go the crippled body
Burning into ashes in misfortune
Someday with a red flower on the head
Recognizing the blood stains
Just as copying a bright red flower
Impossible to paint the real color"
September 6, 2021
A Witness for Truth
Lian Xi’s account of Lin Zhao, a Christian and—for a time—an idealistic Communist, is the story of a resolute witness for freedom and truth in Mao Zedong’s China. She was an accomplished poet and thinker, with a courage seldom seen in Mao’s China, prompted by her belief in Jesus Christ as the true basis for human freedom.
Xi is an historian at Duke, and has provided a remarkably well written and researched book that details Zhao’s evolution from a young believer in a Shanghai mission school through a period of passionate support of socialist ideals to the outspoken and unrepentant critic of the brutal regime under Mao. She was executed in 1968, three weeks after Martin Luther King was killed.
It is not an easy story.
She had the prophet’s inability to keep silent in the face of injustice, regardless of the cost to herself. She could be sarcastic, outrageous, and utterly defiant; she also wrote beautiful resistance poetry that emerged from her knowledge of Chinese history and culture. Xi quotes liberally from her verse, and from her letters during her 8 years of imprisonment, many written in her own blood—both because of the lack of ink in prison and her intense conviction of what was at stake.
Though clearly the author admires his subject, he is not writing hagiography; her life, like all lives, is a mix of nobility and naïveté. It is compelling because her life is so compelling.
Finally, it is a tale that has value for the church and society in America. When slogans replace reasons, when dogma trumps discussion, when “wokeness” becomes a cudgel to wield against others, we too can move toward oppression and even violence. Lin Zhao’s commitment to a transcendent truth, embodied in the man Jesus, has something to say to all of us.
Lian Xi’s account of Lin Zhao, a Christian and—for a time—an idealistic Communist, is the story of a resolute witness for freedom and truth in Mao Zedong’s China. She was an accomplished poet and thinker, with a courage seldom seen in Mao’s China, prompted by her belief in Jesus Christ as the true basis for human freedom.
Xi is an historian at Duke, and has provided a remarkably well written and researched book that details Zhao’s evolution from a young believer in a Shanghai mission school through a period of passionate support of socialist ideals to the outspoken and unrepentant critic of the brutal regime under Mao. She was executed in 1968, three weeks after Martin Luther King was killed.
It is not an easy story.
She had the prophet’s inability to keep silent in the face of injustice, regardless of the cost to herself. She could be sarcastic, outrageous, and utterly defiant; she also wrote beautiful resistance poetry that emerged from her knowledge of Chinese history and culture. Xi quotes liberally from her verse, and from her letters during her 8 years of imprisonment, many written in her own blood—both because of the lack of ink in prison and her intense conviction of what was at stake.
Though clearly the author admires his subject, he is not writing hagiography; her life, like all lives, is a mix of nobility and naïveté. It is compelling because her life is so compelling.
Finally, it is a tale that has value for the church and society in America. When slogans replace reasons, when dogma trumps discussion, when “wokeness” becomes a cudgel to wield against others, we too can move toward oppression and even violence. Lin Zhao’s commitment to a transcendent truth, embodied in the man Jesus, has something to say to all of us.
March 13, 2019
"Grind me into powder if you wish. Every bit of my broken bone will be the seed of a resister!"
–Lin Zhao
"Blood Letters" contains the remarkable story of a singular Chinese woman who became a Christian, then a Communist, then an enemy of the Chinese state, then a prisoner, then a martyr. Before her execution for resistance to Mao's tyrannical rule in 1968, Lin Zhao spent her time in prison writing letters—often with her own blood—decrying human rights abuses and calling for the expansion of freedom in China and worldwide.
Against the odds, her prison writings survived. They include stirring rebukes to Communist abuses written directly to the party's own newspaper, poetry reflecting on her precarious situation, a play, and tragic letters to her mother—all undergirded by an unwavering Christian faith.
"History shall pronounce me innocent," she wrote in blood in her last known document. Professor Lian Xi's book is an important step toward that just verdict, bringing her remarkable voice to a new generation who should rightly recognize her membership in the tragic and heroic company of imprisoned resisters like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
Well-written, carefully-researched, sensitive but brutal, I could not put this book down and I've carried it in my mind ever since I finished it. I give it my highest recommendation.
