3.5 stars

In her third book (and second novel), journalist Vanessa Hua explores the political history of the years leading up to and during China’s Cultural Revolution from an angle that is rarely brought up or written about in mainstream works that discuss China: Mao Zedong’s fascination with ballroom dancing and the resulting practice of recruiting dance troupes to entertain him as well as other Communist Party elite at various gatherings. Hua states in her Author’s Note that seeing documentary footage of “Chairman Mao surrounded by giggling young women in tight sweaters” intrigued her, but when she tried to find more information, there unfortunately wasn’t much. By piecing together some revelations about Mao’s habits and proclivities relayed by his doctor in his memoir, it was understood that these young women existed, but rarely ever mentioned or acknowledged in official records. So based on this information as well as what is publicly known about Mao’s complicated relationship with his personal secretary Zhang Yufeng (who met Mao when she was 18 years old and he was in his sixties), Hua created the fictitious character of peasant girl-turned-revolutionary Mei Xiang in the hopes of giving a voice to the “impoverished women who have shaped China in their own ways yet remain absent from the country’s official narrative.”

Growing up as the youngest in a family of 3 daughters in an impoverished village in China, Mei Xiang dreams of becoming a model revolutionary and a patriotic heroine adored and worshipped by many. During one of the Communist Party’s recruitment schemes in the villages, Mei Xiang jumps at the opportunity to leave her plight behind. Arriving at the capital, she comes to understand that the “duty” she was recruited for involves dancing with Party elite as part of a specially trained dance troupe. It is at these dances that she meets the Chairman, the head of the Party as well as the country — a man that she (as well as most of the population) has been taught to idolize ever since he come to power years ago. Soon, Mei Xiang becomes the Chairman’s close confidante and paramour, and when the Chairman starts to involve her in his political missions, Mei feels she is finally on the path to achieving her dreams. But as the Cultural Revolution becomes a reality and Mei witnesses the atrocities that result from it, she begins to doubt the truth of what she had been told her entire life. It’s not until she moves toward disillusionment that Mei starts to understand what this realization will ultimately cost her.

Vanessa Hua’s previous novel — her debut River of Stars — covered a topic that I rarely (if ever) saw written about in fiction: birth tourism. This time around, with her second novel, Hua once again explores yet another rarely-discussed topic — one that often gets buried when it comes to discourse surrounding China and the Cultural Revolution. As familiar as I was with this time period and the historical context of China’s Cultural Revolution, the angle of Mao’s relationship with the women in his inner circle and him possibly using them in his political machinations was an altogether less familiar topic for me. Hua’s research in this regard was meticulous, with both the historical and cultural elements especially well-rendered. Having said that though, I have to admit that I enjoyed Hua’s debut so much more than this one, mostly because I found it difficult to overcome my disgust with the relationship at the center of this story (a powerful man in his sixties manipulating a disillusioned sixteen-year-old girl). Even though I understood the reality and plausibility of such an arrangement during that period historically, it was still uncomfortable to read, particularly when it came to the more graphic details of the Chairman and Mei’s relationship (much of which I honestly felt was unnecessary). Structurally, while I liked the writing, I felt that the pacing overall was a bit off and he story dragged a bit too much towards the middle, with some of the plot points also a bit repetitive. I also found most of the characters difficult to like, which I guess isn’t surprising given the nature of the story. With that said, I did feel empathy for Mei Xiang and her harrowing, heartbreaking story — a coming-of-age story no doubt, but also one of self-discovery as well as self-preservation.

Even though I wasn’t too keen on the subject matter this time around, I’m still glad I read this, if anything, for the insights it provided. One of the things I appreciate most about Vanessa Hua’s works is that she doesn’t shy away from controversial topics and takes up the challenge of an uncomfortable story head-on (which probably has a lot to do with her journalist background). I look forward to seeing what Hua will write about next!

Received ARC from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.

