Revolution is Not a Dinner Party

By Ying Chang Compestine



     When the story begins, Ling is nine years old.  She lives in a comfortable apartment with her parents are both doctors in the best hospital in Wuhan, China.  It is 1972 and the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao is taking over the country.  A room in her apartment is turned into living quarters for Comrad Li.  It is his job to identify people who are not following the strict Communist rules set by Chairman Mao.  The story takes place over a four year period and is about many of the changes and restrictions that Ling and her family, friends, and neighbors actually experienced.  It was a very dangerous time for those who were free-thinkers and did not abide to Communist rules.  It helps you to know what life was like for people, like the book's author, who lived through this difficult time.

Ying Chang Compestine
http://www.yingc.com/