Publisher Description

For centuries, Chinese marriage involved matchmakers, child brides, dowries, and concubines, until the People's Republic of China was established in 1949. This book explores love in Communist China through the personal memories of those who endured the Cultural Revolution and the generations that followed. This collection of intimate stories gives readers a rare view of Chinese history, social customs, and Communism from the perspective of ordinary citizens.

Author Biography

MELISSA MARGARET SCHNEIDER is an American couples' therapist, writer, and the founder of LuvWise.com. She wrote this book while living overseas in Shenzhen, China. She currently lives in the New York City area with her husband. 

Table of Contents

ContentsAcknowledgmentsNote on PronunciationIntroduction: Who Wants an Ugly Wife?Prologue: Rooster Weddings, Second Wives, and Little FeetChang XingPart 1. The 1950s Generation: When Love Didn't Exist[1]Love after RevolutionJack Chou[2]We Didn't Know What Love WasLucy Lai[3]The Three Wives of a Former (Teenage) Intelligence OperativeTom Liu[4]The First Group Wedding in ZhengzhouMa Yajing[5]The "Old Hand" ManMr. YangPart 2. The 1960s Generation: Forbid the Early Love[6]Marriage Is Nothing SpecialZiu Shouhe and Lin Chunjiao[7]Wearing White for Chairman MaoXu Kiwi[8]The Boy with the Baby-Raise-WifeLiu Wumin[9]My Reasons for Hating My FatherWen "Ayi"[10]A Good Fortune-Teller and Three Tips for Concealing Your Outside WomanMr. Zhang and Mr. Wu[11]You Know Your Boyfriend Is Married If . . ."Big Carol"Part 3. The 1970s Generation: Sex and Love . . . or Marriage?[12]My Lover's Name Is SamFangfei[13]For One Tree, Do Not Sacrifice the ForestMing-Ming[14]Shenzhen Marriage Park: Want Ads of Last ResortJason[15]The Ultimate Perfect Happiness as a Stay-at-Home MomSally[16]A Man Who Could Speak His Own NameChou XiaoPart 4. The 1980s Generation: Reform and Opening Up of the Heart[17]GirlsBen Wang[18]Six Times LovePan Shanshan[19]Everyone Knows That a Girl Shouldn't Like a GirlRiley[20]A Wife of Noble Character, Who Can Find?Lightly Chanchan[21]A Tale of Two Sisters: Arranged Marriages and Secret BoyfriendsLingyu[22]She Cut Out My Chicken EyesLicaiPart 5. The 1990s Generation: Unguided Love[23]The Buddhist Oracle Said "No Boyfriends"Carrie[24]I Thought We Would Be Together ForeverEthan Li Mingwen[25]I Thought to MyselfYu Lihe[26]A Conventional ManWill Guo Pingyou[27]There Are Three Kinds of Chinese ParentsEmma Yang Xichi and Peony Li DandanConclusionAppendix: Timeline of Recent Chinese HistorySelected Bibliography

Review

Listed as one of the weirdest books ever written. * Outlook India 17/02/2016 *

Review Quote

"This excellent book provides an insider's view and intimate portrait of how real Chinese people of different generations perceive love and marriage. It is an exceptionally vivid and compassionate examination of love stories in contemporary China with universal relevance."-Eva Lingxiao Yang, journalist with China News Service

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