Historical Novels Review, May 2022:

Chairman Mao is dead, and Mei is watching the exuberant celebrations in San Francisco with satisfaction. At one time she was within Mao’s inner circle, and now she looks back from 1976, to her time with Mao. Mei is fifteen years old in 1965, taught to idolize and worship Chairman Mao. When a government official arrives in her remote Chinese village to select a girl to serve the revolution, Mei’s dream as a revolutionary hero may come true. She is brought to Mao’s compound in Shanghai with other chosen girls as an entertainment troupe. In reality, they are for Mao’s pleasure. Mei’s initial feelings of disgust and revulsion after she is violated don’t change her devotion to him, but change to love as she becomes his favorite mistress. Mao’s popularity suffered from his disastrous failure with the Great Leap Forward and resulting famine. His distrust of the President, his second-in-command, and his paranoia of capitalism seeping into society initiate a plot to shift favor back to him by agitating university students to turn against the President. Mei plays a role in executing the plot. The student uprising takes on a life of its own, beginning the Cultural Revolution.

Hua portrays Mao as an innocuous leader and not the tyrant of history, but we are seeing him through Mei’s disillusioned eyes. We are given a glimpse into the unfolding violence only as Mei observes it, but her eyes begin to open as she awakes to the reality. This fictionalized, inside view from a Mao devotee is compelling. Outside this world, Mei could be seen as foolish and star-struck, but she is a victim of the insidious propaganda campaigns and the culture around her. Her growth and gradual realization of the truth of the real Mao turns her into a fierce woman of strength.

A really interesting book about a young girl plucked out to be Mao's mistress. I really enjoyed this historical fiction set in 1960's China, an era not often seen in the genre. Very compelling writing, I would recommend to even those that are luke-warm on historical fiction.

Narrated by a teenage girl who becomes Chairman Mao's mistress, this interesting book of historical fiction is set in the 1960's in China, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. In fact, this character claims to have been one of the instigators of the Cultural Revolution, as a peasant girl educated and asked to work as an operative for Mao.

At the beginning of the novel, the main character is an impoverished peasant and a virgin. She is a talented dancer and actress, and is plucked out of the cooperative farm and sent to join a dance troupe. The main purpose of the dance troupe is to attend ballroom dance parties and sleep with Communist party officials. Our girl makes a beeline for Mao and is in bed with him before the first dance party ends.

The book is set at a pivotal time in the Communist Revolution, as Mao is challenged by former colleagues and needs to secure his hold on power. Our heroine sees and hears how it all goes down and is given a task to participate. The situation ends dramatically, with the heroine ending up in San Francisco as an adult.

There were a few plot elements that I didn't quite understand. (Mao plays a trick on another party official, and I wasn't sure exactly what happened there.) However, this was a riveting book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rounded up to 5 stars.

Lyrically written a haunting dark story of a young girl taken from her rural village .A girl being groomed to become Chairman Maos courtesan Following her story is looking at the history of China.A sweeping story as we watch her become a heroine of the revolution.Theauthors writing her characters drew me right in kept me turning the pages.#netgalley #randomhouse

Forbidden City tells the story of a young woman of 15 who is taken from her rural home to become a dancer for Mao Zedong. The dancers are based in fact. The author imagines what might have happened to this young woman after that. She becomes a protege and lover of Mao Zedong. She embraces the Cultural Revolution and becomes an influencer. It is told in retrospect as if she was speaking to someone. It is filled with tension between the young women who want Mao's attention.. I like that the author was able to describe the beginnings of the Cultural Revolution. My difficulty was that it felt like it went on too long. I had to push myself to finish the book. At the end you find out who she has been speaking too and along the way the story behind it. I would recommend this book with the reservations I mentioned.

