The House of Yan: A Family at the Heart of a Century in Chinese History

by Lan Yan, Sam Taylor (Translator)

Through the sweeping cultural and historical transformations of China, entrepreneur Lan Yan traces her family’s history through early 20th Century to present day.


The history of the Yan family is inseparable from the history of China over the last century. One of the most influential businesswomen of China today, Lan Yan grew up in the company of the country's powerful elite, including Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, and other top leaders. Her grandfather, Yan Baohang, originally a nationalist and close to Chiang Kai-shek and his wife, Soong May-ling, later joined the communists and worked as a secret agent for Zhou Enlai during World War II. Lan's parents were diplomats, and her father, Yan Mingfu, was Mao's personal Russian translator.

Inspite of their elevated status, the Yan's family life was turned upside down by the Cultural Revolution. One night in 1967, in front of a terrified ten-year-old Lan, Red Guards burst into the family home and arrested her grandfather. Days later, her father was arrested, accused of spying for the Soviet Union. Her mother, Wu Keliang, was branded a counter-revolutionary and forced to go with her daughter to a re-education camp for more than seven years, where Lan came of age as a high school student.

In recounting her family history, Lan Yan brings to life a century of Chinese history from the last emperor to present day, including the Cultural Revolution which tore her childhood apart. The little girl who was crushed by the Cultural Revolution has become one of the most active businesswomen in her country. In telling her and her family's story, she serves up an intimate account of the history of contemporary China.

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Politics, Asia

413 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2017

Reviews

[CP :-) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soo interesting. Picked this up literally at random with no context to it. This book is an autobiography/memoir that shares the history of China through the Chinese Revolution and the rise and fall of Chinese communism. The author’s whole family was deeply involved in politics in China throughout this time (like, friends with Mao Zedong before he went corrupt kind of involved) so they really went through all of the worst that was happening there.

I knew very little about this topic before reading this so found all of it superrr interesting. The first ~25-50 pages or so felt like a lot of names and dates and titles of historic events being thrown at me so i was nervous i wouldn’t get much out of it, but pushing through i feel like i could talk about these time periods now and holyyy shit - i repeat - soo interesting

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. The House of Yan traces the author's family history and the integral role they played in establishing China's government in 1949. She also reveals the high price they paid for that service during the Cultural Revolution. She given an excellent rendition of the Sino-Russian relationship in the 1950-1970s. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the early read.

[lilyonacloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely insightful read into the effects of the Cultural Revolution in China on a prominent political family and Lan Yan’s journey from childhood to adulthood.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lan Yan's grandfather was an instrumental part of the government (and friend of Soong May-ling, Chiang Kai-shek's wife) in China during the 20th century, but he fell out of favor when she was just a child living with her grandparents. Her parents both worked with the Foreign Ministry, one with Russia (her father also served as Russian interpreter for Mao) and one in Eastern Europe. She relates the ups and downs of China's history in the 20th century from a family at the heart of politics to modern times as a woman CEO in China herself.

This kind of starts all over the place as Yan relates various things about her grandfather and then father's arrest by the Red Guards. But after about 100 pages in, she starts a very straightforward chronological history of her family starting with her grandfather's childhood to her modern life. Prior to that it was hard for me to keep names and relationships straight, but once I hit that point it got a lot easier and I finally figured out who people were. (I also realized after I got most of the way through the book there is a timeline in the back of the book.) I've read a few other personal histories of China, but this one stands out for Lan Yan's families' positions so close to government leaders. They were in the middle of a lot of big events and decisions. It also stands out because Lan Yan still lives in China. Every other Chinese family history I've read has been by an immigrant or child of immigrants. Lan Yan did a fair amount of her upper education and first work experience overseas but she is back in China (as of the date she wrote this). Push through the muddled mess of the first couple chapters and you will be rewarded by a fascinating personal history of China.

Notes on content: No language issues (that I remember). No sexual content. (Some affairs or people having mistresses is mentioned very matter of factly. No details.) Violence during wars and revolutions is mentioned. Torture, both physical and psychological is mentioned.

[Elli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before you start reading this book, it’ll help to do some home work into the Cultural revolution, Great Leap Forward, Hundred Flowers Campaign, etc.

I had known about a few of these historical events and ended up googling a bunch of other events as I read. It helps to have some background knowledge to understand the book without stopping and starting your reading.

Great read and so important to share this history to not repeat it again. Very important during these times.

Without giving too much away, what a nightmare of a time to live and to have no control over your life! Families being torn apart or being refused entrance to education is just something unimaginable.

[Lora Offer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the historical information, much of which I had never heard! 3 1/2 stars for the writing style, which I found very disjointed at times.

[Olivia Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isnt only just an account of the cultural revolution in china but a truly gripping story about grief, shame, hope, and perseverance during trying times. The story of the Yan family really helped put the impacts of the cultural revolution into perspective for me.