–Lin Zhao
"Blood Letters" contains the remarkable story of a singular Chinese woman who became a Christian, then a Communist, then an enemy of the Chinese state, then a prisoner, then a martyr. Before her execution for resistance to Mao's tyrannical rule in 1968, Lin Zhao spent her time in prison writing letters—often with her own blood—decrying human rights abuses and calling for the expansion of freedom in China and worldwide.
Against the odds, her prison writings survived. They include stirring rebukes to Communist abuses written directly to the party's own newspaper, poetry reflecting on her precarious situation, a play, and tragic letters to her mother—all undergirded by an unwavering Christian faith.
"History shall pronounce me innocent," she wrote in blood in her last known document. Professor Lian Xi's book is an important step toward that just verdict, bringing her remarkable voice to a new generation who should rightly recognize her membership in the tragic and heroic company of imprisoned resisters like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
Well-written, carefully-researched, sensitive but brutal, I could not put this book down and I've carried it in my mind ever since I finished it. I give it my highest recommendation.
July 4, 2018
This is a difficult book to read in some ways-it is somewhat stilted in style, but what an important story it tells! I found myself having to look up many of the historical references, and I love when a book challenges me in that way. Lin Zhao's story is tragic, and compelling and inspiring!
April 18, 2018
This is a detailed look at the tragic life and death of a talented writer caught up in a time of horrific violence. What she went through for the right to express her beliefs and live in freedom is heartrending. Her writings chronicle the torture she endured for years.
There were a couple of things that detracted from the power of this book for me. Poetry doesn’t always translate well, and a lot of her poetry was included. It was moving, but I’m sure more powerful in the original language. She was also a scholar of ancient Chinese literature, and she included numerous references to it in her writing. Lian Xi did an excellent job of explaining the history and traditions behind the references, but I just don’t know enough about Chinese culture to fully understand the power that lies behind them.
The Christianity mentioned is not traditional Christianity. There isn’t that much mentioned, but for much of the book, it appears that it is a social-gospel mixed with Buddhist practices and beliefs. At the very end of the book, there is more discussion of faith and God, but there aren’t very many details. By her actions, she is very confused about what constitutes Biblical salvation. At one point, she performs a baptism for the spirit of a dead official she didn’t know; then she claimed that he was now a Christian. It was heartbreaking. Most of her writing and protests were political in nature, and at least in this book, there is no indication that her faith had anything to do with her arrest.
It’s a good chronicle of the times that mixes personal stories, eyewitness testimony, and historical details into a smooth chronicle.
Content warning – a couple of curse words, and discreet referenced to illicit relationships.
I received this book as a free ARC through NetGalley and Perseus Books, Basic Books. No favorable review was required. These are my honest opinions.
There were a couple of things that detracted from the power of this book for me. Poetry doesn’t always translate well, and a lot of her poetry was included. It was moving, but I’m sure more powerful in the original language. She was also a scholar of ancient Chinese literature, and she included numerous references to it in her writing. Lian Xi did an excellent job of explaining the history and traditions behind the references, but I just don’t know enough about Chinese culture to fully understand the power that lies behind them.
The Christianity mentioned is not traditional Christianity. There isn’t that much mentioned, but for much of the book, it appears that it is a social-gospel mixed with Buddhist practices and beliefs. At the very end of the book, there is more discussion of faith and God, but there aren’t very many details. By her actions, she is very confused about what constitutes Biblical salvation. At one point, she performs a baptism for the spirit of a dead official she didn’t know; then she claimed that he was now a Christian. It was heartbreaking. Most of her writing and protests were political in nature, and at least in this book, there is no indication that her faith had anything to do with her arrest.
It’s a good chronicle of the times that mixes personal stories, eyewitness testimony, and historical details into a smooth chronicle.
Content warning – a couple of curse words, and discreet referenced to illicit relationships.
I received this book as a free ARC through NetGalley and Perseus Books, Basic Books. No favorable review was required. These are my honest opinions.