Vanessa Hua has written a thoroughly researched and deeply moving saga of growing up female in 1960’s China during the Cultural Revolution. At times, this is a difficult story to read, but it’s an accurate portrayal of life in a slowly evolving China during the 1960s.
Mei is chosen to go to the Forbidden City; her purpose isn’t clear but she’s determined to be the best and catch the eye of the Chairman. It’s quickly revealed that one of her main duties is to pleasure the Chairman. She sees an opportunity to succeed and provide a better life for her family back home.
The recruits, girls from various parts of the country, are cut-throat competitive. Nothing is sacred or safe, and they quickly become vengeful animals capable of anything to get ahead. This is how things are throughout the dynasty; anyone will do anything to gain favor, and the most common cost is death.
Mei continues to believe that her family is being provided for, thanks to her undying devotion to the Chairman and her ability to please him, both in and out of the bed. But as she’s exposed to more of the reality, she begins to see through the cracks of the shiny veneer she’s become a part of.
Historically accurate, emotional, and fast-paced, this book should be a must-read for anyone who is interested in modern Chinese history or for those who think they have it rough in their own country.
Sincere thanks to Random House- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 10, 2022.

Hua depicts the life of a young villager, chosen to be a dancer for Mao. Set right before and during the Cultural Revolution, the author exposes a lot of the truth behind the revered Chairman. I’ve never understood the blind devotion and unquestioning obedience millions gave to such a despot, but this novel helps shed more light. Mei became Mao’s lovers, just one of many in the cascades to parade through his life. The narrative dragged a bit in the middle and toward the end. Reading this novel just reinforced my disdain for this man and all the havoc he wrought.

I struggled a little with this. It really captured me for the first half but the second half I felt was a bit harder for me to get through. I lost interest. I’m glad I read it since I wasn’t really familiar with that time period in Chinese history. I liked learning about it, at the same time I felt like there was a lot of repetition. It didn’t hit the mark for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
3⭐️

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Mei is chosen from her small village to be a dancer for Chairman Mao. She begins a relationship of sorts with him and it alters the course of her life. The uprising of the square is depicted so vividly and horribly.

I love this novel.

I was really impressed with the amount of research that the author must have done for this novel. The ways in which the research was inserted into the fictional story was fantastic. The author also has a talent for physical descriptions of places and people. The landscapes especially came alive in my mind. However, I was ultimately left disappointed by this novel. There was not sufficient plot - which is really saying something, when it takes place at such a time in history. I kept waiting for something to happen. Eventually at the end some events happened (no spoilers here) that changed the course of Mei's life, but even those events were told in a somewhat distant, perfunctory manner. The majority of the book prior to these end plot points was fairly uneventful. That being said, I appreciate the focus on the unrepresented in history - the girls and women who surrounded the larger-than-life figure.

Mei is a teenager living in 1960s China. When a Party member comes to her impoverished village to select a young woman to join a dance troupe in the capital, Mei is selected. Even though she is the youngest daughter of a poor family and not a particular beauty, she manages to fill the coveted position through her wiles.

It's her schemes and intelligence that lands her the spot, and propels her to become the chosen favorite of Mao Zedong, Chairman of China.

As Mei grapples with culture shock (moving from an impoverished town to the capital city) and the need to learn so much (dancing, etiquette), she encounters betrayals and power struggles amongst the other members of the dance troupe. Eventually, she finds favor with the Chairman and becomes his preferred mistress and a key player in a trap set for the President.

A lot of this book was hard to read. The opulence of the Chairman's life compared to the impoverished state of most of the country, the description of the elderly, sickly Chairman compared to youthful Mei as he uses his power to continue sleeping with her, and the lies told to the people of China by their leaders.

However, I appreciated reading about this time in China as it was quite interesting. I often found myself googling about the Cultural Revolution and Chairman Mao (to clarify the facts from this historical fiction novel), and enjoyed the author's notes about her research at the end.

I totally love the cover and title, plus certain small details from this book reminded me of my time living in China which was great!

