GROWING UP UNDER A RED FLAG

Author Compestine recalls her experiences growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

It’s 1966, and the author is just 3 years old. Young Ying’s parents are doctors and among the educated dissenters targeted by Mao Zedong. Her father teachers her English, and Ying dreams about going to America to eat food with funny names such as Twinkies and Tater Tots. But by the time she’s 5, people are banned from speaking foreign languages and reading books in English, letters are monitored, and Western items are destroyed. The city walls are oppressively adorned with propaganda, and everyone is forced to don Mao uniforms and conform to a new way of life. Accused of being an American spy, Ying’s father is arrested, and she grapples with censorship, scarcity, and a loss of independence over the course of the next decade until Mao’s death in 1976. The author uses simple, clear language to make complex political ideas more accessible to young audiences. While the emotional resonance of some scenes feels muted due to the sheer amount of history that the tale covers, Liu’s artwork helps add depth with nuanced facial expressions, thoughtful details, and eye-catching visual compositions. The limited yet vibrant palette and the style of the illustrations are fittingly reminiscent of vintage Chinese propaganda posters.

A vivid glimpse into a childhood under communist rule.