Colors of the Mountain

"I was born in southern China in 1962, in the tiny town of Yellow Stone. They called it the Year of Great Starvation." So begins Da Chen's enthralling memoir of life in the midst of the Cultural Revolution. The youngest of five children born to educated parents of the "landlord" class who have been stripped of their wealth and possessions, Chen faces a life of poverty, shame, and hunger. He and his family are harassed by their neighbors. Chen's older siblings are denied an education, and when Chen does attend school, his teacher pressures him to denounce his parents as "counter-revolutionaries." Ostracized, Chen finds acceptance in a group of young toughs, from whom he learns the joys of smoking and ignoring his studies. It is only by dint of his strength of character, his nurturing family, and his towering intellect that Chen is able to overcome the obstacles that confront him to finally achieve success and be praised by the same people who once persecuted him.

"Colors of The Mountain" is full of unforgettable scenes of rural Chinese life, as Chen recalls feasting on oysters and fried peanuts on New Year's Day, studying fifteen hours a day for ten months to prepare for the arduous college-entry exams, or praying before a hidden Buddha statue since Communism has outlawed religion. By turns funny, moving, and inspiring, this memoir has a universal appeal and a deep humanity.