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Tiananmen Square
An epic, deeply moving coming-of-age novel about young love and lasting friendships forged in the years leading up to the Tiananmen Square student protests, for readers of The Beekeeper of Aleppo and The Night Tiger.
As a child in Beijing in the 1970s, Lai lives with her family in a lively, working-class neighborhood near the heart of the city. Thoughtful yet unassuming, she spends her days with her friends beyond the attention of her Her father is a reclusive figure who lingers in the background, while her mother, an aging beauty and fervent patriot, is quick-tempered and preoccupied with neighborhood gossip. Only Lai's grandmother, a formidable and colorful maverick, seems to really see Lai and believe that she can blossom beyond their circumstances.
But Lai is quickly awakened to the harsh realities of the Chinese state. A childish prank results in a terrifying altercation with police that haunts her for years; she also learns that her father, like many others, was broken during the Cultural Revolution. As she enters adolescence, Lai meets a mysterious and wise bookseller who introduces her to great works-Hemingway, Camus, and Orwell, among others-that open her heart to the emotional power of literature and her mind to thrillingly different perspectives. Along the way, she experiences the ebbs and flows of friendship, the agony of grief, and the first steps and missteps in love.
A gifted student, Lai wins a scholarship to study at the prestigious Peking University where she soon falls in with a theatrical band of individualists and misfits dedicated to becoming their authentic selves, despite the Communist Party's insistence on conformity-and a new world opens before her. When student resistance hardens under the increasingly restrictive policies of the state, the group gets swept up in the fervor, determined to be heard, joining the masses of demonstrators and dreamers who display remarkable courage and loyalty in the face of danger. As 1989 unfolds, the spirit of change is in the air…
Drawn from her own life, Lai Wen's novel is mesmerizing and haunting-a universal yet intimate story of youth and self-discovery that plays out against the backdrop of a watershed historic event. Tiananmen Square captures the hope and idealism of a new generation and the lasting price they were willing to pay in the name of freedom.
As a child in Beijing in the 1970s, Lai lives with her family in a lively, working-class neighborhood near the heart of the city. Thoughtful yet unassuming, she spends her days with her friends beyond the attention of her Her father is a reclusive figure who lingers in the background, while her mother, an aging beauty and fervent patriot, is quick-tempered and preoccupied with neighborhood gossip. Only Lai's grandmother, a formidable and colorful maverick, seems to really see Lai and believe that she can blossom beyond their circumstances.
But Lai is quickly awakened to the harsh realities of the Chinese state. A childish prank results in a terrifying altercation with police that haunts her for years; she also learns that her father, like many others, was broken during the Cultural Revolution. As she enters adolescence, Lai meets a mysterious and wise bookseller who introduces her to great works-Hemingway, Camus, and Orwell, among others-that open her heart to the emotional power of literature and her mind to thrillingly different perspectives. Along the way, she experiences the ebbs and flows of friendship, the agony of grief, and the first steps and missteps in love.
A gifted student, Lai wins a scholarship to study at the prestigious Peking University where she soon falls in with a theatrical band of individualists and misfits dedicated to becoming their authentic selves, despite the Communist Party's insistence on conformity-and a new world opens before her. When student resistance hardens under the increasingly restrictive policies of the state, the group gets swept up in the fervor, determined to be heard, joining the masses of demonstrators and dreamers who display remarkable courage and loyalty in the face of danger. As 1989 unfolds, the spirit of change is in the air…
Drawn from her own life, Lai Wen's novel is mesmerizing and haunting-a universal yet intimate story of youth and self-discovery that plays out against the backdrop of a watershed historic event. Tiananmen Square captures the hope and idealism of a new generation and the lasting price they were willing to pay in the name of freedom.
528 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
August 6, 2024
my preferred way of learning history is through literary fiction about girls coming of age
(review to come / thanks to the publisher for the arc)
(review to come / thanks to the publisher for the arc)
March 7, 2024
That single figure in front of the massiveness of those tanks; it was incongruous, like seeing an iceberg float across the warm waters of Hawaii.
I can imagine this book being a commercial success as it's warm-hearted and accessible, it has an unambiguous 'villain' in the Chinese authoritarian state, and the protests in Tiananmen Square have taken on an iconic status with that image of the protestor in front of the tanks beamed around the world. But this book wasn't a good match to me as a reader as it's more family saga than political novel, with about 75% following our narrator from childhood to university student. The protests come late and are described in sweeping generalisations.
And I guess that's a comment I'd make about this book overall: it feels generic rather than specific. I didn't really get a sense of what it was like growing up in China in the 1970s-1980s other than in the most superficial way. More time is spent on friendships, on family dynamics, than the insider view I wanted: there's barely any ideology here either before or after the protests, and I wanted to know how, for example, the CCP have a purchase on education given that the protagonist spends all her time in the book either at school or university. But that isn't really where the interests of the book lie.
When we finally get to Tiananmen Square there's a similar flattening and lack of complexity. We are told, always told, that the general population supported the students, that there was tension in the military who were not, en masse, supportive of Deng and the Party but we don't learn more about this wider rebellion or dissension in the army, or the government's response. I don't know, this feels a little YA, almost like all those dystopian fantasies where a small band of friends get together to raise a rebellion to overthrow the wicked dictator - only here the revolution doesn't win: that's real life for you.
Rather than political analysis we get this sort of thing: 'I imagine Deng and his cronies, so accustomed to power, had been sent into a fit of apoplectic rage by this point' - well, maybe... but Nineteen Eighty-Four this isn't. Which is fine, it's a different, personal, 'caught in the maelstrom of history' book - but just not to my taste.
I ended the book with questions: how fictionalized is this? . And the epilogue that equates Tiananmen Square with Black Lives Matter and other protests like #MeToo and abortion rights is an indicator of the loose political thinking that underpins the book.
