While concentrating on ideas like personal heroism, family loyalty, social responsibility, rapid cultural change and children's desire for role models, Jiang discusses the conflicts that arise for a child who is asked to choose between family and society. From the perspective of an adult in her late thirties, Jiang begins her personal story as a happy twelve year old getting ready to take tests which will determine if she can attend one of the best junior high schools. This is the beginning of career plans under the traditional English-based school system in China. A good junior high means a good high school, and then a good college, so Jiang is very concerned to do well on her tests. She is a talented girl whose teachers like her and for whom family life is happy and stable. But when she is twelve, the year is...