Amesbury Public Library

The book of secrets, a personal history of betrayal in Red China, Xinran ; translated by Will Spence

eng

collective biography

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The book of secrets

1416718380

Xinran ; translated by Will Spence

a personal history of betrayal in Red China

"The story of a family in modern China with a history of deceit, betrayal and political intrigue, and the communist party's long shadow over them, from the Cultural Revolution to today. Following the lives of military intelligence officer Jie and his wife Moon, The Book of Secrets weaves recently found material into a narrative that not only illuminates the shadowy world of intelligence in China, but also the emotional tragedies that political extremism inflicted on those working within. Drawing on Jie's own vivid biography of his youth, Xinran pieces together his trajectory as he joins the great hope of the Chinese young - the Communist Party - and becomes a loyal cadre until the late 1970s when, as a chief in the security forces, he makes a decision that will poison his family against him. This is a totally unique behind-the-scenes account of a family torn apart by the Tiananmen Square massacre and the attempts of Jie to finally open up the Chinese system to the people, pieced together from an extraordinary archive of personal diaries and letters." --, Amazon

Foreword: words on the night breeze -- Snow's story -- Xinran, December 2018 -- Part One: The tapes -- 1: A family fragmented by the chaos of war -- Chapter 2: Tsinghua, an awakening of love and faith -- 3. Questions of career and faith -- Note, Xinran -- Part two: Jie's letters to his wife Moon -- 4. 1951-4, Fantasy and romance -- 5. 1954-7, Confusion and disruption -- 6. 1957-66, Betrayal and adversity -- 7. 1976-2009, Resurrection and death -- 2010-17, The final messages

adult