As part of the new regime, they went through physical ordeals and challenges while working for the communist cause. She met Shou-yu – an officer in the communist army and they were married. This is where De-hong grew up and joined communist revolution at early age just as world war II was ending and the Japanese and Russian influences were withdrawing to make way for changes within China.ĭe-hong’s life was much different from her mother with her education, her political convictions and at young age she left home. Family dispute led them to leave the town of Yixian and make a new life in city of Jinzhou in 1936. Dr Xia was also much older than her and already had a big family from 1st marriage who was not in favour of this new marriage. When the General died, Yu-fang fled his house in night worried about safety of her daughter.Īfter a few years of living in fear that she may yet lose her daughter, Yu-fang met Dr Xia and became his second wife. Six years later, he returned and they conceived a daughter Bao Quin/De-hong. The alliance was made and the General set up his new concubine in a big house in Yixian and travelled away. Her father was a police official here and saw it as the best way to his progress if his beautiful daughter could be tied to a powerful General Xue Zhi-heng. Yu-fang’s family lived in provincial town of Yixian in southwest Manchuria, abour a hundred miles north of the Great Wall and about 250 miles northeast of Peking. This was China still under the rule of warlords. Starting in 1909, Jung Chang starts to tell us about her grandmother Yu-fang who became the concubine of a warlord general at a tender age of fifteen in year 1924. The book cover gives you a feel for the story that is within and also an indication that it is not a work of fiction. The most interesting part is the side strip showing photographs of three women – three generations – author Jung Chang in the bottom most image, her mother in the middle and her grandmother at the top. The Chinese representation of wild swans in done in red – probably symobilising the red rule. I read the 21 st anniversary edition of the book, published by Harper Press, with a cover page done in soothing marine blue-grey shades showing the name of the book and the author in orange. Wild Swans – Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang | Book Review

The three daughters of china