"I was born on Chinese New Year. Carefully, my parents chose my name: Ji-li, meaning lucky and beautiful. They hoped that I would be the happiest girl in the world" (Prologue, pg. 1.)

"'But Grandma, we have to get rid of those old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits. Chairman Mao said they're holding us back,' I informed her" (Four Olds, pg. 25.)

"Who would have believed that our entire educational system was wrong after all? Seventeen years after Liberation, the newspapers told us, our schools were not bringing us up to be good red socialists and communists, as we have thought, but revisionists" (Waiting, pg. 38.)

"'Things like that will probably happen again because o this Cultural Revolution, so I want to tell you something about our family.' Dad's voice, like his face, was calm" (Successors, pg. 61.)

"I had never seen a search, except in the...