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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: death (including that of children), murder, violence, misogyny, rape, sexual assault, grooming, minor/adult relationship, torture, parental abuse.
It's 1965. China is on the edge of its Cultural Revolution, a plunge off a precipice that will lead to even darker depths than anyone can imagine. Mei Xiang is on the edge of revolution, too. She makes a decision that will not only lead her into Chairman Mao's inner circle, but will have repercussions that she could never even begin to imagine. Not quite sixteen, she is chosen as one of the many young girls to be in the "cultural troupe" that will dance not only with the most elite members of China's Red Party, but Mao himself. What Mei doesn't realize is that Mao is as quick to choose a girl as he is to discard her, and the competition is shockingly cruel. By chance, she becomes the girl that Mao takes on as his mistress and his protégée, but there's a steep learning curve as Mei goes from wanting to be a revolutionary hero to realizing just how deeply the darkness in Mao's party goes...
Prior to picking up this book, I had basic knowledge of Chairman Mao, the Cultural Revolution, and China's Communist party, but my knowledge of his personal life was definitely lacking. Through the eyes of the brave, independent Mei, we become privy to the workings of Mao's relationships and life, but I think what sets this book apart from others that deal with relationships between a famous (or infamous) man and a woman (or, as in this case, a girl) is that this is squarely Mei's story. While it does offer us incisive commentary on the man Mao is and the man he believes he is, our heroine drives the narrative and also fearlessly fights against the ever-constricting rules imposed upon her.
Although the relationship between Mao and Mei is portrayed as what it is -- a much, much older man, preying on a little girl -- it also does a fantastic job of conveying Mei's feelings to you without romanticizing the twisted "love" that Mao supposedly feels for her. It also impressed me that you see Mei as she grows into that awkward stage of somehow being both woman and child, growing up but still being young and vulnerable to the manipulation of adults. I loved that Hua expertly weaved in the repulsiveness of Mao and his predatory behavior to this girl, all while making it clear to us how she falls under his sinister spell.
I must also praise the side characters, because while they remain on the outer edges, they nonetheless impact Mei and the narrative. Secretary Sun has to be the first mentioned: in spite of the fact that this novel is told solely through first-person, he is complex, deep, and his emotions -- his darkness and his light -- are plain to see due to Hua's wonderful character crafting. The gradual build of his relationship with Mei felt authentic, and it was obvious to see why he was the one she sought out time and time again. While both Mei and Sun act as foils to Mao, I think it's also worth remembering the role he plays in Mei's story, and how the adults in her life continue to fail her, no matter how much they claim to like her or understand her.
Mei's main rival, Midnight Chang, didn't quite get a chance for the same depth (mostly since she spends the majority of the novel off-page), but it was so fascinating to see her play this character of the revolutionary heroine that Mei longs to be. I loved that there were moments where it was obvious that in another place, in another time, perhaps she and Mei would've become not enemies, but friends and allies. Mei's teacher, Mao's clever, imperious wife, and some of the other characters Mei encounters (however briefly) also leave lasting impressions.
I think that some people will find this story a little slow, perhaps even meandering, but for me, there's a strength in the way that Hua lingers over the smaller details of Mei's life with Mao, hidden away in the Lake Palaces or traveling with him to see where he was born. The portrait Hua paints of Mao's inner vulnerabilities and insecurities, Mei's political training, and the suffocating sensation of being trapped constantly with Mao in his paranoia is powerful, oftentimes uncomfortable. There were some moments where I thought things could've been trimmed or moved a bit more quickly, but overall, I think the impact of forcing us to sit with Mei as she goes through her mixed, conflicted feelings is painfully effective.
The pacing is not perfect, but I can't stress enough how fantastic this story is in its characters, plotlines, and the way it brings history to life.
Highly, highly recommended!
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