For all my reservations, this is good on the narrator's family and the complicated ways in which they have responded to Mao Zedong, the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath. There's a warmth in the writing which is not sophisticated in literary terms: look at the opening quotation and see how that iconic image is hampered and edged out by the clumsy and puzzlingly inappropriate simile: 'That single figure in front of the massiveness of those tanks; it was incongruous, like seeing an iceberg float across the warm waters of Hawaii'.
So a mis-match between book and reader in this case - but I'm sure plenty of readers who prefer 'human interest' history to political and ideological analysis will enjoy this. 2.5-3 stars.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
July 11, 2024
DOUBLE WHAMMY TO THE HEART (coming of age and asian literature)
March 11, 2024
I was excited to read this book. In 1989 I was a young adult and remember the news covering the protests. Lai Wen was around the same age as I was but experienced a starkly different upbringing. I wanted to learn all about her life and how she experienced the events. I was prepared to read a memoir but what I hadn’t expected was such a beautifully written one!
As I began reading the story of her life I was overcome with joy at the beauty of her descriptions of her feelings and observations. Lai Wen mentions early on that she wanted to write. At an early age she began filling empty notebooks and she definitely has a way with words! I was immersed. I could imagine her at dinner with her family. I could see her traipsing the streets with her neighborhood friends and drinking tea with the elderly bookstore owner. Her words were like a brush painting pictures in my mind.
This is a coming of age story. I have never liked those much but this, in my opinion, is a wonderful one. Lai begins with her quirkily beloved grandmother and then adds her very interesting family members. A tyrannical, jealous Mother an aloof unemotional Father and a doted-upon younger brother.
Lai’s life is peppered with a colorful cast of characters. What I noticed most about the women is how they are devalued. In school and at home. Most men are revered and respected.
I enjoyed her life memories that built up until the point of the protests. It was a little slow during the college days but by the end I understood why that was necessary. I felt like she wanted to make sure we truly knew her characters. There were some college and teen activities that I could have done without but they seem true to that age group.
This story does not start as a political story. But Lai becomes political as she grows aware of the censorship in college. That’s when she decides to join her friends and make a stand.
I laughed and cried as I read. I especially cried at the end. It’s sad what happened to a lot of those students. And for Lai the losses were substantial.
I do not know if this is a true story but it claims to be so I will take it at face value. I will never look at the student protests the same way again and especially not “The Tank Man”
TW: profanity, sex and violence.
Many thanks to Lai Wen and Spiegel and Grau for the ARC via NetGalley.
As I began reading the story of her life I was overcome with joy at the beauty of her descriptions of her feelings and observations. Lai Wen mentions early on that she wanted to write. At an early age she began filling empty notebooks and she definitely has a way with words! I was immersed. I could imagine her at dinner with her family. I could see her traipsing the streets with her neighborhood friends and drinking tea with the elderly bookstore owner. Her words were like a brush painting pictures in my mind.
This is a coming of age story. I have never liked those much but this, in my opinion, is a wonderful one. Lai begins with her quirkily beloved grandmother and then adds her very interesting family members. A tyrannical, jealous Mother an aloof unemotional Father and a doted-upon younger brother.
Lai’s life is peppered with a colorful cast of characters. What I noticed most about the women is how they are devalued. In school and at home. Most men are revered and respected.
I enjoyed her life memories that built up until the point of the protests. It was a little slow during the college days but by the end I understood why that was necessary. I felt like she wanted to make sure we truly knew her characters. There were some college and teen activities that I could have done without but they seem true to that age group.
This story does not start as a political story. But Lai becomes political as she grows aware of the censorship in college. That’s when she decides to join her friends and make a stand.
I laughed and cried as I read. I especially cried at the end. It’s sad what happened to a lot of those students. And for Lai the losses were substantial.
I do not know if this is a true story but it claims to be so I will take it at face value. I will never look at the student protests the same way again and especially not “The Tank Man”
TW: profanity, sex and violence.
Many thanks to Lai Wen and Spiegel and Grau for the ARC via NetGalley.
February 8, 2024
This book was very different from what I expected, when I requested it on Netgalley. The author’s style of writing was difficult to follow and understand. At many points I was unsure whether the narrator was a young child or a teenager; she referred to herself as a young child even in passages where I knew she was 14 or 15. And, it was just a very strange novel to wrap my head around. That’s what I kept thinking as I pushed myself through it; that it was extremely weird. I finished it, but I did not enjoy it.
May 25, 2024
“Being human is about remembering. We are the sum of all our memories. And yet, everyone forgets.”
Memoir or fiction? I would say memoir, written under a pseudonym to protect the author, and any family members remaining in China. This story is about growing up in Beijing in the 1970s and 80s. There is something so deeply touching, tender yet powerful in the writing.
We follow Lai on her journey as she leads us through her childhood and teenage years. She tells us of her fears, anxieties and insecurities which are so painful yet exquisitely written. Her voice is soft and sensitive. Lai introduces us to her friends, playful and innocent until an incident with the controlling regime’s police brutality forever changes her.
We get to know her family. The withdrawn father. The bitter angry mother. The rebellious, spirited grandmother whose strength grounds them all. Each character in their own way presents us with lingering aspects of the Cultural Revolution. Tiananmen Square viewed, for most of the book, from a distance, is the ever present reminder of this past. As the story develops we are witness to Lai’s awareness changing and her political activism developing while attending Peking University.
It is only there, near the end of the book, that the story brings us to the events of the student rebellion of 1989 in Tiananmen Square. Lai is our witness to the actions of the government, the military, and the consequences of her friend's involvement..
This coming of age story is compelling, haunting, emotive and written beautifully. By the end, it left me in tears. It is a book I will long remember.
Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the ARC.
Memoir or fiction? I would say memoir, written under a pseudonym to protect the author, and any family members remaining in China. This story is about growing up in Beijing in the 1970s and 80s. There is something so deeply touching, tender yet powerful in the writing.
