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Mao's Last Dancer

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Mao's Last Dancer

By: Li Cunxin
Narrated by: Paul English
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About this listen

 This is the true story of how one moment in time, by the thinnest thread of a chance, changed the course of a small boy's life in ways that are beyond description. One day he would dance with some of the greatest ballet companies of the world. One day he would be a friend to a president and first lady, movie stars, and the most influential people in America. One day he would become a star: Mao's last dancer, and the darling of the West. Here is Li Cunxin's own story, a beautiful, rich account of an inspirational life, told with honesty, dignity, and pride.©2003 Li Cunxin (P)2004 Bolinda Publishing Pyt Ltd by arrangement with Penguin Group (Australia) Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Celebrity Entertainment Heartfelt Imperial Japan China

Critic Reviews

"[A] heartening rags-to-riches story." (Publishers Weekly)

"[Paul English] exercises such an intense and masterful concentration on the text that the listener's interest never flags.... He imbues the narrative with ingenuousness and enthusiasm, which endearingly befit the image Li is attempting to present of himself. The result is an audiobook that is superior to its source." (AudioFile)

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Interesting story told beautifully. As someone who lives in a different country to which they grew up, it brought tears to my eyes in parts.

Beautiful story

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This was an insight to someone ‘s personal life under extremely hard circumstances, my heart was in mouth for much of the story.
It shows how adversity can bring about such fee termination and in this case wonderful results. ✔️love d this book!
Jacqui

Exquisite portrayal of a humble mans life

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Absolutely loved the book, one of the best I've listened to. Both the story and the narration are outstanding. Highly recommended!!!

WONDERFUL book, I absolutely loved it

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As a young peasant boy growing up in a remote village in Northern China, becoming a ballet dancer is furthest from Li Cunxin's mind.

Li's story about how ballet changed the course of his life and his freedom, is extraordinary and a story everyone will enjoy.

The narrator Paul English, was excellent and he had me captivated the whole time listening to Li's story.

I loved this personal account of Li's life and challenges during the Chinese Communist regime.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who is willing to listen to such an amazing story.

Thank you Audible for making this story into our Audio libraries.

An extraordinary account of Li Cunxin's life

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loved it. a must read! a touching tale that starts in communist China into capitalist America and sees the changes in china from a distance

brilliant

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I enjoyed the book very much, great story and tirals and tribulations that Li has endured. It gave insight into China during the cultural revolution and its methods and measures of success.

I only wish the narrator could speak Chinese because the Chinese pronuciation was just terrible.

Also, China Airline is a Taiwanese airline so it can not be possible to be the Airline when Li first left Beijing for America.

Fantastic book and I admire Li's courage

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Brilliant read full of hope, courage and persistence highly recommend to any reader from any walk of life.

sensational

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I don't read much. but this was beautifully worth it. and this is just to fill the word limit

beautiful

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I love the book, story is amazing and very well written, the pace is perfect in my view. but you selected the wrong narrator, there are plenty of Chinese words and phrases in the book, but the narrator consistently mispronounced them. ruined it for those who understand the language.

great story, poor choice of the narrator.

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god awful mis pronunciation of the words and chinese phrases. Audible should be embarassed.

good story of course but terrible pronunciations

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