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The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps To Bach's Goldberg Variations (2007)

by Zhu Xiao-Mei(Favorite Author)

3.87 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1611090776 (ISBN13: 9781611090772)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Amazon Crossing

review 1: This memoir is touching and interesting, exposing the terror of Mao's cultural revolution from Xiao-Mei's personal account. I found the first half riveting while the second half was lost on philosophical rants about history and music that were hard to follow (and I'm a musician familiar with the works about which she was speaking). Though I think many would enjoy her philosophical and spiritual struggles, mixed with how she chose to convey and explore music, I found this part kind of lost me and my mind wandered. I much preferred learning about her life with just a touch on the subconscious thoughts in her head. I would recommend this to someone who is interested in Mao's China and the Cultural Revolution, because even if you don't love the rants of the second half, it's s... moretill an interesting and important read. I also think musicians, especially those classically trained, might enjoy this book.
review 2: Zhu Xiao-Mei was three years old when she began to play piano, developing into a prodigy, earning her a spot at the Beijing Conservatory where she looked toward a promising career as a concert pianist. In 1966, with the onset of the Cultural Revolution, she and her family were deported to a work camp in Inner Mongolia. Through it all, Xiao-Mei kept her dream alive, drawing on the power of music to sustain her courage. Interesting historical fiction novel. less

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