Well written fictionalized memoir of growing up in China under the cultural revolution. Conveys the terror and uncertainty of life in a family with ties to the West, and that values education. Ling is full of fire, and even when she eventually lets go of some of her principles in order to protect her mother, her defiant attitude sees her through to the end. ( )

The title of the book "Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party", in Chinese, is "革命不是请客吃饭", a direct quote from Late Chairman Mao Zedong's early writing " An investigation report on peasants' movements in Hunan" published in March, 1927. The author of this book tell us about her family's experience during the peak time (1972-1976) during the Cultural Revolution. It could be used in world history class for upper elementary and higher students. ( )

This is an amazing book to introduce young children to the realities of the Cultural Revolution.
The characters are well rounded and the narrative keeps the reader engaged. ( )

What a powerful story about a piece of recent history that most middle grade/ middle school students never hear about. ( )

While billed as a fictionalized account of the Cultural Revolution in China there are enough real-life situations to make this a very realistic and harrowing insight into what happened to the intellectual and professional people in China. Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagdasarian does this for the Armenians in Turkey. ( )