I got this book from our local public library (the picture above links to Amazon in case you want to look at other, better, reviews).

I could never have guessed what life was like for women in China during and as a result of the Cultural Revolution, but if I had, I would have expected any book on the subject to be depressing. There was an amazing amount of suffering. This book is horrifying, but did not leave me depressed. It's an important book, and left me feeling glad I had read it, much more strongly than my usual feeling after reading non-fiction.

I think that one of the most interesting points in the book was the women who were happy in spite of what is, to us, unimaginable poverty. It's hard for Americans to imagine being having without things. The horrible experiences brought by the lack of freedom for women made me better appreciate how much freedom we actually do have.