We follow Lai on her journey as she leads us through her childhood and teenage years. She tells us of her fears, anxieties and insecurities which are so painful yet exquisitely written. Her voice is soft and sensitive. Lai introduces us to her friends, playful and innocent until an incident with the controlling regime’s police brutality forever changes her.
We get to know her family. The withdrawn father. The bitter angry mother. The rebellious, spirited grandmother whose strength grounds them all. Each character in their own way presents us with lingering aspects of the Cultural Revolution. Tiananmen Square viewed, for most of the book, from a distance, is the ever present reminder of this past. As the story develops we are witness to Lai’s awareness changing and her political activism developing while attending Peking University.
It is only there, near the end of the book, that the story brings us to the events of the student rebellion of 1989 in Tiananmen Square. Lai is our witness to the actions of the government, the military, and the consequences of her friend's involvement..
This coming of age story is compelling, haunting, emotive and written beautifully. By the end, it left me in tears. It is a book I will long remember.
Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the ARC.
June 14, 2024
This was a book I was super interested in as it was an historic event I was keen to look at from the lens of fiction, helping me to understand the political situation more and better moved by the chatacters' involvement with the tragedy. But the writing style of this novel was distracting. I just felt it was poorly written with a repetitive use of language, weird pacing, and patchy characterisation. I wanted to journey with these characters but could not emotionally engage due to the clunky writing.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
June 5, 2024
3.5 stars
An intimate look at a monumental event in world history. The book moves a bit slowly at times, but it is engaging and builds genuine connection with these young people.
According to the publisher, the author’s name is a pseudonym, and the author is a survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Without knowing which parts of the book are autobiographical and which are fiction, it is difficult to accurately rate and review.
An intimate look at a monumental event in world history. The book moves a bit slowly at times, but it is engaging and builds genuine connection with these young people.
According to the publisher, the author’s name is a pseudonym, and the author is a survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Without knowing which parts of the book are autobiographical and which are fiction, it is difficult to accurately rate and review.
April 13, 2024
4.5 🌟
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was a heartbreaking and sad read because I can relate to some of what the main character Lai goes through. I feel like I know Lai as a person now because we follow her journey throughout the entire book. She was a character with many layers and you can’t help but root for her. The writing was absolutely beautiful. The author has a way with words. This book almost made me cry a couple of times.
This was a powerful read and I am glad that I was made aware of this book.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was a heartbreaking and sad read because I can relate to some of what the main character Lai goes through. I feel like I know Lai as a person now because we follow her journey throughout the entire book. She was a character with many layers and you can’t help but root for her. The writing was absolutely beautiful. The author has a way with words. This book almost made me cry a couple of times.
This was a powerful read and I am glad that I was made aware of this book.
June 11, 2024
Maybe the perfect work of autofiction, not only because it conveys the combination of beauty and banality that is everyday life with flawless verisimilitude, but because it needs to be autofiction . . it must be a truth, but not the truth, because the author cannot provide actual names and dates and times without endangering the lives of real people. Such is the conundrum of life under an authoritarian regime as duplicitous and insidious as the Chinese Communist Party. The narrator grows up in Beijing during the 1970's and 1980's engaging in tiny rebellions against a Party determined to break the will of every last citizen, ultimately getting swept up in the student movement that met such a tragic fate in the title location. (You had better not consider that a spoiler.) And you can tell that every single character, from the frog-faced grandmother to the impossibly cheerful dissident leader, is based on a real person since the author merely presents all of them in their complexity and contradiction without providing a backstory or a psychological explanation. So they speak in polemics. They grew up under Mao. They've been hearing polemics all their lives.
Anyway, a great work, the fastest 500-page read you'll download this year.
Anyway, a great work, the fastest 500-page read you'll download this year.
February 22, 2024
"Tiananmen Square" is a moving novel about a young girl, names Lai, coming of age between China's Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square massacre. Lai is a compelling narrator, part of a unsettled family living in a crowded apartment building in a poor neighborhood in Beijing. Her father is a shadow following his detention during the Cultural Revolution. Her mother is brittle and critical, her beloved grandmother earthy and inappropriate. When Chinese citizens are ordered to stay indoors and away from windows during the visit of Zbigniew Brzezinski to Beijing, Lai and a friend sneak out to see the motorcade, a misstep that will haunt her for years. She wins a scholarship to the prestigious Beijing University which may be in her home city, but is a world apart. There, she begins to understand what made her so frightened and recognize her real self.
There is a gentleness to this story that is irresistible. Lai Wen is a beautiful writer, showing, not telling us what it was like to grow up in that time and place. The humanity of her tale makes every page a treasure, very much like the classic world literature Lai discovers in the old bookstore.
I highly recommend this novel, and I hope that Lai Wen is working on another novel. Lai's story is not over, and I would love to know more.
Many thanks to Spiegel & Grau, NewGalley and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book.
There is a gentleness to this story that is irresistible. Lai Wen is a beautiful writer, showing, not telling us what it was like to grow up in that time and place. The humanity of her tale makes every page a treasure, very much like the classic world literature Lai discovers in the old bookstore.
I highly recommend this novel, and I hope that Lai Wen is working on another novel. Lai's story is not over, and I would love to know more.
Many thanks to Spiegel & Grau, NewGalley and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book.
January 3, 2024
This book is a masterpiece! The writing is absolutely stunning. The way she describes childhood, and what it's like to be a young adult who is stuck between childhood and adulthood is so relatable. The events that happen, the protests against censorship and oppression are so relevant even though these events took place several decades ago. She ties together little details, like the the blue dress, beautifully and with such meaning and purpose. I laughed and cried while reading; it's like you're really there. This book isn't just a story, it's an experience, and I can't recommend it enough!
January 29, 2024
This book was wonderfully written. Even knowing the events of Tiananmen Square prior to reading, I was still in shock at the end. It is a truly moving book that I think everyone should read.
