--- product_id: 1693911 title: "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution ― A Young Girl's Deeply Moving True Story of Growing Up in Mao's China" price: "10277CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/1693911-red-scarf-girl-a-memoir-of-the-cultural-revolution-young store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution ― A Young Girl's Deeply Moving True Story of Growing Up in Mao's China **Price:** 10277CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution ― A Young Girl's Deeply Moving True Story of Growing Up in Mao's China - **How much does it cost?** 10277CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/1693911-red-scarf-girl-a-memoir-of-the-cultural-revolution-young) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Publishers Weekly Best Book * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * ALA Notable Children's Book * ALA Booklist Editors' Choice In the tradition of The Diary of Anne Frank and I Am Malala , this is the incredible true story of one girl’s courage and determination during one of the most terrifying eras of the twentieth century. This edition includes a detailed glossary, pronunciation guide, discussion questions, and a Q&A with the author. It's 1966, and twelve-year-old Ji-li Jiang has everything a girl could want: brains, popularity, and a bright future in Communist China. But it's also the year that China's leader, Mao Ze-dong, launches the Cultural Revolution—and Ji-li's world begins to fall apart. Over the next few years, people who were once her friends and neighbors turn on her and her family, forcing them to live in constant terror of arrest. And when Ji-li's father is finally imprisoned, she faces the most difficult dilemma of her life. Written in an accessible and engaging style, this page-turning, honest, and deeply personal autobiography will appeal to readers of all ages. Review: Powerful read - I somehow stumbled upon this book suggestion and gave it a go. First, I'll say that this book is suggested for Y/A audiences but I am an adult. It was a really easy read for me and it is now in my 11 and 13 year olds' queue. It was written I a fashion that would be easy enough for 10+ to read. (If you are not of Asian culture, point out the glossary in advance to your child or tell them to have a google translator or something similar nearby because there are a few things outside of Asian culture they may be unfamiliar with.) The reason why I was so intrigued by the story was hearing this first hand from someone that truly experienced it. It would have made an interesting novel. But this was her real life. A must read, for sure . Review: Good Novel for Young Adults, May Disappoint More Experienced Readers - Ji-li Jiang's account of her adolescence which took place during China's Cultural Revolution made this reader appreciate that we live in a country where one can be totally unaware of politics and get along just fine. So often I get frustrated that people I know and love are interested in politics but don't have a deeper understanding of what is at stake and what the current issues are affecting the US. In Red Scarf Girl we see a girl living in a country and a time when even children would have been relentlessly indoctrinated with the governments political views and anyone who stepped outside of those proposed ideals for any reason at all, even one that is not of their choosing at all such as long-dead familial relations, can be segregated and driven out of the community. It is at times a hard story to take seriously because the world they are living in is almost a fun house mirror of our political system. Imagine if left wingers in the United States literally dragged the rich out of their homes subsequently beating and stoning them in the streets while their horrified family members looked on without saying a word to defend them and you have an approximation of what was going on during the Cultural Revolution. The most jarring and maybe problematic part of the book for an American reader like myself is that there is no resolution to the issue, no hero that swoops in and saves the day, no justice for those wrong or punishment for those who abused the power they had. But I suppose that that is the great enigma of modern China. They suffered so much during the hardcore Communist days with people occasionally killed by neighbors, others exiled to work in labor camps and many millions starved to death by heavy-handed utopian-minded economic maneuvers by an omnipotent party apparat gone wild. Despite all this they never renounced Communism like their Eastern European political brethren but they did embrace capitalism on an incredible scale while still referring to themselves as Communists without ever admitting to or even acknowledging the massive hypocrisy it implies. Statues and humongous portraits of Mao still adorn public buildings, cultural landmarks and peoples' homes and the majority of those who suffered underneath his despotic rule don't even have any hard feelings. One of the characters in the book even says something along the lines of "I never blamed Chairman Mao, I always assumed he was just trying to do what was best for the country." It made me think of the time Britney Spears said of Bush during the run-up to the Iraq War that "he is just the President and we should just follow him" or some such nonsense. At the end of the day this book made be even more cynical about any political process that involves more than a few million people that haven't all been living together for the past 3,000 years. When I said in the title for the review that the book may disappoint more mature readers, I say that because I think as you get older you crave definite resolutions to the different stories you're told. When you listen to or read a very tragic story with a definite antagonist, you need to know that that person was punished and that those who were wronged at least got to "have their day in court" or whathaveyou. For this reason I think younger people should read this book to learn that things in life aren't always divided into black & white or good & bad and that sometimes people who do horrible things often get to live out mediocre lives with no punishment ever for the crimes they have committed. I guess what I'm saying is I liked this book for allowing me to wallow in my pessimism a little while longer. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #10,235 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Teen & Young Adult Asian History #1 in Teen & Young Adult Political Biographies #2 in Teen & Young Adult Women Biographies | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,132 Reviews | ## Images ![Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution ― A Young Girl's Deeply Moving True Story of Growing Up in Mao's China - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81QJmnjeWpL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Powerful read *by V***N on August 18, 2024* I somehow stumbled upon this book suggestion and gave it a go. First, I'll say that this book is suggested for Y/A audiences but I am an adult. It was a really easy read for me and it is now in my 11 and 13 year olds' queue. It was written I a fashion that would be easy enough for 10+ to read. (If you are not of Asian culture, point out the glossary in advance to your child or tell them to have a google translator or something similar nearby because there are a few things outside of Asian culture they may be unfamiliar with.) The reason why I was so intrigued by the story was hearing this first hand from someone that truly experienced it. It would have made an interesting novel. But this was her real life. A must read, for sure . ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good Novel for Young Adults, May Disappoint More Experienced Readers *by S***H on March 25, 2014* Ji-li Jiang's account of her adolescence which took place during China's Cultural Revolution made this reader appreciate that we live in a country where one can be totally unaware of politics and get along just fine. So often I get frustrated that people I know and love are interested in politics but don't have a deeper understanding of what is at stake and what the current issues are affecting the US. In Red Scarf Girl we see a girl living in a country and a time when even children would have been relentlessly indoctrinated with the governments political views and anyone who stepped outside of those proposed ideals for any reason at all, even one that is not of their choosing at all such as long-dead familial relations, can be segregated and driven out of the community. It is at times a hard story to take seriously because the world they are living in is almost a fun house mirror of our political system. Imagine if left wingers in the United States literally dragged the rich out of their homes subsequently beating and stoning them in the streets while their horrified family members looked on without saying a word to defend them and you have an approximation of what was going on during the Cultural Revolution. The most jarring and maybe problematic part of the book for an American reader like myself is that there is no resolution to the issue, no hero that swoops in and saves the day, no justice for those wrong or punishment for those who abused the power they had. But I suppose that that is the great enigma of modern China. They suffered so much during the hardcore Communist days with people occasionally killed by neighbors, others exiled to work in labor camps and many millions starved to death by heavy-handed utopian-minded economic maneuvers by an omnipotent party apparat gone wild. Despite all this they never renounced Communism like their Eastern European political brethren but they did embrace capitalism on an incredible scale while still referring to themselves as Communists without ever admitting to or even acknowledging the massive hypocrisy it implies. Statues and humongous portraits of Mao still adorn public buildings, cultural landmarks and peoples' homes and the majority of those who suffered underneath his despotic rule don't even have any hard feelings. One of the characters in the book even says something along the lines of "I never blamed Chairman Mao, I always assumed he was just trying to do what was best for the country." It made me think of the time Britney Spears said of Bush during the run-up to the Iraq War that "he is just the President and we should just follow him" or some such nonsense. At the end of the day this book made be even more cynical about any political process that involves more than a few million people that haven't all been living together for the past 3,000 years. When I said in the title for the review that the book may disappoint more mature readers, I say that because I think as you get older you crave definite resolutions to the different stories you're told. When you listen to or read a very tragic story with a definite antagonist, you need to know that that person was punished and that those who were wronged at least got to "have their day in court" or whathaveyou. For this reason I think younger people should read this book to learn that things in life aren't always divided into black & white or good & bad and that sometimes people who do horrible things often get to live out mediocre lives with no punishment ever for the crimes they have committed. I guess what I'm saying is I liked this book for allowing me to wallow in my pessimism a little while longer. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great, Educational Book *by Z***O on October 27, 2012* I know, when I say "educational" you start to shrivel up a little inside. But this book is actually really interesting and amazing and beautifully written. Jiang Ji-Li has spoken the truth without holding anything back and shed light on what it was like to be a "black whelp." And when I say educational, I mean educational. We were studying the Chinese Cultural Revolution in Social Studies at my high school and I wasn't doing very well in that unit, until I read this book. I felt like I understood what it was like to be in the Jiangs' shoes and I knew and could synchronize information I had learned in class with the book and it made me feel really smart. What's more, I aced the class after reading this book! Not only that, but I completely enjoyed this book and I am sure you will too. ## Frequently Bought Together - Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution - Before We Were Free - The Outsiders --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/1693911-red-scarf-girl-a-memoir-of-the-cultural-revolution-young](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/1693911-red-scarf-girl-a-memoir-of-the-cultural-revolution-young) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-09-22*