March 15, 2018
To be published by Basic Books on March 20, 2018
Lin Zhao was a political prisoner in China during the reign of Mao, from 1960 until her execution in 1968. She was imprisoned for criticizing the Communist Party for, among other things, causing an immense amount of suffering for the rural poor during the Great Leap Forward campaign.
Lin Zhao's early life is a series of contradictions. Her family worked with the Nationalist (anti-Communist) government for a time, but switched sides. She attended a Christian school for a while and seemed devout in her faith, but then ran away from home to join the Communists. Throughout her life, she was a headstrong woman who developed a habit of speaking her mind no matter the consequences. She was a talented writer and often wrote highly symbolic poems that were critical of the Chinese Communist Party, in addition to letters, articles and essays.
When she was actively encouraged to offer constructive criticism of the Communist Party as part of the Hundred Flowers Movement, she did so. Sadly, those criticisms served as the basis of her arrest in 1960.
While she was in prison she was often beaten and treated roughly by her captors. She also returned to her Christian faith. Her criticisms of the party became much more pointed - often calling out Mao himself in letters that were never sent out of the prison. While she usually had access to ink, Lin Zhao often chose to write her letters with her own blood. She developed a way to squeeze out a little blood at a time and write with it before it coagulated.
Her letters were collected by her guards and kept in a file as evidence ...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2018/...
Lin Zhao was a political prisoner in China during the reign of Mao, from 1960 until her execution in 1968. She was imprisoned for criticizing the Communist Party for, among other things, causing an immense amount of suffering for the rural poor during the Great Leap Forward campaign.
Lin Zhao's early life is a series of contradictions. Her family worked with the Nationalist (anti-Communist) government for a time, but switched sides. She attended a Christian school for a while and seemed devout in her faith, but then ran away from home to join the Communists. Throughout her life, she was a headstrong woman who developed a habit of speaking her mind no matter the consequences. She was a talented writer and often wrote highly symbolic poems that were critical of the Chinese Communist Party, in addition to letters, articles and essays.
When she was actively encouraged to offer constructive criticism of the Communist Party as part of the Hundred Flowers Movement, she did so. Sadly, those criticisms served as the basis of her arrest in 1960.
While she was in prison she was often beaten and treated roughly by her captors. She also returned to her Christian faith. Her criticisms of the party became much more pointed - often calling out Mao himself in letters that were never sent out of the prison. While she usually had access to ink, Lin Zhao often chose to write her letters with her own blood. She developed a way to squeeze out a little blood at a time and write with it before it coagulated.
Her letters were collected by her guards and kept in a file as evidence ...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2018/...
April 12, 2023
Heard about this from EWTN radio one day and decided to look into it. I personally learned a lot as I know so little of Chinese history in the first place. Learning about Lin Zhao and her political and faith journey was a nice if chilling experience at times.
I think this works well in audiobook format cause then the narrator can give good inflections and rhythm to Lin Zhao's translated poetry. That's always a hard thing to convey through translations. Really does make me wish I knew and understood Chinese culture more to better understand her writings though.
-!-
After the second read through, which I did after reading a series that goes through all of Chinese History book by book, including getting a book on the 1911 Revolution and then one for when Mao led China, this book has a lot more impact. Now I understand Chinese culture a lot more and Lin Zhao's poetry hits better. Now I understand the history and what she grew up around and what was happening on a national scale better so it was way easier to picture her as she lived through the Anti-Rightist campaigns while at Peking University, the Great Leap Forward. How she went from fighting for communist china to calling out Mao as the dictator he ended up being and fighting more for democracy. Wasn't sure if I had given it 4 stars the first time, but apparently I did, so, heh, stand by that rating.
I think this works well in audiobook format cause then the narrator can give good inflections and rhythm to Lin Zhao's translated poetry. That's always a hard thing to convey through translations. Really does make me wish I knew and understood Chinese culture more to better understand her writings though.