This was a fascinating look at Communist China from 1965 through the Cultural Revolution. Mao Zedong is 72 years old and claims as his paramour Mei Xiang, a 15 year old who is plucked from her family to become a dancer. She is initially entranced by the Chairman and the Cultural Revolution. This is not a era of history I am very familiar with, so I learned a lot about that time period, and was intrigued/horrified by the story. In addition to the atrocities, I was repulsed by some of Mei's actions and her attraction to the Chairman and his ideas.

4 stars for an excellent historical fiction book, set during the Cultural Revolution in 1966 China. The narrator is a 16 year old girl who is chosen to join a Beijing dance troupe. Chairman Mao dances with the girls and beds many of them. Mei Xiang, Third Daughter,comes from a rural village. She helps Mao start the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, all to demonstrate his power. She realizes that Mao Zedong has started a terrible movement.
Recommended to historical fiction fans. The author is a journalist who has traveled to China and interviewed survivors of the Cultural Revolution.
#ForbiddenCity #NetGalley.
Thanks to Ballantine Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
Pub Date 26 Apr 2022 |

It seems there can be no end to the number of stories that can be told about what Chinese people experienced during the turbulent years of the Cultural Revolution, as evidenced by the many books we continue to get set in this period. And that's a good thing because a lot of those voices have been silenced for so long, so I was very excited to see a new novel like this being published.

In Vanessa Hua's book, we see the Cultural Revolution through the eyes of Mei, a teenage girl who becomes drawn into the inner workings of the Communist Party. As a protagonist, I wanted her personality and motivations to shine through more. It feels like she's a character who's largely used as a device to advance the plot, and I wanted to know what makes her memorable.

A fascinating glimpse at the birth of China's Cultural Revolution, told through the lens of one young woman. The narrator is selected from her small town and brought to the city, where she becomes Mao's lover and companion. While it seems odd that a high profile revolutionary leader would take advice and counsel from a small town teenage girl, I suppose stranger things have happened. The narrative does drag occasionally and the "mean girls" conflict between the narrator and other teens feels a bit stale, but overall, it is a fascinating way to learn about a period of history that many of us in the West are unfamiliar with.

Harrowing yet often confusing, Hua's talent shines the most in the prose, which is lush and beautiful, but overrall lacks nuance. Many times, unnecessarily, things were spelled out to us, undermining Hua's ability to craft this story. I also found that the character of Mei didn't reach the full potential she could've, with her narrative being too focused on the people around her, particularly the person she refers to throughout the entire novel.

Mao Sedong is never mentioned by name in this book, Forbidden City; he is only mentioned as the Chairman. The horror of Mao's cultural revolution which murdered more than 45 million people in China, is the background of this wonderfully researched and historically accurate novel. The main character of Mei Xiang is fictitious as many of the characters in the book are, but Mao is real. Vanessa Hua has written a harrowing account of what happened when a young peasant girl (in this case Mei was 15 years old) was taken to please the Chairman! I couldn't put the book down. Mei is a true hero! and a source of inspiration, even for todays' world. Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House Publishing, for the epub, and especially to author Vanessa Hua for her brilliant story!!

I've read novels about the Cultural Revolution in the past, but never one like this. The perspective from a young woman drawn into the movement and into the inner life of the Chairman is unique, shocking, and mesmerizing. Parts of it seem hard to believe, although the author has done an enormous amount of research. Ironic that the Chairman, preaching against capitalism, surrounds himself with luxurious villas and copious amounts of food while peasants everywhere are starving and living in poverty. His fondness for young women and taking advantage of them under the guise of "teaching" them is very disturbing. I found the book somewhat slow in the middle but still captivating. This is truly a breakthrough novel about the Cultural Revolution and one that should be read to better understand it. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

When a recruiter comes to her small town in China, Mei is chosen to serve the communist party in the capital. With a handful of other girls she is taught to dance, hold herself with grace, and to please the party elites. Almost immediately Mei captures the attention of Chairman Mao and becomes his mistress.

I had a hard time putting this book down. It was absolutely fascinating. Mei was an interesting and dynamic character. The plot was well paced and held my attention. Overall, highly recommended.