February 12, 2024
Poignant and so beautifully written. It’s a timely narrative and one filled with heart and humanity.
June 4, 2024
I really wanted to love Tiananmen Square, but even though it’s a great listen and exciting story, it didn’t quite hit home. There was 95% build-up for about 5% of actual Tiananmen Square plot. Which makes me feel like the title is a misnomer. The FMC is an engaging narrator with eye-opening details about growing up in this time period in China. Her experiences were intriguing and I liked listening to them, but overall I wish a lot of this book was written differently or maybe just structured differently.
The voice narrator was good. I liked the way she spoke and her timing, tone, and inflection were on point.
I received this advance listener copy from NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau by Spotify in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Lai Wen, as well.
The voice narrator was good. I liked the way she spoke and her timing, tone, and inflection were on point.
I received this advance listener copy from NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau by Spotify in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Lai Wen, as well.
May 31, 2024
3.5/5 Gifted by the publisher
It's rare to read Chinese historical fiction that's not about the Cultural Revolution—hence my excitement about this refreshing tale set afterward, leading up to Tiananmen Square and student protests. I particularly enjoyed the moments of solidarity between the grandma and the granddaughter and the complex friendship set against the increasingly authoritarian rule. While there are some mentions of politics, SQUARE's focus on coming-of-age and teenage drama left me wanting more historical background. The telling rather than showing style also detracts from my emotional connection with the characters. SQUARE is a solid read I'll recommend to those who want to gain a deeper understanding of modern Chinese history through a teen/tween lens.
--
notes
More of a coming of age story set after the cultural revolution that covers love, friendship, and complex family dynamics. Less focus on the politics/history.
I haven’t read much Chinese lit that’s set after cultural revolution so it’s a refreshing story. I really appreciate the grandma-granddaughter dynamics.
I enjoyed this book even though I was expecting a deeper dive on the politics and Tiananmen Square (only happened in the last 10%?). For a book that’s over 500 pages, I was also hoping for an emotional rollercoaster, but somehow it reads a bit distant. Maybe too much telling and not enough showing?
Also, what’s with the homophobia?? It came out of nowhere and didn’t really get addressed imo. Maybe I missed it but I feel it could’ve been edited out.
It's rare to read Chinese historical fiction that's not about the Cultural Revolution—hence my excitement about this refreshing tale set afterward, leading up to Tiananmen Square and student protests. I particularly enjoyed the moments of solidarity between the grandma and the granddaughter and the complex friendship set against the increasingly authoritarian rule. While there are some mentions of politics, SQUARE's focus on coming-of-age and teenage drama left me wanting more historical background. The telling rather than showing style also detracts from my emotional connection with the characters. SQUARE is a solid read I'll recommend to those who want to gain a deeper understanding of modern Chinese history through a teen/tween lens.
--
notes
More of a coming of age story set after the cultural revolution that covers love, friendship, and complex family dynamics. Less focus on the politics/history.
I haven’t read much Chinese lit that’s set after cultural revolution so it’s a refreshing story. I really appreciate the grandma-granddaughter dynamics.
I enjoyed this book even though I was expecting a deeper dive on the politics and Tiananmen Square (only happened in the last 10%?). For a book that’s over 500 pages, I was also hoping for an emotional rollercoaster, but somehow it reads a bit distant. Maybe too much telling and not enough showing?
Also, what’s with the homophobia?? It came out of nowhere and didn’t really get addressed imo. Maybe I missed it but I feel it could’ve been edited out.
June 11, 2024
Well this was a disappointment. With a title like "Tiananmen Square," and the author writing under a pseudonym (presumably because of the contents of the book), I figured this book would go into the politics that lead to the incident known as Tiananmen Square. But alas, this is not the case! With a few references to the Cultural Revolution through the main character's grandmother, that was about as political as it got. Lai, the main character, dates an absolute awful man who is politically radical but also elitist, and wants to make change "the right way." What led to Tiananmen Square? I don't know. What happened at Tiananmen Square? I don't know. Why did Tiananmen Square happen? I don't know. Also, the entirety of the events of Tiananmen Square occurred at about 80% in and lasted for a single chapter, so I am not expecting anyone who read this book to know the answers to any of these questions.
This made me so mad I DNFed at 82%. I feel like the publisher went with this title to trick us into thinking this was a politically-driven book, when in reality it was a fictionalised memoir of the author. I felt lied to.
Thank you to Spiegel & Grau and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This made me so mad I DNFed at 82%. I feel like the publisher went with this title to trick us into thinking this was a politically-driven book, when in reality it was a fictionalised memoir of the author. I felt lied to.
Thank you to Spiegel & Grau and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 1, 2024
Oh I wanted to love this! Unfortunately it fell short for me. I requested this hoping to learn about an area of history that I don’t have much knowledge of. Whilst it was well written, I wanted to get so much more from the first 3/4 of the book - I found it hard to get a sense of what life was like at the time, it was more about friendships and relationships that could happen anywhere. The final part of the book, about the actual events in Tiananmen Square did have some really touching bits, but most of it just didn’t have the momentum to keep the tension going.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.
June 3, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc of this book as an audiobook.
This is *such* an important story and moment in history—one I was so excited to dig into. I think overall, this was a really interesting story and I liked following the woman’s journey through childhood into early adulthood and how she slowly becomes more politicized. That said—and I feel odd saying this as the book is autobiographical but also fiction (a lil confusing was hard to wrap my head around)—I just didn’t really care for the MC or the supporting characters, and it felt more historical fiction of childhood and family dynamics of that time vs really being about the moment in history the book is supposed to be centered around, especially since the actual conflict/author’s involvement only happens in appx ~10 or 15% of the book’s conclusion.
