Red Azalea

I have read Becoming Madame Mao before but unfortunately I was not able to finish it because the copy that I bought was missing the last few chapters (2nd hand book). I liked reading that book although there are some parts that are quite boring. As Becoming Madame Mao has been a very controversial read, Red Azalea is not any different.

I find Anchee Min to be very bold in her writings and it is again proved to be right by this novel. Although I think Red Azalea is good enough memoir, sometimes I cannot help but wonder if some parts of her story were make believe or in a way, enhanced a bit to give more color to the story. 

I have always been very interested in any books, especially autobiographies of people who lives or lived in China. Maybe because I know that China has been censoring almost everything that is against them; and that I can only have a blurred glimpse of the country when some brave soul manage to publish his/her life story with every single important details intact. One very good example is the events during the Cultural Revolution. Who would have thought that the children of that time were bold enough to do what she did in order to please the political organization she's a part of? Who would have thought that she will have the courage to follow every single thing that she was instructed to do for the sake of the Party? And who would have thought that she would finally emerge from the Red farm almost unscathed and yet triumphant, given the circumstances she went through? But maybe so it is that whenever a person encounters hardship, he has no other choice but to fight back. He has to fight it out in order to survive, fight until he discovers the strength he possesses. A courage that he has never imagined he had in him. 

If everything in Min's memoir are true, then I would have to salute her for being able to come out of it alive and in one piece. I applaud her for being able to adapt to her situation each time, though it was never an easy process. I feel sorry for her though, for when the time finally came for her to be able to be Red Azalea, only to NOT to be Red Azalea in the end.

image grabbed from Goodreads.com

The Help

This story came so close to home because I, myself was brought up mostly by my nannies. Our home had always been taken care of by helpers for as long as I can remember. But I am fortunate enough to know and understand, and always remember that my nanny at the time is not my mother. It maybe because my mother has always been with me during the night. But I think it is also because after I started going to school, my aunt quit her job and took care of me instead. I'm blessed like that.

Based on what I've read on the internet, Kathryn had a hard time publishing this first novel of hers. It took her over sixty rejections before she finally had it published. And I want to thank that person for giving this book a chance, for taking the risk. If not for that person I wouldn't be able to read such a beautiful story. Not that this is beautiful because of the story only, but because it also has good intention. 

This book gave us a glimpse of the ugly reality, and also opened our minds and eyes to see the possible lives of our helps so that hopefully we learn how to be sensitive to their feelings.

Overall, I love the story of this book. I love the characters, except maybe for Ms. Hilly who everybody also hates. This book is, for me, real and true. I know of the discrimination against the black people in the West. But I had never imagined that colored helps had to be built their own bathroom. And that they be rumored to be having diseases. And the brutality in this story? Unthinkable. 

Yet, with all these negativities, this book can be happy at times. I have laughed and chuckled throughout the book; there IS happiness in this book, along with disappointment, realization, consideration, sometimes madness. But all these just made me like this book more. 

I now understand why it is such a big hit; and I cannot wait to watch the movie. The movie has created a lot of buzz also and I hope it is because it gave the book justice in portrayal.

picture grabbed from Goodreads.com