It captures the propaganda war as the communists came to power.
"Your father must learn that we Communists are fighting for a real cause. China will one day be free of politics and religion. People will be their own gods."Pearl responded that [my Father]
"is God's fighting angel. I don't understand him, but I love him." The quick response was "I could not love my father if he were my political enemy."And Pearl smiled,
"There is no enemy for me."Here I find the letting go and going with the flow.
It talked about Pearl's writing methods. Her trick was to think like a Chinese farmer.
"Before planting, the farmer already knew what, where, and how much to grow, the budget for seeds, fertilizer, animals, and field hands. In other words, I try to make the best use of my material."Harmony with the land and the people blended in ancient China.
A classic line in the struggle for justice in communism,
"Mao doesn't own the party. Communism is about justice and democracy."This topic is explored in detail as many fell into prison or were shot over differences in belief in the name of communism. The character would say later,
"I am riding the back of a tiger. I will die if I try to get off."Many have died as The Peoples Republic has taken the lives of more than any other dictatorial regime in history.
Confucius said,
"thirty years in the river east, and then the next thirty years in the river west."What does it mean?
"In the concept of feng shui, it means that there are equal opportunities in the circle of life."Hope, in the end this book ends with hope. In a rough series of events this book needs hope at the end for China to survive into the next century.
Finally,
"... to be Chinese means one lives to eat ..."represents many thoughts throughout this book which explore the Chinese way of life and how it come through a cultural revolution and began to sprout again the essence of Chinese life. If you haven't done it, visit any asian grocery store and get a sense of this bubbling well of life around food. Explore the purple potatoes and black chickens. Ask what is this? over and over until you feel the sense of exploratory hammock that surrounds food in the orient. It gently rocks and is quite amazing.
I am reminded that I spent 19 years of my life studying classic Chinese Arts and practicing Chinese Medicine on my friends with Qi Qong and passive bone manipulation (tui na) before I ever went to acupuncture school. It was a way of life that the masters explored which gave new perspective to healing. My children gained insight into a Chinese world they or I have never seen or explored. It often saved their lives and propelled them to greater heights.
