This life story of Linda Liu covers her youth, career, marriage, and motherhood during the Mao era of China.Linda delights in spending her early childhood life in a traditional family in the countryside, especially in her maternal grandpas home. But in 1947, Lindas grandpa is declared in the rich-peasant class, and then the government confiscates his land and house, and the seven family members escaped to Beijing. Linda loves her courtyard home and the surrounding area close to Tiananmen Square. In the 1950s, as a teenager, Linda participates in various social activities and trusts Mao and believes the Chinese Communist partys propagandas that communism will be carried out in China for the good of all. But her father loses his business and job because of the socialist transformation of capitalist enterprises. Millions people starve to death during Three Years of Great Chinese Famine, and Linda also starves and suffers from TB. She doubts if socialism can save people. Linda finds her soul mate at her university, and they love and support each other whatever happens. In 1965, Linda is assigned to Xinjiang with too little work and is separated from her family for seven years because people do not have freedom of speech, religion, job change, and residence under Maos class struggle theory. During the Culture Revolution, many people die and suffer persecution, including her mother, who is wrongly struggled against almost to death. Working in an institute, Linda experiences a typical intellectual life. After the anti-Rightist struggle, intellectuals are in an awkward position, which leads many to die in middle ages from lack of food and mental pressure. After Mao, she and people wish China will have a big change.
