Helpful Score: 1
The main character, Wild Ginger, is shunned and bullied because she inherited "foreign looks" from her half French father. She befriends Maple, a girl who is bullied because her family consists of teachers who were not considered "working class" enough to be fully accepted by this new regime. Together, they navigate life during the Cultural Revolution in China, taking very different paths at times, though they can never fully separate their lives from each other. Things become very interesting when Evergreen, a slightly older boy, is introduced into the story. What's scary about this book (and about the reality this story is based on) is how brainwashed individuals can become to the point of excluding any other thoughts and rejecting outright any ideas that go against the set ideals they have entrenched in their minds. The mob mentality, seen several times in this book, also shows a horrific side to humanity when the individual is lost. Although I enjoyed this book, it did temporarily lose me in a few places where the author failed to note a change of scene or a time change. Otherwise, I would certainly recommend this book if you are looking for a quick, but thought-provoking read.
