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Wild Swans
- Narrated by: Pik-Sen Lim
- Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins
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Publisher's summary
Few books have had such an impact as Wild Swans: a popular best seller and a critically acclaimed history of China that opened up the country to the world.
Through the story of three generations of women in her own family - the grandmother given to the warlord as a concubine, the Communist mother, and the daughter herself - Jung Chang reveals the epic history of China's twentieth century.
Breathtaking in its scope, unforgettable in its descriptions, this is a masterpiece that is extraordinary in every way.
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- Unabridged
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Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women is the story of Brooks’ intrepid journey toward an understanding of the women behind the veils, and of the often contradictory political, religious, and cultural forces that shape their lives. In fundamentalist Iran, Brooks finagles an invitation to tea with the ayatollah’s widow—and discovers that Mrs. Khomeini dyes her hair.
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Auto-ethnography and good research
- By Verna on 09-26-13
By: Geraldine Brooks
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The Home That Was Our Country
- By: Alia Malek
- Narrated by: Alia Malek
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
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At the Arab Spring's hopeful start, Alia Malek returned to Damascus to reclaim her grandmother's apartment, which had been lost to her family since Hafez al-Assad came to power in 1970. Its loss was central to her parents' decision to make their lives in America. In chronicling the people who lived in the Tahaan building, past and present, Alia portrays the Syrians—the Muslims, Christians, Jews, Armenians, and Kurds—who worked, loved, and suffered in close quarters, mirroring the political shifts in their country
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Syria as never read before
- By rami hachwi on 09-17-18
By: Alia Malek
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Across Many Mountains
- A Tibetan Family's Epic Journey from Oppression to Freedom
- By: Yangzom Brauen
- Narrated by: Yangzom Brauen
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
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A powerful, emotional memoir and an extraordinary portrait of three generations of Tibetan women whose lives are forever changed when Chairman Mao’s Red Army crushes Tibetan independence, sending a young mother and her six-year-old daughter on a treacherous journey across the snowy Himalayas toward freedom.
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Excellent all around!
- By Lynn on 09-06-12
By: Yangzom Brauen
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Dreams in a Time of War
- A Childhood Memoir
- By: Ngugi wa'Thiong'o
- Narrated by: Hakeem Kae-Kazim
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
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Of Kenya's largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, Ngugi wa Thiongo was born in 1938 in the backlands of his country (Kiambu district) to a father whose four wives bore him two dozen or so children. Ngugi was the fifth child of the third wife. His father was a peasant farmer forced to become a squatter after the British Imperial Act of 1915. Before going off to school, he had what was then considered a bizarre and inexplicable thirst for learning....
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An escape through education
- By Tango on 06-17-12
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Dancing with the Enemy
- My Family's Holocaust Secret
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The gripping story of the author's aunt, a Jewish dance instructor who was betrayed to the Nazis by the two men she loved, yet managed to survive WWII by teaching dance lessons to the SS at Auschwitz. Her epic life becomes a window into the author's own past and the key to discovering his Jewish roots.
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Amazing Unique
- By Nordic Artisan on 05-11-19
By: Paul Glaser
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Tears of the Desert
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Halima Bashir was born into the Zaghawa tribe, whose customs have remained unchanged for centuries, in the remote western deserts of Sudan in the region of South Darfur. Halima's father named his daughter after the traditional medicine woman of the village, and she grew up in a happy and close-knit childhood environment. Her father became a wealthy man by his tribe's standards, so he could afford to send Halima to school and university. Halima went on to study medicine, and at 24 she returned to her tribe and began practicing as their first ever qualified doctor.
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A story that takes you there
- By Justicepirate on 05-22-17
By: Halima Bashir, and others
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A Moonless, Starless Sky
- Ordinary Women and Men Fighting Extremism in Africa
- By: Alexis Okeowo
- Narrated by: Kamali Minter
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
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In A Moonless, Starless Sky Okeowo weaves together four narratives that form a powerful tapestry of modern Africa: a young couple, kidnap victims of Joseph Kony's LRA; a Mauritanian waging a lonely campaign against modern-day slavery; a women's basketball team flourishing amid war-torn Somalia; and a vigilante who takes up arms against the extremist group Boko Haram.
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Amazing and Inspirational Stories
- By F L. on 01-01-18
By: Alexis Okeowo
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Mosaic
- By: Diane Armstrong
- Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
- Length: 19 hrs and 56 mins
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>i>Mosaic is compelling storytelling at its best - from the fascinating details of Polish-Jewish culture and the rivalries and dramas of family life, to its moving account of lives torn apart by war and persecution, this an extraordinary true story of a family, and of one woman's journey to reclaim her heritage.
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Absolutely excellent!