Admittedly, Literary Fiction isn’t my genre of choice usually but I was so eager to learn more about this period and the conflict. And, I did learn and grow from reading this. But the pacing was too slow and meandering, and overall, I didn’t find any of the characters likable (her on again off again boyfriend was the actual worst). Also, trigger warnings for self harm in a big way…
Overall, I didn’t love this despite really really wanting to. I’m glad I didn’t DNF at the 40% mark like I wanted to, but… this won’t be on my “favorite books of 2024” list.
This is *such* an important story and moment in history—one I was so excited to dig into. I think overall, this was a really interesting story and I liked following the woman’s journey through childhood into early adulthood and how she slowly becomes more politicized. That said—and I feel odd saying this as the book is autobiographical but also fiction (a lil confusing was hard to wrap my head around)—I just didn’t really care for the MC or the supporting characters, and it felt more historical fiction of childhood and family dynamics of that time vs really being about the moment in history the book is supposed to be centered around, especially since the actual conflict/author’s involvement only happens in appx ~10 or 15% of the book’s conclusion.
Admittedly, Literary Fiction isn’t my genre of choice usually but I was so eager to learn more about this period and the conflict. And, I did learn and grow from reading this. But the pacing was too slow and meandering, and overall, I didn’t find any of the characters likable (her on again off again boyfriend was the actual worst). Also, trigger warnings for self harm in a big way…
Overall, I didn’t love this despite really really wanting to. I’m glad I didn’t DNF at the 40% mark like I wanted to, but… this won’t be on my “favorite books of 2024” list.
February 12, 2024
Tiananmen Square is a moving and gentle novel about the childhood and young adulthood of a girl in Beijing during the 1970-1980s. Lai lives with her family – father, mother, younger brother and grandmother – in a crowded apartment complex in a lively neighborhood in the city, with views of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square off in the misty distance. Lai navigates the lessons of childhood friendship, the repressive Chinese government and family dynamics, eventually going to university in Peking. There she falls in love, learns to overcome loneliness and embraces a new circle of quirky and talented friends who expand her views. As students begin to chafe against the restrictions of the Chinese state, a movement gradually begins in the student body of the University of Peking, along with other universities in China, and Lai becomes involved in the peaceful advocacy for more freedoms. This movement culminates in the tragic events in Tiananmen Square and on Chang’an Avenue during June 1989, and Lai bears witness to the heart-breaking crushing of rebellion that takes place.
This novel reads like a blend of memoir and fiction. It is a beautiful, gently flowing love letter to the Beijing of the author’s childhood, and the family and city that raised her. We all know how the cruel and violent repression of June 1989 turned out, but this novel gives an inside perspective and shows how idealistic students and everyday citizens became unintentional protestors and proponents of reform. A groundswell of dissent became a tidal wave that shook a regime and captivated the attention of the world. The novel is written from a point of view that feels deeply personal and emotional. The optimism of those students and their trust in their nation was crushed during those fateful weeks. More than thirty years later, the reader can still feel the waves of pain and loss rippling from the pages, as the author reflects upon everything she lost and pays her respects to the friends she knew during those heady days. I was overwhelmed with emotion and admiration at the courage it took for the author to recount these experiences. It is a novel that will remain with me. So much gratitude to Spiegel and Grau for allowing me to read this remarkable book.
Tiananmen Square will be published on June 4, 2024, the anniversary of the crushing of the protest.
This novel reads like a blend of memoir and fiction. It is a beautiful, gently flowing love letter to the Beijing of the author’s childhood, and the family and city that raised her. We all know how the cruel and violent repression of June 1989 turned out, but this novel gives an inside perspective and shows how idealistic students and everyday citizens became unintentional protestors and proponents of reform. A groundswell of dissent became a tidal wave that shook a regime and captivated the attention of the world. The novel is written from a point of view that feels deeply personal and emotional. The optimism of those students and their trust in their nation was crushed during those fateful weeks. More than thirty years later, the reader can still feel the waves of pain and loss rippling from the pages, as the author reflects upon everything she lost and pays her respects to the friends she knew during those heady days. I was overwhelmed with emotion and admiration at the courage it took for the author to recount these experiences. It is a novel that will remain with me. So much gratitude to Spiegel and Grau for allowing me to read this remarkable book.
Tiananmen Square will be published on June 4, 2024, the anniversary of the crushing of the protest.
May 20, 2024
I loved this book for a lot of reasons, and I highly recommend reading this when it hits the market.
I loved how much I learned from this, there were so many details about these uprisings and revolutions that I had no clue about. We were taught a little bit about this massacre specifically but there is so much nuance that is lost when the information is given in a lecture format. This book allows for that knowledge to be given while also adding emotional significance which is so often lost in the numbers.
I loved that Tiananmen Square was a constant throughout this despite this following the majority of her childhood. It would be seen in the distance, or a field trip taken there, or just walking by the entrance. It was always there in a positive light while the reader held onto the knowledge that something horrific would happen there.
The writing style was very easy to read and portrayed a lot of depth due to its staunch focus on Lai. Her growth felt true to her characterization which is a hard thing to capture well.
It was a coming of age story unlike any other I’ve read, both in its cultural differences and in its reality to human history. It was wildly refreshing to read something so different and so significant.
The reason it isn’t a five star is how the author ended Macaw’s story. Without knowing how much or what is taken from the reality the author faced, that “rewrite?” of a historical figure felt like a tactic to bring in relevance to what’s being mobilized against now
I loved how much I learned from this, there were so many details about these uprisings and revolutions that I had no clue about. We were taught a little bit about this massacre specifically but there is so much nuance that is lost when the information is given in a lecture format. This book allows for that knowledge to be given while also adding emotional significance which is so often lost in the numbers.
I loved that Tiananmen Square was a constant throughout this despite this following the majority of her childhood. It would be seen in the distance, or a field trip taken there, or just walking by the entrance. It was always there in a positive light while the reader held onto the knowledge that something horrific would happen there.
