"Collectivization makes everyone prosperous and content" (p. 35).

"I'm afraid I won't be the strong mother I need to be. Maybe I never was a strong mother. Maybe I've never been good enough to be Joy's mother. Because, of course, I'm not Joy's mother" (p. 44).

"Bad memories make me put on metal blinders. I'm here, but I"ll do my best not to see it" (p. 55).

"Seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. Doing something once is better than seeing it one hundred times" (p. 78).

"If your history isn't good, then you won't be good. A rebel as a five-year-old will be a rebel as a young man and will die a rebel. So what are you...? What is your history and what are you going to be? (p. 100).

"That instruction must come from Chairman Mao. It's up to us to decipher what he...