[Alli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good one to read when looking for a humanizing account of Chinese history. This is a translation, but I still feel like I got a little peek into how her brain works and why she thinks the way she does. What I appreciated most is that she is really open to nuance. Her parents were diplomats who were quite close to Zhou Enlai and her grandfather died during the Cultural Revolution, considered a "counterrevolutionary", so she has a broad perspective. I also like that she still lives in China, and therefore provided a unique take in that regard.

Best chapter in the book is Chapter 70. She explains why Chinese people would go for someone like Mao, and it's a fascinating commentary.

Notes:
- She assumes that you know quite a lot of Chinese history and doesn't necessarily spell it out for you. I think a lot of novices to Chinese history would drop this in a chapter or two for that reason. Listening to episodes 5,6,7 of the Wiser World Podcast (Parts 1-3 of the "Last 100 Years in China") really helps give a foundation for understanding her family story. I'd listen there first.
- The first third really rambles and is very nonlinear. It was hard for me to get into and took me a while to kind of figure out what she was doing. The last half is much better, once she gets into chronological events and her experiences with them. The last fourth is by far the most interesting, in my opinion.
- I both listened and read this book. I think it's a little bit better in print than in audio.

[☆ Katie ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yan writes about the history of her family in this epic saga that spans many generations and involve notable events that took place in China during the 20th century. Her father and grandfather both held prominent positions and worked closely with the leaders of the Communist government. They were privy to many conversations that occurred between leaders and countries, giving a firsthand look at many of the discussions that took place and the decisions that were made. Because of the intricate ties that her family had with the governing officials in China, the story of the Yan family is also the story of major events that occurred in China during that time period.

The stories Yan tells are personal, vivid, and paint a clear firsthand account of the tumultuous experiences that her family and those around her were going through. The book contains comprehensive information about the events that occurred, just like a textbook, but it is infused with personal stories of the Yan family.

Many events are difficult to read about and imagine. Yan utilizes short, concise chapters and a nonlinear timeline to share with the reader the entire brutal story in a more palatable way. Knowing the story of this family is pivotal in understanding the events that took place in Chinese during this turbulent time period.

[cc · Rating 2 out of 5]

i went into this book expecting a riveting tale about the chinese cultural revolution and then, after reading the first chapter, i settled in for the memoire of a girl who survived it. instead, i got 400 pages of vague references to history and glossed over familial struggles.

more than once, the author verged on interesting, only to swerve right back onto the highway of dull historical fact and minimal emotional impact.

there are some nonfiction books that are just so immersive, that open up a writer's life to your eyes. but this one took me over a month to read because, somehow, the author managed to make her own traumatic experiences, the implosion of an entire country, and the death of half her family lackluster and dull.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, when I started this book, I was very confused and frustrated with the timeline and what was going on. It took a while for me to see what the book was focusing on, but once I realized, it was extraordinary. There is so much information about the history of China in the 20th century, from the fall of the Qing dynasty to Lan Yan's career in the 21st century. I did not expect for this author to have such a rich and connected family history. It's insane how her family worked for and knew Maozedong and were such involved people in the government. What really touched me in the end was when Yan talked about different people were victims of the Cultural Revolution, her uncle, her classmate who murdered someone, etc. There's just so much that happened and this part of history is so interesting. I found it interesting that the Gaokao was a way of passage for the students after the cultural revolution because they could now work hard and earn a position, without the acadmic persecution and family history inspections during the Cultural Revolution. And how China lost so much of its culture during this time. And how Maozedong was basically a personality cult, and so much changed after he died.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

During and after reading the book, I felt a bit confused. Perhaps she didn't execute the telling of a story well, the story lacks emotion, I feel. The author is quite subjective when it comes to Zhou Enlai, I guess that's because the grandpa was good friend with him? I am not sure if people from the same era that had received the similar persecution would agree on how she views Zhou. Compared to other books on the Chinese Cultural Revolution, other authors felt so destroyed that they could no longer bear to enter the country again. I felt their emotion. But Lan eventually went back to the country that tormented her greatly as a partner of an international firm. I wasn't sure if that was to make the once insane country a better place or simply because it was the right time to return to make lots and lots of money. I felt like the hidden message was that one should always trust the Party, which confuses me greatly. I simply cannot grasp if the upheaval she endured in her youth had any bearing on her life? What was the story about? I find myself asking......

[Snorki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of the Yan family over the past 100 years is tied very much to the history of the Chinese state. Bot of Lin’s grandfathers studied abroad in the 20s and were involved in revolutionary activities; her father and mother were translators and diplomats, but all were accused during the Cultural Revolution, turning her life of comfort and privilege upside-down. This is an interesting autobiography, partly at least because it’s written by someone who now lives in China and seems to support the Chinese state - much of what we read in the West is anti-the current regime. There are some comments about corruption but mostly positive observations about opportunities in China, the desire from today’s students to return to China and contribute to the country, etc. Interesting to see some Chinese history and observations from the author, who has studied and lived extensively abroad, but at the time of writing at least, was living in China and has been doing so for some time.

[Julieta Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting biography about a diplomat s grand daughter’s memory of her childhood.
How her grandparents and the entire family were government high ranking and respected officials and suddenly the whole family were jailed, inprisoned, tortured and killed.