-!-
After the second read through, which I did after reading a series that goes through all of Chinese History book by book, including getting a book on the 1911 Revolution and then one for when Mao led China, this book has a lot more impact. Now I understand Chinese culture a lot more and Lin Zhao's poetry hits better. Now I understand the history and what she grew up around and what was happening on a national scale better so it was way easier to picture her as she lived through the Anti-Rightist campaigns while at Peking University, the Great Leap Forward. How she went from fighting for communist china to calling out Mao as the dictator he ended up being and fighting more for democracy. Wasn't sure if I had given it 4 stars the first time, but apparently I did, so, heh, stand by that rating.
December 15, 2020
This book tells the life story of Lin Zhao, a poet who spoke out against Mao during the Cultural Revolution and was imprisoned and later killed for it. This is a beautifully written book, filled with details both of China in general and of the changing times of the country with the takeover of Communism. There are also pictures dotted through the book, which really helped me visualize the people. Lin Zhao was imprisoned for nearly a decade until she was finally executed. It was interesting to learn about her life from childhood being educated in an English school, to joining the Communist party, to finally renouncing its evil and writing avidly against the party until her death. She never agreed to just bow her head, but instead always stood up for what she believed. Even in jail when she had no ink with which to write her poetry, she would prick her fingers and use blood to write (thus the title).
February 24, 2024
Heroic Read
Very good Christian book too!
An amazing activist book and I really got a lot out of this. Very inspiring story, although quite upsetting and hard to read. Very important book on human rights.
The fact that she was refused writing instruments and so instead wrote with her own blood - very powerful read.
I definitely recommend checking out this book along with many other similar books that I have read on these type of topics.
True dedication. True activism!
4.8/5
Very good Christian book too!
An amazing activist book and I really got a lot out of this. Very inspiring story, although quite upsetting and hard to read. Very important book on human rights.
The fact that she was refused writing instruments and so instead wrote with her own blood - very powerful read.
I definitely recommend checking out this book along with many other similar books that I have read on these type of topics.
True dedication. True activism!
4.8/5
March 13, 2025
very sad but good !
April 20, 2023
Fascinating book about a Chinese woman and her initial love of communism to becoming a pariah to the Maoist regime coming to power during its takeover of China. It's called blood letters because she would prick her finger and write letters home to her mother in her own blood when the guards would refuse her anything to write with. What impressed me about her were many things- her refusal to "confess" for wrongs she had never done- she had a desire to see China flourish, and realized that her youthful idealism of communism's promises ended up in power struggles and the Cultural Revolution where anyone could accuse another of being unfaithful to Mao, and then suffer immensely for it (years of prison, and even death). She was a Christian. She was extremely well read- invoking Greek mythology in her many poems she would write. She resisted guards who wanted to extract confessions, that would pull out her hair and handcuff her hands behind her back for weeks to months at a time.
As a side note, I haven't read much on the Cultural Revolution, but what I have has always been shocking: "people at mass rallies sometimes became confused while mechanically chanting slogans that alternated between 'down with' and 'defend,' and some were arrested for mistakenly shouting 'down with' at an inopportune time...In Shanghai, a poorly educated peddler selling leather shoes had unknowingly labeled the shoes "anti-Mao" when he meant 'suede'- a homonym with more complex strokes. The crime landed him in prison for an eight-year term."
As a side note, I haven't read much on the Cultural Revolution, but what I have has always been shocking: "people at mass rallies sometimes became confused while mechanically chanting slogans that alternated between 'down with' and 'defend,' and some were arrested for mistakenly shouting 'down with' at an inopportune time...In Shanghai, a poorly educated peddler selling leather shoes had unknowingly labeled the shoes "anti-Mao" when he meant 'suede'- a homonym with more complex strokes. The crime landed him in prison for an eight-year term."
October 7, 2020
An impressively-researched biography of a martyr during Mao's China. I listened to the audiobook and was fairly engaged the whole time. I picked it up to learn more about the Cultural Revolution and recommend it for that purpose--hearing the story of an individual's life while learning about the historical context. This history isn't taught extensively or sometimes at all in US public schools, so many of the historical details were news to me, especially the atrocities committed during Mao's regime. I highly recommend anyone, but especially US readers, to read this as an introduction to modern China.
