Knowing Miss Chen by
Jerrine R Weigand is a tale of two worlds; a memoir filled with
fascinating and challenging experiences of a foreign couple invited
by the government of Qinghai Province, China, to work on their
new policy "Opening to the West". It is also
the life story of Chen Yu Hua, their young interpreter.
This is about living and learning a strange and fascinating culture.
It touches Chinese history, religion, politics, the Great Cultural
Revolution, the changing times as China struggles with failing state
owned enterprises and the challenges of developing a Market Economy.
But mostly it is about people, the Chen family, and every day life
working in China.
Miss Chen grew up in Chairman Mao's China during the Cultural Revolution
of the 1960s. Hers is not the average tale of a school girl; the
personal stories Miss Chen reveals to the author provide insight
and understanding of a tumultuous period in Chinese history. Chen
Yu Hua experienced, first hand, both the authority of the Red Guard
and the tragedy of Tiananmen Square.
Weigand tries to dispel the myths and misconceptions held by many
Westerners about Chinese people and their culture. She and her husband
came to appreciate the wonderful humor of the Chinese, their curiosity
and desire to understand Westerners, and in turn their need to be
understood.
Knowing Miss Chen will enlighten, entertain and
sadden, leaving readers feeling rewarded for their experience.
