Yong Zhang's book, first published in the UK in 1991 (British Book of the Year Award), has been translated into 32 languages, but has not yet been published in Chinese. The story of a family through the prism of the dramatic fate of China, described vividly and emotionally , became a bestseller. Yun Zhang is accurate and impartial in her assessment of socio-political events and is extremely honest in revealing the self-perception of people who have fallen under the wheels of history. The book serves to affirm universal human values and the freedom of the thinking individual.