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Becoming Madame Mao

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Becoming Madame Mao

By: Anchee Min
Narrated by: Andi Arndt
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About this listen

From the best-selling author of Red Azalea, this extraordinary novel tells the stirring, erotically charged story of Madame Mao Zedong, the woman almost universally known as the 'white-boned demon,' whom many hold directly responsible for the excesses of the Cultural Revolution. Bringing her lush psychological insight to bear on the facts of history, Min penetrates the myth surrounding this woman and provides a "convincing, nuanced portrait of a damaged personality" (Entertainment Weekly) driven by ambition, betrayal, and a never-to-be-fulfilled need to be loved. With all the compressed drama and high lyrical poetry of great opera, Becoming Madame Mao is a "remarkable accomplishment.... Madame Mao is finally given her own voice" (Ha Jin).

©2000 Anchee Min (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Historical Fiction Fiction China Imperial Japan

Editorial reviews

"Behind every good man," the old saying goes, "is a great woman." When that man passes away, however, sometimes the reputation of the woman quickly tarnishes. This is exactly what author Anchee Min looks at with her audiobook Madame Mao. Jiang Qing, known colloquially as Madame Mao or "white-boned demon", rose to prominence with her husband Mao Zedong and became one of the most controversial figures of the People's Republic of China. Performed with a fierce and energetic delivery by veteran Andi Arndt, Madame Mao is a powerful examination of the events that led to Jiang Qinq's demise.
All stars
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I love novels and I love history, so this audio book ticked all the boxes for me. The narration was excellent. I thoroughly recommend this book

GREAT STOREY

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Although Madame Mao had many faults this story explains the complexity of her character so that one feels a great sympathy for her in many ways. She was a product of her time and yet she was obviously very talented in her field and was indeed very ambitious. This book also lends another insight into the character of Chairman Mao Zedong. I enjoyed the book greatly.

Becoming Madame Mao

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