The writing style was very easy to read and portrayed a lot of depth due to its staunch focus on Lai. Her growth felt true to her characterization which is a hard thing to capture well.
It was a coming of age story unlike any other I’ve read, both in its cultural differences and in its reality to human history. It was wildly refreshing to read something so different and so significant.
The reason it isn’t a five star is how the author ended Macaw’s story. Without knowing how much or what is taken from the reality the author faced, that “rewrite?” of a historical figure felt like a tactic to bring in relevance to what’s being mobilized against now
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2024
Brilliant! That is all I can say. Tiananmen Square is fantastically brilliant! It is so beautifully and masterfully written that it will leave you in awe. This book is very long but each stage of the journey the author takes you on is so important and precious that you have to just let them take you through it. I laughed. I cried. I fell in love. My heart got broken and put back together again. It was just so meaningful and poignant and gorgeous and horrifying. I really do not know what else to say.
Just utterly brilliant! I give it all the stars! ✨✨✨✨✨
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me ARC access to this novel. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Just utterly brilliant! I give it all the stars! ✨✨✨✨✨
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me ARC access to this novel. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
June 7, 2024
It is the 35th anniversary, the 1989 massacre of unarmed protestors in Tiananmen Square remains such a source of embarrassment to the Chinese government that public acknowledgement of the event still faces automatic censorship. Memorialization can only occur out in secret, or else outside the country. Mai work of historical remembrance is an example. Many people places and events shape our lives as we mature into adulthood. It is largely thanks to her grandmother’s love and encouragement that Lai comes to believe she is capable of achieving something.
May 13, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Wow, where do I even start with this. I truly didn't know what to expect when I started reading but I was just blown away by what this book was. Tiananmen Square is an amazing amalgamation of friendship, family, tragedy, war, and emotion. Told over the span of multiple years, it follows Lai as she goes through changes and growth in her life. I'm always down for a good historical fiction, and this book tackled a very real set of events, told in riveting prose that I simply could not stop reading.
The way this story is told is absolutely beautiful. There is a sense of ominosity in the narration since Lai's childhood, and each part of this story covers a prominent part of her life, all leading up to the revolution and how it affected Lai and the people in her life. I liked Gen's presence in her life and I think he played a huge role in her growth and maturity. It was interesting to see her grow into her own person and realize and make her own decisions. I also loved her journey with her family. It was so realistic to see the representation of an Asian family and how tensions are always there, but at the end of the day, the love is also always there.
I just loved all the characters; all of Lai's friendships were portrayed so well, and the transition from subtle struggles of living in the society she was in, to being in college and witnessing the revolution firsthand really made the book what it is. Lai made for a great protagonist, and even though much of this story was narration, her monologue never made it seem boring.
Tiananmen Square is a 500+ pages long book but it never felt like it. I've only read fantasy series' with books this long, but something about this one just hit the spot and I finished it in a single night. I haven't had many 5-star reads this year but this is definitely that (actually, more like 6 stars) and I am so glad I stumbled upon this to request and got to read it in advance!
post-read
oh my god how am I supposed to recover. rtc when i’m not so emotional and broken over what i have just read
Wow, where do I even start with this. I truly didn't know what to expect when I started reading but I was just blown away by what this book was. Tiananmen Square is an amazing amalgamation of friendship, family, tragedy, war, and emotion. Told over the span of multiple years, it follows Lai as she goes through changes and growth in her life. I'm always down for a good historical fiction, and this book tackled a very real set of events, told in riveting prose that I simply could not stop reading.
The way this story is told is absolutely beautiful. There is a sense of ominosity in the narration since Lai's childhood, and each part of this story covers a prominent part of her life, all leading up to the revolution and how it affected Lai and the people in her life. I liked Gen's presence in her life and I think he played a huge role in her growth and maturity. It was interesting to see her grow into her own person and realize and make her own decisions. I also loved her journey with her family. It was so realistic to see the representation of an Asian family and how tensions are always there, but at the end of the day, the love is also always there.
I just loved all the characters; all of Lai's friendships were portrayed so well, and the transition from subtle struggles of living in the society she was in, to being in college and witnessing the revolution firsthand really made the book what it is. Lai made for a great protagonist, and even though much of this story was narration, her monologue never made it seem boring.
Tiananmen Square is a 500+ pages long book but it never felt like it. I've only read fantasy series' with books this long, but something about this one just hit the spot and I finished it in a single night. I haven't had many 5-star reads this year but this is definitely that (actually, more like 6 stars) and I am so glad I stumbled upon this to request and got to read it in advance!
post-read
oh my god how am I supposed to recover. rtc when i’m not so emotional and broken over what i have just read
January 30, 2024
Special thanks to Spiegel & Grau and the Goodreads Giveaways for my having received an ARC of Tiananmen Square!
(Because this title isn’t set to release until 4 June 2024, I’ll avoid delving into the particulars in this review.)
Tiananmen Square follows Lai from childhood into early adulthood and captures the stages of life it depicts quite well. The prose is subtle yet effective; certain details are introduced so naturally one might not guess at their significance until much later in the tale. But the character relationships are, for me, the most affecting element of this novel and once again affirm that life will continue to go on, even as major historical events are brewing and coming to a head.
As is often the case when I read first-person accounts, there seems to be an added weight to this novel, and that is to say nothing of the fact these experiences were had in light of this particular historical context.
I would most recommend Tiananmen Square for mature readers interested in coming-of-age stories and those interested in personal accounts of and reflections upon historical events.
(Because this title isn’t set to release until 4 June 2024, I’ll avoid delving into the particulars in this review.)
Tiananmen Square follows Lai from childhood into early adulthood and captures the stages of life it depicts quite well. The prose is subtle yet effective; certain details are introduced so naturally one might not guess at their significance until much later in the tale. But the character relationships are, for me, the most affecting element of this novel and once again affirm that life will continue to go on, even as major historical events are brewing and coming to a head.
