I read this book over a long period of time. In the beginning I found it to be dragging to the point where I just stopped reading it. I picked it up again and once it got to the school stuff I was much more interested in it. But I do realise the importance of the earlier chapters to build the community of Cunxin's village and a relationship with all the characters. I do admit that it was a little hard to remember which brother did what though. The brother I really remember (besides Cunxin) was Cunyuan. I found that reading it for a long time made me closer to the book because it really felt like I was following Cunxin and his life as it went along. Once I reached the end it felt like the end of a journey and I felt rewarded. I liked how all the brothers had importance later on as their stories wrapped up. I'm glad I read this book but it definitely was a ride!

It was long, detailed, and depressing; like if Stephen King and Victor Hugo had a baby. It was meticulous and very enlightening. It's a piece of history that I have never spent much time in. That being said, you are stuck for weeks with a sadist, who somehow manages to be incredibly boring at the same time. I have never been so happy to watch someone lose their sight and ability to swallow. Stan Tiger forever. honestly, I wouldn't recommend to most people.

Although this is an uplifting and inspiring personal narrative, I couldn't help thinking that it could have been so much better. I appreciate Cunxin's attempt to communicate his story in English, but the result felt a bit like a study in overly-emotive cliches. Images like, 'My heart bled for her...' or 'my eyes were a flood of tears...' are so commonplace that they imperil genuine tensions and internal conflicts, making them feel juvenile and unsophisticated. Despite this, there is a good story here and a clear message about remaining dedicated to your passions. Cunxin also exposes some of the realities of what life was like under Mao's communist China and the extent of the cult-like propaganda that all but deified this man. It was interesting to see the West through the eyes of the young Cunxin as he experienced America for the first time: the sheer excess and wealth in comparison to his meagre peasant life is a thought-provoking comment on the materialism that we take for granted. Overall, although I found aspects of the book frustrating, I enjoyed the story.

How disappointed am I that I have the Young Adult version? In case you haven't guessed - VERY. Apparently my edition of this book is missing a lot of the history of China.

But having said all that, let me talk about the book I did read. Li Cunxin's life was definitely unusual. The reader cannot help but admire his tenacity and determination. He is a man who has deserved every ounce of fame and respect he has for his dancing because he has worked for every inch of it.

This story starts with Cunxin's mother and father getting married. The reader expects life to be all right for this couple, but China was in such poverty that even though his mother married into a family better off, there was still not enough to go around. The first part of the book looks at life for Cunxin's family under this level of strain.

In the second part, the reader follows Cunxin to an area near Beijing where he is trained to dance. I felt that one of the most interesting parts of the story was when Cunxin realised that the ideal he was missing, longing for, was in his imagination; and that the life his parents and brothers had was far different and far more difficult than his own. It was with this knowledge that he finally gave up on his homesickness and applied himself completely.

As with most stories based on real experiences, this autobiography shows the strength of the human spirit. It also shows the complex emotions experienced when one learns that everything they thought they knew was lies. Cunxin's discovery that China was not rich and that her people were not thriving was a bitter pill. His eventual defection was quite gripping.

I was disappointed with the language in this book if I were honest. I had bought it almost a decade ago because it was a setwork book at a school I did a teaching prac at and I thought it would therefore be a good book to read. While the story was motivational and enlightening, I did feel that the language was a bit simplistic. But. You can call me mean. My Chinese consists of 7 phrases. Who am I to judge Cunxin for his English? It's just... I would have loved to have tasted China - maybe.

I'm just putting this down for now because I left it at home for the summer....not because I don't love it!

ভাগ্য আর শ্রম মানুষকে কোথা থেকে কোথায় নিয়ে যায়!

4.5 stars!!

I didn’t know anything about this when I first downloaded it on audible. I had searched for more “dance” books as I have been on a weird blend of astronaut/medical history/running/ballet kick. So lots of memoirs and some historical fiction. I thought this was fiction at first except quite full and methodical. The narration is a little dry and though I liked the proper English accent I doubted it fit the Chinese man it portrayed.

As I continued however the story gained depth and many clever hints at just how brainwashing and difficult China was under Mao’s communist regime. I looked up there background of the author and realized it was autobiographical and that these bizarre, serendipitous tales were all true. Then the story came to life and while I felt it was still sterile and methodical in parts (could have been partly the monotone quality of the narration) it gained flavor and layers of interpersonal awareness and philosophical undertones.

When our author moves to America, rallies to marry, is held up in the Chinese embassy, and later returns home to reunite with his family and introduce his wife, all of the odd somewhat choppy beginnings come together and everything paints a perfectly clear, emotionally charged picture of this incredible ballet dancer and his fortuitous journey West.

I’d recommend this for anyone interested in ballet but as this is secondary to the story, I’d also recommend this to people interested in Chinese history, especially communism and Mao, in the bridge of East and West at that time, the sociological and psychological evolution of a person experiencing extravagance and capitalism for the first time. I’d recommend this to anyone interested in the development of humanity, family, wisdom and love.

I have been meaning to read this since I started studying Chinese over 10 years ago, and somehow never got around to it. I had heard it was good but WOW I actually couldn’t put this book down! Such a fascinating story and so beautifully told. Many times while reading this I found myself so encapsulated by the story I forgot where I was. I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did, this one will definitely be a permanent feature on my bookshelf!

Una magnífica muestra de cómo era la China de los 60's y hasta los 2000's. Maravillosamente narrado y la historia es bella como ella sola, muchas gracias por traer este tipo de relatos Penguin Australia.

"You're going to know more about Mao than most experts," commented my husband after seeing this book on the table.

While I may not have learned a lot about Mao, Li Cunxin did an incredible job sharing his experiences as a peasant child growing up under Mao's heavy hand. Written with a sense of love for his time spent with his family, he made the hardships seem real, but not unbearable with the presence of his family to share the misery. His early years at Madame Mao's School for Ballet were much more difficult to read as he suffered isolation, loneliness, and physical pain from the training. Underneath it all was his rock hard will to succeed for the sake of his family, and he worked hard at being the best he could be- practicing five times a day, late into the night in the darkness, and you cheered his every success. When he defects to America, you feel his heartache at the cost of leaving his family behind and his sheer joy at the freedom he was experiencing. Li Cunxin is a man I'd love to have a friend- loyal, sincere, open, and hard working to achieve his dreams. He shows a side of Barbara Bush that most of us have never seen, and seeing America through his eyes was enlightening. A book whose themes will stay with me while I work to make my own dreams come true, and I can't wait to see the movie!

I really enjoyed parts 1 and 2, Cunxin was very likeable as a young boy, but part 3 was harder for me. I kept feeling like it was a lot of bragging, name dropping and harder to like the main character. Overall I enjoyed the book and would give 3.5 stars.... But will settle for 3.