The book showed the background history of the moment right after Mao took over China and turned the entire country into communist. How he used the school to brainwash the young people with Mao’s red book as education and killed all culture of the rightest, capitalist and setback the entire China for decades.

All the progress lost during this period, the education, the culture, the moral, the deepest fundamental value of the Confusionism was killed within this period.

This is a sad but a real biography with extensive history facts of all the important key person during the period.

How communist started in China, who started it and when. A real good way to learn history.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this narrative-driven historical book. I tend to lean towards history books with a narrative perspective as it makes the history more engaging and memorable. Often the stories we hear about big world events center around the key players and world leaders. Yet I find the people working hand in hand with these leaders or behind the scenes have much more interesting stories. Lan Yan traces Chinas history, primarily the cultural revolution, by following the career and life paths of different members of her family. I enjoyed the fact that the book isn’t always in chronological order; however, the very short chapters sometimes made it hard for me to stay focused as the chapters skip around to different topics. Overall I quite enjoyed this book. I found it insightful and memorable.

[Amy Sharpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing story but it's a translation from French so it's a bit wonky and stilted in parts. However, it's worth the effort to learn more about China during the Cultural Revolution and what that has done to the country. In fact, in chapters 69 and 70, there were several quotes that could have been said about the US's recent history and our former president....and this book was originally written in 2017 without the benefit of hindsight.
"Deng Xiaoping's analysis at the end of this tragic episode was as follows: the greatest fault, committed over the course of those ten years, concerned education....And by "education," he meant moral education. The poison that the Cultural Revolution injected into China's body politic consisted of the destruction of basic moral values in interpersonal relationships."

[Anne S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the history of 20th century China from this book. Her family's story followed the events of China's move to communism. The author's grandfather, Father, and mother were all high ranking officials under Mao Zedong. The book begins with her grandfather's arrest during the Cultural Revolution. Her grandfather died during his imprisonment. Her father was imprisoned for 7 1/2 years. It was astonishing to hear that the family's faith in Communism wasn't impacted.
I wasn't as impressed with the last few chapters of the book. The author tells the story of her education and her career in greater detail than I cared about. What I wanted to know more about was how the China of Mao has transitioned into the China of today. She was not as forthcoming as she had been in the earlier sections of the book.

[Geraldine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a deeply personal reflection of the author's experiences and those of her family within the turbulent Cultural Revolution of Maoist China. She also considers the broader impact of the socio-cultural campaigns on Chinese people. In some regards this is quite complementary to Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une traversée de la Chine de 1912, date de proclamation de la République de Chine, à nos jours... sous la plume de Yan Lan qui relate avec simplicité mais de façon poignante l’épopée de sa famille!
L’écriture est dynamique, optimiste et le génie de l’auteur est de semer des balises historiques avec simplicité pour nous guider dans les méandres d’un siècle d’histoire, tenus en haleine par le quotidien de cette enfant.... devenue une grande dame !

[Mary Jeneverre · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best parts of the book are the quotes, short chapters, vintage photos and the history of China.

It was reading book through the eyes of "royalty" counter-revolutionary family.

The negative parts is seeing the list of Who's Who family tree - It was overwhelming information to track each family member. I would have love to see a family tree, connecting the members mentioned in the book.

It is the perfect history book for those who want to learn more about China.

[Mike Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it interesting because it tied together the Chinese history that I knew and provided more context and details, while documenting the ups and downs of this extremely well-connected family. Now I'd like to read the life story of a Chinese family that was not well-connected, to see what their perspective of the same era would be. Not likely to be the same.

[Eilish Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be an excellent book if you loved politics and already had a decent understanding of 20th century Chinese international relations and internal politics. I don’t lol so I got a bit lost and I think some of the significance was lost on me. It was interesting, just not so much what I love, so 3 stars

[Marilyn Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the unique combination of significant Chinese historical/cultural history told through an important family that lived through it. I understood more of the times written about from this book than from texts. Lan Yan's book is excellent.

[Olgalijo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The language feels a bit childish and ponderous (the sign of somebody writing in a second language, I'd say). That said, this family history is engrossing and gives a good view of China's recent history for those of us who don't know enough about non western history.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the author and her family suffered so very much during the cultural revolution - she is able to tell her story without bitterness. She also provides some insight into the inner workings of the upheaval. Intelligently written.

[Laureen Hyman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was confusing throughout with all of the similar names and titles of wars and campaigns. I enjoyed the parts about the family but less about the politics and all of the accomplishments of the author.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting family and life story that gave me some pangs of nostalgia. She blasted through her adult life and made it seem so easy to achieve; I wish more attention was given there, or reserved for a sequel.

[Chang Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read and gave me a great historical perspective on the history of China.

[Patricanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an intense read, with so many densely packed history facts and names. Learnt a lot

[Susanne Clower · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was astounded at how casually she mentioned that Roosevelt was warned (with enough time to act) about Pearl Harbor. I hadn't heard this before.