"Interesting literary fiction"
Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution of the late
1960s and early 1970s is a dangerous place as Chairman Mao
and his devoted horde demand self-sacrifice for the good of
the cause. Quiet and innocent Maple loses her father to
the labor camps. Because the sins of the parents are
bestowed upon the children, his minor infraction leaves
Maple open to "umbrella" beatings by Maoist mouth Hot
Pepper and her gang. No one dare intercede for fear of
anti-Maoist branding, the worst state crime. New student half-breed WILD GINGER and Maple become
friends as expected of two outcasts. Their friendship
struggles to survive the male test when Red Guard Evergreen
falls for Wild Ginger while Maple desires him. As WILD
GINGER becomes a national hero for exposing "criminals"
like her mother and fishy black marketers, Maple and
Evergreen become engaged. However, devoted Maoist WILD
GINGER denounces him as a traitor placing Evergreen and
Maple in danger from the overzealous Maoists. WILD GINGER is a tremendous psychological dramatization
of the excesses of the Chinese Cultural Revolution by
looking inside the minds to the fears of the people. The
audience feels the motives and psychological deprivation of
the key players and some of the secondary characters as
everyone struggles to survive in a world accentuating
Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Need. One derogatory comment
means the Maoist equivalent of the guillotine. Anchee Min
is one of the best historical fiction writers on the market
today as her accounts of China in the middle of the last
century is incredibly insightful but entertainingly well-
written. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted March 20, 2002
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