Under Red Skies: Three Generations of Life, Loss, and Hope in China

Since she was little, journalist Kan loved to hear family stories about when Chairman Mao and the Communist Party led her country into a bright, new future. Yet even then, the author knew some things were forbidden to be discussed. As she got older, Kan sought to understand what was happening in modern-day China, and she wanted people outside the country to understand as well; she felt Chinese media either lied or purposely covered up events and situations. For years, she kept this goal a secret, afraid revealing it would endanger her relatives or draw the disapproval of her family and friends. But through the encouragement of a teacher, exposure to the larger world in college, and various work-related experiences, she began to realize her dream of writing about China, its history and people. This book is the result—the author's life and family story, which includes a helpful time line that puts events in historical perspective.