Foryears,Faina,theRussianwifeofChiangKai-shek’’ssonChing-kuo,wasamissinglinkinourunderstandingof20thcenturyChina.MarkO’’Neill’’snewbiographytellsanastonishingstoryofayoungwomanwhostartedasaSovietfactoryworkerandfoundherselfdeeplyentwinedinthepoliticalturmoiloftheformationofmodernChina.Thisisnotjustastoryofapoliticalcouple,butratherawiderangingandcompellingtaleoftheforcesthatshapedapoliticalgeneration-andeventually,democracyinTaiwan.
--RanaMitter,ProfessoroftheHistoryandPoliticsofModernChina;DirectoroftheUniversityofOxfordChinaCentre
