Jung Chang's latest book traces her family's history, beginning with her grandmother born in 1900, her grandmother's marriage to a warlord, and her parents' involvement in the communist movement, including their disillusionment during Mao's policies.

This new work, an expanded and revisited narrative following her 1991 bestseller 'Wild Swans,' reflects on her life and China's tumultuous history since her departure in 1978.

'Wild Swans' was critically acclaimed and popular, but her follow-up delves deeper into the personal and political upheavals during Mao's era and their impact on her family.

The narrative highlights her family's moral stands against oppression, her personal experiences with political repression, and her reflections on China's transformation from poverty to wealth, alongside her journey from disgrace to fame and wealth in the West.

Her book functions as both a personal memoir and an analytical account of China's 20th-century history, revealing the costs of political activism and her family's resilience.

Chang's research includes detailed work from Chinese sources and archives, maintaining her engagement with China's history despite political restrictions and her distancing from China under Xi Jinping.

Chang notes the increasing risks for critics of the Chinese government, including her own fears of imprisonment due to her critical views on Mao and her observations on Xi Jinping's policies.

Her father, Shou-yu, was a puritan communist who died in the early 1950s due to persecution during Mao's Cultural Revolution, and her mother, De-hong, struggled to save him and later faced her own persecutions.