Open my old photo album: Mao Zedong, my dear grandfather

Author: Kong Dongmei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Family memory, photographic memory, are the inevitable products of young people's journey toward cultural consciousness and the subsequent emergence of a sense of root-seeking. Opening My Family's Old Photo Album—My Grandfather Mao Zedong in My Heart showcases its appearance in 21st-century China. The author elaborates on her understanding of figures like Mao Zedong, who left a profound impact on Chinese history, which is bound to captivate readers. As the granddaughter of Mao Zedong and He Zizhen, the author approaches the subject from the dual perspectives of the descendant of a great leader and a contemporary woman, narrating stories about women, marriage, and family. Among the numerous publications commemorating the 110th anniversary of Mao Zedong's birth, this book stands out for its unique features and significance.
"The Old Photos" has been a hot topic in recent Chinese publishing, but few books have been published independently as family albums while featuring historical giants and celebrities. The book includes rare old photographs, preserved by the author and her family for many years and never before published, which are invaluable. More importantly, the author shares the extraordinary stories behind these photos with a sense of normalcy. Compared to similar books on revolutionary history, this one has a strong sense of the times. Through comparisons between her grandmother He Zizhen, her mother Li Min, and her own experience of studying abroad, as well as her analysis of her grandmother's married life, the author, with backgrounds in both Chinese and Western higher education, makes encouraging attempts to approach the subject with a cultural and rational perspective.