Once upon a time in the East : a story of growing up

Ah, Xiaolu, you are so big now! Then I heard my grandmother speaking behind the woman, This is your mother, call her mother! I stared at the woman, perplexed. Xiaolu Guo meets her parents for the first time when she is six. They are strangers to her. When Xiaolu is born her parents hand her over to a childless peasant couple in the mountains. Aged two, and suffering from malnutrition on a diet of yam leaves, they leave Xiaolu with her illiterate grandparents in a fishing village on the East China Sea. Its a strange beginning. Like a Wild Swans for a new generation, Once Upon a Time in the East takes Xiaolu from a run-down shack to film school in a rapidly changing Beijing, navigating the everyday peculiarity of modern China: censorship, underground art, Western boyfriends. In 2002 she leaves Beijing on a scholarship to study in a picturesque British village. Now, after a decade in Europe, her tale of East to West resonates with the insight that can only come from someone who is both an outsider and at home. Xiaolu Guos extraordinary memoir is a handbook of life lessons. How to be an artist when censorship kills creativity and the only job you can get is writing bad telenovela scripts. How to be a woman when female babies are regularly drowned at birth and sexual abuse is commonplace. Most poignantly of all: how to love when youve never been shown how. Xiaolu Guo meets her parents for the first time when she is almost seven. They are strangers to her. When she is born her parents hand her over to a childless peasant couple in the mountains. Aged two, and suffering from malnutrition on a diet of yam leaves, they leave Xiaolu with her illiterate grandparents in a fishing village on the East China Sea. It?s a strange beginning. A Wild Swans for a new generation, Once Upon a Time in the East takes Xiaolu from a run-down shack to film school in a rapidly changing Beijing, navigating the everyday peculiarity of modern China: censorship, underground art, Western boyfriends. In 2002 she leaves Beijing on a scholarship to study in Britain. Now, after a decade in Europe, her tale of East to West resonates with the insight that can only come from someone who is both an outsider and at home. Xiaolu Guo?s extraordinary memoir is a handbook of life lessons. How to be an artist when censorship kills creativity and the only job you can get is writing bad telenovela scripts. How to be a woman when female babies are regularly drowned at birth and sexual abuse is commonplace. Most poignantly of all: how to love when you?ve never been shown how *winner Of The National Book Critics Circle Award* *shortlisted For The Costa Biography Award* *shortlisted For The Jhalak Prize* *shortlisted For The Rathbones Folio Prize 2018* *a Sunday Times Book Of The Year* Xiaolu Guo Meets Her Parents For The First Time When She Is Almost Seven. They Are Strangers To Her. When She Is Born In 1973, Her Parents Hand Her Over To A Childless Peasant Couple In The Mountains. Aged Two, And Suffering From Malnutrition On A Diet Of Yam Leaves, They Leave Xiaolu With Her Illiterate Grandparents In A Fishing Village On The East China Sea. Once Upon A Time In The East Takes Xiaolu From A Run-down Shack To Film School In A Rapidly Changing Beijing, Navigating The Everyday Peculiarity Of Modern China: Censorship, Underground Art, Western Boyfriends. In 2002 She Leaves Beijing On A Scholarship To Study In Britain. Now, After A Decade In Europe, Her Tale Of East To West Resonates With The Insight That Can Only Come From Someone Who Is Both An Outsider And At Home. 'this Generation's Wild Swans' Daily Telegraph 'This generation's Wild Swans ' Daily Telegraph Xiaolu Guo meets her parents for the first time when she is almost seven. They are strangers to her. When she is born in 1973, her parents hand her over to a childless peasant couple in the mountains. Aged two, and suffering from malnutrition on a diet of yam leaves, they leave Xiaolu with her illiterate grandparents in a fishing village on the East China Sea. Once Upon a Time in the East takes Xiaolu from a run-down shack to film school in a rapidly changing Beijing, navigating the everyday peculiarity of modern China: censorship, underground art, Western boyfriends. In 2002 she leaves Beijing on a scholarship to study in Britain. Now, after a decade in Europe, her tale of East to West resonates with the insight that can only come from someone who is both an outsider and at home. *Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award* *Shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award* *Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize* *Shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize* Xiaolu Guo meets her parents for the first time when she is almost seven. This book takes Xiaolu from a run-down shack to film school in a rapidly changing Beijing. In 2002 she leaves Beijing on a scholarship to study in Britain. This memoir is a handbook of life lessons.