As is often the case when I read first-person accounts, there seems to be an added weight to this novel, and that is to say nothing of the fact these experiences were had in light of this particular historical context.
I would most recommend Tiananmen Square for mature readers interested in coming-of-age stories and those interested in personal accounts of and reflections upon historical events.
July 3, 2024
A little long/slow but easy reading and enjoyable. Is this a memoir disguised as fiction? Or fiction that reads like a memoir? I love books that end with you wondering...
March 9, 2024
Tiananmen Square was a captivating and thought-provoking tale which cast a light on the life of young people in Beijing in the 1970s and 1980s. I was caught up in the characters and events right from the start and the story held my interest through to the end as we followed Lai during her formative years and got a sense of the political situation in China at that time. I am giving this book 4 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2024
4.75 stars!
This book is so, so relevant to current day politics in the US, despite being set over 30 years ago, which goes to show that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it and all of that. While the title insinuates that this is a book about the massacre in Tiananmen Square, it really is a coming of age story that coincides and leads to the massacre. As many other reviewers have pointed out, the protests and subsequent massacre really only takes place in the last bit of the book; the rest of the novel details the narrator's life growing up during a post-Cultural Revolution period and the events that eventually led her to participate in the student protests in 1989.
I adored so much of this book. Obviously, I love the fact that this is a Chinese protagonist, since we get so few of those. I also really enjoyed reading about the narrator's daily life, especially life growing up after the Cultural Revolution. While I'm fairly familiar with the Cultural Revolution, I'm not very familiar with the time afterwards or the Tiananmen Square massacre. I ended up having to do some googling to learn more about the politics of this period. While politics doesn't become a huge deal in the novel until the narrator goes to college, it's still mentioned quite a bit in the earlier sections, and I wanted to understand the period of time that was covered.
Coming of age stories and novels that are essentially about interactions within family members and friends are super interesting to me because it all comes down to understanding a character's psychology. I became super invested in the narrator's relationship with her grandmother and I definitely cried when her grandmother died. I also found her romantic relationship particularly interesting, especially because the guy was a huge asshole and it took her forever to see it. And then of course, her relationship with the theatre troupe (especially Anna) and how that relationship played a big part in her coming to accept herself and join the student protests was fascinating to follow. I know that a lot of the material in this novel was based on the author's actual experiences, so I wonder how much of it was true.
In regards to the activism, I really appreciated that the narrator wasn't just like super into all the protests and stuff, because that's not who I am either, and I feel like most characters are just willing to get into revolutions and protests way too easily. Both the narrator and Anna in this novel were more hesitant (especially Anna) and I felt like that gave a very realistic way that people often react to these things.
I took off .25 stars because the writing itself started out feeling a little stilted at first, like it was a translation of the novel rather than having been originally written in English to begin with (I'm pretty sure it was always just in English and not a translation). It took me a bit to get used to the writing style, but once I got into the story more, the writing issues sort of became negligible for me. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in reading about the Asian experience, the time period after the Cultural Revolution, or just wanting a good coming of age story.
This book is so, so relevant to current day politics in the US, despite being set over 30 years ago, which goes to show that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it and all of that. While the title insinuates that this is a book about the massacre in Tiananmen Square, it really is a coming of age story that coincides and leads to the massacre. As many other reviewers have pointed out, the protests and subsequent massacre really only takes place in the last bit of the book; the rest of the novel details the narrator's life growing up during a post-Cultural Revolution period and the events that eventually led her to participate in the student protests in 1989.
I adored so much of this book. Obviously, I love the fact that this is a Chinese protagonist, since we get so few of those. I also really enjoyed reading about the narrator's daily life, especially life growing up after the Cultural Revolution. While I'm fairly familiar with the Cultural Revolution, I'm not very familiar with the time afterwards or the Tiananmen Square massacre. I ended up having to do some googling to learn more about the politics of this period. While politics doesn't become a huge deal in the novel until the narrator goes to college, it's still mentioned quite a bit in the earlier sections, and I wanted to understand the period of time that was covered.
Coming of age stories and novels that are essentially about interactions within family members and friends are super interesting to me because it all comes down to understanding a character's psychology. I became super invested in the narrator's relationship with her grandmother and I definitely cried when her grandmother died. I also found her romantic relationship particularly interesting, especially because the guy was a huge asshole and it took her forever to see it. And then of course, her relationship with the theatre troupe (especially Anna) and how that relationship played a big part in her coming to accept herself and join the student protests was fascinating to follow. I know that a lot of the material in this novel was based on the author's actual experiences, so I wonder how much of it was true.
In regards to the activism, I really appreciated that the narrator wasn't just like super into all the protests and stuff, because that's not who I am either, and I feel like most characters are just willing to get into revolutions and protests way too easily. Both the narrator and Anna in this novel were more hesitant (especially Anna) and I felt like that gave a very realistic way that people often react to these things.
I took off .25 stars because the writing itself started out feeling a little stilted at first, like it was a translation of the novel rather than having been originally written in English to begin with (I'm pretty sure it was always just in English and not a translation). It took me a bit to get used to the writing style, but once I got into the story more, the writing issues sort of became negligible for me. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in reading about the Asian experience, the time period after the Cultural Revolution, or just wanting a good coming of age story.
April 30, 2024
A coming-of-age story set in Beijing in the early eighties, its title tipping the reader where it is going to end, Tiananmen Square is an oddly pitched book. The student uprising of 1989 is the endgame, so when we join the teenage schoolgirl Lai we can see how the increase in her political consciousness is always going to be foreshadowed. It is primarily a picture of growing up in a China shifting from hardline Maoism to the more relaxed economic socialism of the eighties. Lai's parents were touched by the Cultural Revolution: her Dad is described as beaten down by it, and her mother is disillusioned and clashes with her daughter. Her maternal Grandmother also lives with them and is mischievous and twinkling and - well the problem is that all the characters are very archetypal. Those are archetypes for a reason, but the book is written from the perspective of someone who is a literature teacher who left China in 1989, there seems to be little self-reflection from the character as to how ordinary the setup is. This is interesting as the book wants to be a peak behind this core historical moment, but how much of an insider's voice can we trust when everything else feels quite cliched?
