Red Memory: The Afterlives of China's Cultural Revolution
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

In her compelling history, former Guardian China correspondent Branigan writes, "It is impossible to understand China today without understanding the Cultural Revolution." The atrocities of Chairman Mao's societal upheaval killed at least two million and hounded another 36 million between 1967 and 1976, and the memory of this red terror is the crucial vector by which to understand the paradoxical state of China today. Branigan weaves fascinating, unbelievable, and often terrifying personal narratives into her analysis. Her deep insight into a nation's painted-over trauma explains how mass hysteria, rampant betrayal, and even cannibalism have shattered a society for generations afterwards. This communal trauma is where the simultaneous aggression and insecurity that shape Chinese policy come from; it's the malaise driving this powerful nation. Particularly valuable is the author's perception of the absence of clearly demarcated good and evil. This priceless work of oral history preserving the experiences of aging victims and perpetrators (often both at once) will enhance understanding of China during this time of elevated conflict. Nuance is exactly what's necessary in approaching a society so profoundly wounded.

Journalist Branigan debuts with a visceral history of the Cultural Revolution and a probing look at how the modern-day Chinese Communist Party has sought to erase this chapter from its past. Lasting from 1966 to 1976, the upheaval saw children condemning their parents for "thoughtcrimes," and students, some as young as 13 or 14, attacking and murdering their teachers. As many as two million people were killed. Young reactionaries, who called themselves Red Guards, perpetrated these atrocities to glorify the teachings of Chairman Mao Zedong, who used the tidal wave of violence to strengthen his leadership position and silence domestic critics. The chaos touched almost every Chinese family, including that of current president Xi Jinping, who "was exiled to a long stretch of bleak rural poverty" after his father was persecuted by Chairman Mao. Though the Cultural Revolution was declared a historical catastrophe in 1981, no one was held responsible and there was no closure for the victims. Drawing on fascinating and often wrenching interviews with victims and perpetrators, Branigan reveals the speed with which "beatings and deaths became commonplace" and makes a persuasive case that the period is an unresolved national trauma lying just beneath the surface of modern China. This is essential reading for China watchers. (May)

Branigan, former China correspondent for The Guardian, debuts with an exploration of the human toll of the Cultural Revolution in China (1966--76), during which two million people were killed and 36 million were imprisoned or otherwise persecuted. Narrator Rebecca Lam provides a careful, sensitive presentation, conveying these painful stories and accounts with an even tone that acknowledges emotion without drama or ornament. As the book details the trauma inflicted upon so many--with people reporting their family members for betraying the state, and others killed on the basis of flimsy rumors--Lam's performance allows the hurts of Branigan's interviewees to be viscerally understood. This approach creates emotional space for listeners to deeply consider individual events and their connection to the larger political context of Mao's China. Branigan includes some amusing anecdotes, but these are few and far between and serve as a foil for the book's heavier passages. There is hope that speaking of the pain may keep it from reoccurring, but the author soberingly hints that a new cycle is beginning. VERDICT A valuable addition to library collections that explores the connections between politics and belief and their consequences.--Matthew Galloway

The former China correspondent for the Guardian explores the "cumulative forgetting" of the devastations of the Cultural Revolution. London-based journalist Branigan, who lived in China from 2008 until recently, delivers a series of poignant, engaging stories that reveal the deep scars left by the Cultural Revolution, which radiated violently across the country from "Red August" 1966 to 1976. Across a beautifully rendered text, the author astutely examines the Maoist ideology that drove the tumultuous class struggle and destruction, leading to the deaths "of as many as 2 million for their supposed political sins and another 36 million hounded." Prompted to explore the history more deeply after viewing artist Xu Weixin's exhibit of huge portraits in Beijing of those who "had played a part in this madness, as victim or perpetrator; often both," Branigan digs into numerous vivid personal tales. Many were teenagers at the time, and some were children of the political elite; they responded to Mao's direct appeal to "be martial" by becoming zealous devotees of the Red Guard. They inflicted violence on their teachers and denounced their parents, all in the name of destroying the "Four Olds"--old ideas, old culture, old customs, old habits. Many of the perpetrators, including current leader Xi Jinping, would later be disgraced themselves, sent to reeducation camps in rural communities for years afterward. Only Mao's death and the ousting of the Gang of Four would end the mayhem. Throughout this sensitive, well-researched narrative, Branigan delicately delves into these shattered lives. Many of her subjects are still searching for justice or recognition, while others remain nostalgic for their patriotic youth. The author notes that while the hysteria and fanaticism of the time "forged modern China," the events are rarely discussed today--even as the trauma continues to resonate deeply. A heartbreaking, revelatory evocation of "the decade that cleaved modern China in two." Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In her compelling history, former Guardian China correspondent Branigan writes, It is impossible to understand China today without understanding the Cultural Revolution. The atrocities of Chairman Mao's societal upheaval killed at least two million and hounded another 36 million between 1967 and 1976, and the memory of this red terror is the crucial vector by which to understand the paradoxical state of China today. Branigan weaves fascinating, unbelievable, and often terrifying personal narratives into her analysis. Her deep insight into a nation's painted-over trauma explains how mass hysteria, rampant betrayal, and even cannibalism have shattered a society for generations afterwards. This communal trauma is where the simultaneous aggression and insecurity that shape Chinese policy come from; it's the malaise driving this powerful nation. Particularly valuable is the author's perception of the absence of clearly demarcated good and evil. This priceless work of oral history preserving the experiences of aging victims and perpetrators (often both at once) will enhance understanding of China during this time of elevated conflict. Nuance is exactly what's necessary in approaching a society so profoundly wounded. Copyright 2023 Booklist Reviews.

The Guardian's former China correspondent, Branigan argues that today's China cannot be understood without understanding the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), during which two million people died and tens of millions were ostracized or imprisoned amid accusations that they were class enemies. Here she focuses on the long-term trauma and the burdens of enforced silence.

Journalist Branigan debuts with a visceral history of the Cultural Revolution and a probing look at how the modern-day Chinese Communist Party has sought to erase this chapter from its past. Lasting from 1966 to 1976, the upheaval saw children condemning their parents for "thoughtcrimes," and students, some as young as 13 or 14, attacking and murdering their teachers. As many as two million people were killed. Young reactionaries, who called themselves Red Guards, perpetrated these atrocities to glorify the teachings of Chairman Mao Zedong, who used the tidal wave of violence to strengthen his leadership position and silence domestic critics. The chaos touched almost every Chinese family, including that of current president Xi Jinping, who "was exiled to a long stretch of bleak rural poverty" after his father was persecuted by Chairman Mao. Though the Cultural Revolution was declared a historical catastrophe in 1981, no one was held responsible and there was no closure for the victims. Drawing on fascinating and often wrenching interviews with victims and perpetrators, Branigan reveals the speed with which "beatings and deaths became commonplace" and makes a persuasive case that the period is an unresolved national trauma lying just beneath the surface of modern China. This is essential reading for China watchers. (May)