Red Azalea

Description:
Born into a devoutly Maoist family in 1950s Shanghai and forced to work on a communal farm from the age of seventeen, Anchee Min found herself in an alienating and hostile political climate, where her only friendships were perilous and intense. Both candid and touching, this compelling memoir documents her isolation and illicit love against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution. From her coming of age in the Red Guard to her recruitment into Madame Mao's burgeoning industry of propaganda movies, Red Azalea explores the secret sensuality of a repressive society with elegance and honesty.

Review:
'Historically remarkable ... intensely moving and erotic' Sunday Times 'This is not just another book on the Cultural Revolution ... This is a riveting account told in language that is distinctly Min's yet accessible to any heart' Amy Tan 'Mysterious and moving ... brave and uplifting' Independent on Sunday 'The book sings. It is a small masterpiece ... no one has written more honestly and poignantly than Min about the desert of solitude and human alienation at the centre of the Chinese Communist revolution' Vogue

Author Biography:
Anchee Min was born in Shanghai in 1957. At seventeen she was sent to a labour collective, where a talent scout for Madame Mao's Shanghai Film Studio recruited her to work as a movie actress. She moved to the United States in 1984. Red Azalea is an international bestseller with rights sold in twenty countries. Her novels, Becoming Madame Mao, Katherine, Empress Orchid and The Last Empress were published to wonderful reviews and impressive foreign sales.