Memorializing Those Who Escaped Before and During the Cultural Revolution-Book3: The Open Window Facing South - World of Freedom and Triumph - Couverture souple

Horfung, Mr. Choi

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1986271560 ISBN 13 : 9781986271561

Editeur : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2018

Synopsis

This is the third account in a trilogy of escape stories from Communist China during the period of 1949-1976 under Mao’s rule. Book One finds the author at a crossroads, undecided about his future as he chooses between completing his university education or fleeing China. His choice of remaining in China leads to a life of great difficulty as he navigates through all the political movements, seeking to stay out of trouble. The author completed his university education in Food Science Engineering, although on a shortened basis because of the Cultural Revolution, and joins the procession of ‘sent down’ youth to work at a military farm in Yunnan Province. While there he is diagnosed with a stomach ailment and sent back to his home province of Guangdong for one year to recover. Through unusual circumstances, he is able make this transfer permanent, and commences a life of self-study of history and literature, all while living with his parents and supported by the income of his siblings in Hong Kong and Macau—this was, as the phrase became known, his family’s window facing south. All through this period including the time during the Cultural Revolution, the author observes the hardships of various members of his own family including his father, uncles and aunts whose lives were brought to ruin because of the CCP’s political campaigns and policies. This book describes the author’s climax of desperation to escape to a life of freedom, even after he has already failed once and also come face to face with the reality that the chances of escape were not favourable, especially after he witnessed firsthand the loss of friends and loved ones who were never heard of again after their departure from Mainland Chinese soil. Such unfavourable odds, with a failure rate estimated to be as high as a 60-70%, were not enough to deter him from his second attempt, and so he describes this plan to escape, telling of a determination that follows through not just twice but a third time in an unlikely jailbreak that succeeds against all odds. Arriving to the free world brings its own challenges and this includes having to enter Hong Kong from Macau as a stowaway on a boat and register as a refugee. Work opportunities present themselves through a series of low paying jobs yet allowing the author to pursue his true passion of writing and publishing. His first higher paying job is working as a job site supervisor for the construction of one of Hong Kong’s MTR’s subway stations, completing the job on time and according to specifications. This earned him the offer to take over from the soon to retire owner of the construction company. Instead, the author, now married, chooses to immigrate to the USA to begin a new life in New York City. This concludes the trilogy of escape stories of those who lived under Mao's rule. This was a period of time when survival was the highest aspiration for an individual to hope for, and the natural choice was to flee; the author, like many others, chose freedom. One of the most startling statements in this trilogy is that many of these youth who were seeking to flee China did so because life under the Communists was worse than anything humanly imaginable, including having to endure the life of a slave or even prostitution. And so many chose to flee even though it would cost them even their lives. This book is a memorial to all those who chose to flee.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Date d'édition: 2018
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1986271560
• ISBN 13: 9781986271561
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 221
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Printed by Amazon on behalf of the author; https://www.amazon.fr/hz/contact-us; ; c/o Amazon Media EU S.à.r.l., 38 Avenue John F. Kennedy; Luxembourg; L-1855; Luxembourg