- By Roberta on 09-22-11
By: Diane Armstrong
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Born Survivors
- Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope
- By: Wendy Holden
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
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Eastern Europe, 1944: Three women believe they are pregnant, but are torn from their husbands before they can be certain. Rachel is sent to Auschwitz, unaware that her husband has been shot. Priska and her husband travel there together, but are immediately separated. Also at Auschwitz, Anka hopes in vain to be reunited with her husband. With the rest of their families gassed, these young wives are determined to hold on to all they have left-their lives, and those of their unborn babies.
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Just an incredible story!
- By PCF on 06-03-17
By: Wendy Holden
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Got a pen pal?
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Shanghai, 1912. Violet Minturn is the privileged daughter of the American madam of the city's most exclusive courtesan house. But when the Ching dynasty is overturned, Violet is separated from her mother in a cruel act of chicanery and forced to become a "virgin courtesan." Half-Chinese and half-American, Violet grapples with her place in the worlds of East and West - until she is able to merge her two halves, empowering her to become a shrewd courtesan who excels in the business of seduction and illusion, though she still struggles to understand who she is.
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Lily is haunted by memories of who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. She has nothing but time now, as she recounts the tale of Snow Flower and asks the gods for forgiveness.
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Loved it!
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What listeners say about Wild Swans
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lydia Britz
- 11-11-18
The Reality behind the History.
I read Jung Chang's life story for the first time many years ago before I had my own family. I recently decided to listen to Wild Swans. Jung sketched a very vivid picture of her life ( and that of her mother and grandmother), whilst integrating the historical facts. This made the book gripping and informative. Not only do I now have a better understanding of the situation in China during that time but also grew in my empathy for people who face so many difficulties beyond their control. Jung kept a fine balance between telling her story objectively but added enough emotional information to take me with her and her family on their journey of sadness, anger, frustration and joy . The integration of the bigger picture history with the impact on her family circle made Wild Swans an unforgettable experience. Pik-sen Lim brought the book to life with very good narration and authentic Chinese pronunciations. #pastmeetpresent #heartfelt #China #multigenerational #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes
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3 people found this helpful
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- LaMar M. Fox
- 05-19-16
A BOOK FOR THE AGES
A touching personal story/national history; reads like a novel; universal significance. I cried, too, Jung.
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- David L.
- 03-12-18
A powerful personal history of China
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
For an understanding of the last century of Chinese history, I believe this book is a must read.
What did you like best about this story?
It is difficult to imagine the society described in this book. Orwell's fictional 1984 pales in comparison to this personal and family history of life under communism and its predecessors. This story depicts unbelievable suffering and oppression. Man's inhumanity to man is laid out plainly in event after event.
What about Pik-sen Lim’s performance did you like?
Very well read, but felt a bit slow. However, it's a weighty story and the pace allowed me to keep up.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No. It's too long, and the story is too oppressive to listen in one sitting for me. I listened in 4-5 hour chunks and that was sometimes hard to handle.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Liz
- 11-19-23
Fascinating history
What a great insight into life in China in the 1900s. Well written and read. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have highly recommended it to many people.
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- Caroline Brown
- 04-01-22
Fascinating
History through a personal journey - incredible Maoist China existed until and beyond 1976 - this and the authors Mao biography are illuminating reads for anyone interested in China
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2 people found this helpful
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- Babic Andreea
- 11-11-18
Extraordinary biografy/history book
The most extraordinary biography I ever read. An astonishing view over the China history of the XXth siecle, and critising opinion on Mao's era. I'm not very emotional when reading, but this one made me cry sometimes. The narrator it is just perfect for this great book
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1 person found this helpful
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- JC
- 06-12-23
Valuable story but too long
Sometimes got too detailed, drawn out and long. I think it’s more difficult to listen to the story with all the confusing, similar sounding names of different people than it would be if I were reading the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- BeenThereTriedThat
- 05-20-24
Needs. Good editor
This is a fabulous story of China’s Maoist history but desperately needs a good editor to cut out so many of the needless details that make the story drag.
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- Robert H.
- 03-04-18
Amazing resilience.
Would you consider the audio edition of Wild Swans to be better than the print version?
I always like the audio versions better than print because if the narrator is good it transports you into the story.
What did you like best about this story?
The part of the story I liked best is the insight into a culture and country that I have not visited. Each generation was different in what they had to endure but it was horrifying at times.
What does Pik-sen Lim bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Her voice brings the story to life in a way that reading can't come close to.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
There is a real anguish when reading of what people endured and how different their lives are from generation to generation. It is better but not acceptable yet. Another nauseating example of mans inhumanity to man. I am amazed at how they came through such difficult circumstances but these truths are necessary to learn about. Appreciation for life comes from knowing these histories versus ignoring them.
Any additional comments?
Great story and plenty of historical facts. An eye opener and a definite read for those interested in other cultures.
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- Mom in Utah
- 06-10-21
Mildly Disturbing. A Great Cultural Awareness Read
Swans was such a poignant story. It provided an in-depth look at the struggle of three generations of women in China by exposing the stark contrast between power and peasants, women and men, loyalty and betrayal, and how the people of China had yo adapt to survive in an ever evolving China.
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