Shanghai Quartet: The Crossings of Four Women in China

by Min-Zhan Lu

Lu (English, U. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) writes a poetic memoir of four women in China her grandmother, her nanny, her mother, and herself loosely structured as a "how-to" guide for her daughter, in the spirit of yi , a process of transference or diffusion of cultural tradition. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

300 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A FASCINATING look at the 20th century history of China from a unique perspective. If you have read books about the rise of the Communists or the Cultural Revolution, then this book is a great complement. Lu (in beautiful prose) relates the experiences of her grandmother, mother, nanny, and self growing up and finding a way in the radically changing country that was China in the last 100 years. Except Lu's experience was relatively blessed - her family was prosperous and Catholic and held the favor of foreign diplomats through the worst years of the Cultural Revolution. This gives her an absolutely fascinating perspective. I thought the chapters on her grandmother and nanny were the strongest, although she is remarkably thoughtful about all four women.