July 19, 2019
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book took me much longer to read than I thought it would. It was very hard for me to get into. I don't necessarily think that the writing was as much of an issue as my lack of historical knowledge about the events that they were talking about. I think that I learned a bit from the book, but that wasn't enough to keep me really invested.
September 29, 2018
An amazing recount of a courageous woman
A detailed and fascinating account of a young woman searching for truth and freedom. Her brilliance, her courage, her strength,and her weaknesses and mistakes are all present in this biography. It is not an easy read but it is an important read.
A detailed and fascinating account of a young woman searching for truth and freedom. Her brilliance, her courage, her strength,and her weaknesses and mistakes are all present in this biography. It is not an easy read but it is an important read.
February 9, 2021
This was a hard read. Not only was it a sad story but there were so many words I did not know the definition of. I was glad to be reading on my kindle so I could easily look up definitions. It was definitely academically rigorous, but well worth the effort. I learned so much about a woman I’d never heard of and Chinese history of the 1920’s to 1960’s.
December 4, 2018
Inspirational but incredibly tragic and sad....
August 3, 2019
Did not finish. I'm interested in the topic and the title caught my attention but I just could not get into it and sadly gave up about halfway through the audiobook.
December 6, 2024
I wish I could have rated this higher, but the book was dry and a bit boring. It was a struggle to get through because it had too much information that was not captivating enough.
What was stated throughout it: Lin Zhao was born in China and raised in a Christian environment. It really meant something to her, but she was led astray into the religion of serving the god of China, Chairman Mao, as a youth. She was so devoted that she eventually treated people terribly for the sake of Mao. She then realized how awful Mao was in his control of others, that people were suffering for the sake of a cause that was not working, and that her love for Christ was something more worth her while. She rebelled. She was a well-known writer and poet in China and was imprisoned and killed after several years of receiving horrible treatment in prison.
What was really sad about this, is that I don't think she really had access to understanding the full gospel. There is barely a point in this book where you learn about what stirred her about Christ. I don't recall there being much about where she was able even able to access a Bible, if she ever did have such access. Therefore, she did not have love for her enemy and spoke horribly wishing death on them at time, which is the opposite of what the scriptures teach (I feel sorry for her if she had no knowledge of this and only had her country's upbringing as an example to live by), and she was suicidal (I mean, she literally wrote hundreds of letters with her own blood but she also attempted to kill herself a few times - which Christians are taught to value their lives).
I guess I was expecting too much from this and wanted to be drawn in as I have many other books about martyrs.
What was stated throughout it: Lin Zhao was born in China and raised in a Christian environment. It really meant something to her, but she was led astray into the religion of serving the god of China, Chairman Mao, as a youth. She was so devoted that she eventually treated people terribly for the sake of Mao. She then realized how awful Mao was in his control of others, that people were suffering for the sake of a cause that was not working, and that her love for Christ was something more worth her while. She rebelled. She was a well-known writer and poet in China and was imprisoned and killed after several years of receiving horrible treatment in prison.
What was really sad about this, is that I don't think she really had access to understanding the full gospel. There is barely a point in this book where you learn about what stirred her about Christ. I don't recall there being much about where she was able even able to access a Bible, if she ever did have such access. Therefore, she did not have love for her enemy and spoke horribly wishing death on them at time, which is the opposite of what the scriptures teach (I feel sorry for her if she had no knowledge of this and only had her country's upbringing as an example to live by), and she was suicidal (I mean, she literally wrote hundreds of letters with her own blood but she also attempted to kill herself a few times - which Christians are taught to value their lives).
I guess I was expecting too much from this and wanted to be drawn in as I have many other books about martyrs.
July 9, 2018
Basic Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Blood Letters: The Untold Story of Lin Zhao, a Martyr in Mao's China. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
Blood Letters is the untold story of Lin Zhao, a poet and journalist who openly opposed Mao. She was arrested in 1960, tortured for years, and finally executed in 1968 at the age of 36. As a devout Christian, Lin Zhao never lost her faith, despite the many challenges she faced. Writing in her own blood, and on whatever medium she could find, some of Lin Zhao's words have survived long after her death.