This also stretches to her arrogant boyfriend who is rightly identified by her grandmother as a bit of an arrogant twat (and I think the audience were way ahead of her), and also the kindly old bookseller, giving her the magical escape of books from her daily routine. Even in that case she moves from a book or Norse Myths to Orwell's 1984, and the Moby Dick, Hemmingway. It is never stated if she is reading these in translation, and Chinese literature is rarely mentioned - it all seems more like she is trying to impress the reader than really delving into the tricky texts. When she gets to University we get a new bunch of stock characters, not least the anarcho-japester Madame Macaw who never convinced me and I worked out their role pretty instantly because this wasn't just going to be a story culminating with the Tiananmen Massacre, but we'd get an insight into the most famous moment of the protest. And since her political boyfriend had been set up from the beginning, the nominal twist here is easy to see.
Tiananmen Square is an easy read and Lai the character and Lai the writer are good company. But it never really gets below the surface of the political upheaval in China at the time, and because the coming-of-age story around our narrator is so predictable I didn't trust anything dressed up as revelation.
This also stretches to her arrogant boyfriend who is rightly identified by her grandmother as a bit of an arrogant twat (and I think the audience were way ahead of her), and also the kindly old bookseller, giving her the magical escape of books from her daily routine. Even in that case she moves from a book or Norse Myths to Orwell's 1984, and the Moby Dick, Hemmingway. It is never stated if she is reading these in translation, and Chinese literature is rarely mentioned - it all seems more like she is trying to impress the reader than really delving into the tricky texts. When she gets to University we get a new bunch of stock characters, not least the anarcho-japester Madame Macaw who never convinced me and I worked out their role pretty instantly because this wasn't just going to be a story culminating with the Tiananmen Massacre, but we'd get an insight into the most famous moment of the protest. And since her political boyfriend had been set up from the beginning, the nominal twist here is easy to see.
Tiananmen Square is an easy read and Lai the character and Lai the writer are good company. But it never really gets below the surface of the political upheaval in China at the time, and because the coming-of-age story around our narrator is so predictable I didn't trust anything dressed up as revelation.
April 7, 2024
3.5
I enjoyed reading 'Tiananmen Square' and found the story both engrossing annd compelling. Although the events of the 1989 protests are infamous I think a lot of people don't know exactly what happened or the events that led up to it in the years before. It was very interesting to see how the political climate was heating up and how the youth mentality was starting to ask questions. I did find the pacing a little unbalanced as the actual events of Tiananmen Square seemed to arrive in quite a hurry with the majority of the book following the educational journey of Lai Wen. I also found the writing to be slightly inconsistent. It was mostly very immmsersive and readable but every now and then certain phrases, images or word choice were slightly jarring. I will say however, that Lai Wen's ability to replicate the atmosphere leading up to the protests was so tangible. The rising tensions and anxieties were palpable in her writing.
I didn't know that this book is actually based on the author's life until after I had finished- although, I should have guessed from the names! This raised some significant questions and for me is ultimately why I'm giving this novel three stars (I wish I could give it 3.5!). In many ways it makes the vivid images and raw emotional descriptions that much more compelling. However, I am now wondering how much of the novel is autobiographical and how much is imagined. I assume that the author did in fact grow up in Beijing and attend the Tiananmen protests. However, I now understand the ending even less than I did on my first impression when I found it a bit rogue. I won't include any spoilers, but the final reveal is an extremely bold claim if the author is infact claiming the final few lines to be factual. It would be very shocking and change our understanding of one of the most memorable images in recent history. If it is an imagined embellishment I feel it really takes away from the authenticity of the text and goes against the intimate, raw, vulnerable and honest account of 70s and 80s Beijing which is what I enjoyed most about the novel.
In any case, I would still reccomend this book to anyone with an interest in this time period as a first hand account of this highly censored and secretive time is a privelage to access.
I enjoyed reading 'Tiananmen Square' and found the story both engrossing annd compelling. Although the events of the 1989 protests are infamous I think a lot of people don't know exactly what happened or the events that led up to it in the years before. It was very interesting to see how the political climate was heating up and how the youth mentality was starting to ask questions. I did find the pacing a little unbalanced as the actual events of Tiananmen Square seemed to arrive in quite a hurry with the majority of the book following the educational journey of Lai Wen. I also found the writing to be slightly inconsistent. It was mostly very immmsersive and readable but every now and then certain phrases, images or word choice were slightly jarring. I will say however, that Lai Wen's ability to replicate the atmosphere leading up to the protests was so tangible. The rising tensions and anxieties were palpable in her writing.
I didn't know that this book is actually based on the author's life until after I had finished- although, I should have guessed from the names! This raised some significant questions and for me is ultimately why I'm giving this novel three stars (I wish I could give it 3.5!). In many ways it makes the vivid images and raw emotional descriptions that much more compelling. However, I am now wondering how much of the novel is autobiographical and how much is imagined. I assume that the author did in fact grow up in Beijing and attend the Tiananmen protests. However, I now understand the ending even less than I did on my first impression when I found it a bit rogue. I won't include any spoilers, but the final reveal is an extremely bold claim if the author is infact claiming the final few lines to be factual. It would be very shocking and change our understanding of one of the most memorable images in recent history. If it is an imagined embellishment I feel it really takes away from the authenticity of the text and goes against the intimate, raw, vulnerable and honest account of 70s and 80s Beijing which is what I enjoyed most about the novel.
In any case, I would still reccomend this book to anyone with an interest in this time period as a first hand account of this highly censored and secretive time is a privelage to access.
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