The 20th century history of China is one that was full of upheavals, and being Chinese, I have a deep interest in any literary
work dealing with the period. The blurb on the back cover of my preview copy is one of great interest. It advertises the book as a melding of Jung Chang’s
Wild Swans and Yu Hua’s
To Live, both books that I esteem highly.
Liu Hong’s
Wives of the East Wind carries off this promise to a certain extent. It mirrors
To Live in relating the experiences of individuals growing through decades (1960s-1990s) of political turmoil in a seemingly promising yet uncertain China. As a criticism of Chairman Mao’s policies, it resembles
Wild Swans, and the chapters dealing with the Cultural Revolution is as powerful as those in that book.
However, this book is also being promoted as an “
unforgettable novel of an extraordinary friendship”, which is somewhat closer to the truth. And by Liu’s own admission, she has a dislike of politics. In that sense, this book is not so much one in a political vein. Reading the book, I have found the writer’s focus of concern to be somewhat different from its two said influences. Rather, the real heart of the story is one that concerns the friendship between two couples, Wenya and Zhiying, as well as Zhenzhen and Lao Gao.
It is this that helps the book to have a higher level of universal appeal to readers regardless of their background. The specifics of what it is to be Chinese and live in China during the 1960s until the 1990s are authentic, but the overall theme of the novel is one of universal relevance.
Noticeable outright is Liu''s clear and unadorned style. The plot itself is relatively straightforward. It tells in an uncomplicated way of the union of two different couples, and the bond of companionship between these two couples as they face their challenges and growth in a new and struggling nation. Underlying it all, however, is a theme of how easily ideals can be betrayed.
Told from the viewpoint of Wenya, newly-wed wife to Zhiying, the story starts off in an atmosphere of optimism. The few impressions that strike the reader at this stage are that of hope, idealism, and great promise. China is at peace after decades of warfare, and there is a bright new hope for the nation. This is all reflected in the start of a new spring season, Wenya’s marriage to Zhiying along with the birth of a baby, and a newfound friendship with Zhenzhen, the wife of Lao Gao.
This idealism is soon put to the trial, however, when Wenya observes the effects of famine in a poor village that is caused by a communistic social reform, as well as the later terrors of the Cultural Revolution. On a more personal level, things are made difficult by the death of Wenya’s baby and the threat of Lao Gao’s position as director by an abusive newcomer at East Wind, the factory where Zhiying works. Later, Lao Gao is denounced as a “class enemy”.
It is in these difficult days and in the times of later troubles that the bond of friendship between the four individuals will be truly tested, and ultimately Zhenzhen makes a huge sacrifice in the true meaning of friendship.
The novel has neither the breadth of scope of Yu Hua’s novel
To Live nor is it as powerful as Jung Chang’s
Wild Swans. What it has, however, is a compassionate tone of voice as well as characters that you will grow to love.
Some may find
Wild Swans to be too strong and disturbing, while others may find
To Live – a novel that has been described as a Chinese Book of Job – to be relentless in its gloom.
Wives of the East Wind has vast periods of peace and happiness for the characters, both before and after the Cultural Revolution.
I felt that what will ultimately matter the most is the reader’s expectations and interest. If what you want is a deep book dealing with the intricacies and complexities of 20th century China, you might be disappointed. If, however, all you want is a good character-driven story with protagonists that you can care for, this book will appeal to you.