Overall, the author does a good job of telling the courageous story of Lin Zhao, who stood up for her beliefs despite the personal cost. Blood Letters contains personal writings, as well as photographs of the woman, allowing readers to get a clear picture of Lin Zhao. Mixed into her story, the book includes political and cultural context for Zhao's actions and reactions. Although interesting, Blood Letters is not as compelling as I would have liked. In an effort to tell Lin Zhao's story, in as much of her own words as possible, the emotions surrounding her imprisonment and death are lost. The story gets bogged down in the last third of the book, making it difficult to finish. Readers who are interested in history may find this book about Lin Zhao to their liking.
Blood Letters is the untold story of Lin Zhao, a poet and journalist who openly opposed Mao. She was arrested in 1960, tortured for years, and finally executed in 1968 at the age of 36. As a devout Christian, Lin Zhao never lost her faith, despite the many challenges she faced. Writing in her own blood, and on whatever medium she could find, some of Lin Zhao's words have survived long after her death.
Overall, the author does a good job of telling the courageous story of Lin Zhao, who stood up for her beliefs despite the personal cost. Blood Letters contains personal writings, as well as photographs of the woman, allowing readers to get a clear picture of Lin Zhao. Mixed into her story, the book includes political and cultural context for Zhao's actions and reactions. Although interesting, Blood Letters is not as compelling as I would have liked. In an effort to tell Lin Zhao's story, in as much of her own words as possible, the emotions surrounding her imprisonment and death are lost. The story gets bogged down in the last third of the book, making it difficult to finish. Readers who are interested in history may find this book about Lin Zhao to their liking.
June 19, 2020
Lin Zhao was a young adult revolutionary who was also a Protestant Christian - raised in an American white Methodist school. She was at first an enthusiastic member of the Communist Party, but when she spoke out against what she thought was wrong, she was jailed, many times, and finally executed in 1968. (Like her father before her.) She was a fiery soul and endured torture and deprivation. Most striking, she used her own blood to write letters and poems after pens were taken away from her. A judge saved these macabre documents in her "official file," or they never would've survived for Lian Xi to discover. Lin didn't die for her faith, exactly, although her faith sustained her in prison. This book can be repetitive and since it's a realistic biography, it's not exactly a page-turner, but Lin Zhao was a fascinating person, so it doesn't matter. A window into the Cultural Revolution and one stubborn, passionate person who pushed back. And wrote beautiful poetry.
June 21, 2021
This is one of the most incredible stories of heroism during Mao’s China that you’ve never heard. Lin Zhao’s biography provides a glimpse into a ferocious, unbreakable spirit; Zhao’s story is a journey of Christian conversion, devout Communism, and then unwavering counter revolutionary. Zhao’s penetrating, honest, and introspective writings reveal awe-inspiring spirit and determination, an impervious belief. Zhao was an educated intellectual, and an adept writer; while imprisoned she wrote her story, essays, operas, letters, etc. in her own blood, and they survived! This is her story, and it has been a joy to read:).
September 11, 2021
I think this is a very IMPORTANT book and is part of Chinese History - however no matter how hard i tried to read it the writing is very dry and i struggled to get past half way, my heart just isnt into it and my mind couldnt connect, its a very difficult book to read if your empathetic too, but DO try to read it ! this is REAL - THIS IS HISTORY !
March 13, 2021
I think something must've gotten lost in translation, because I often stopped reading and wondered if her religious devotions weren't simply the insane ramblings of a torture victim. Zhao's compositions have a radically different feel than, say, the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
December 7, 2023
3.25
A deeper look into the life of Lin Zhao.
I got here via Ian Johnson and Hu Jie.
A deeper look into the life of Lin Zhao.
I got here via Ian Johnson and Hu Jie.
December 16, 2023
Great book for research and give a great point of view of rebels and martyrdom in the Cultural Revolution in China. Well written.
September 26, 2024
我喜歡林昭，但這本書看得不過癮，太短了，作者文筆野心都不行。完全不足以滿足我對林昭的好奇
November 30, 2024
I really appreciated learning about this resilient and dedicated woman.
Want to read
July 7, 2025Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews