An eye-opening and previously untold story, Factory Girls is the first look into the everyday lives of the migrant factory population in China. China has 130 million migrant workers--the largest migration in human history. In Factory Girls, Leslie T. Chang, a former correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Beijing, tells the story of these workers primarily through the lives of two young women, whom she follows over the course of three years as they attempt to rise from the assembly lines of Dongguan, an industrial city in China's Pearl River Delta. As she tracks their lives, Chang paints a never-before-seen picture of migrant life--a world where nearly everyone is under thirty; where you can lose your boyfriend and your friends with the loss of a mobile phone; where a few computer or English lessons can catapult you into a completely different social class. Chang takes us inside a sneaker factory so large that it has its own hospital, movie theater, and fire department; to posh karaoke bars that are fronts for prostitution; to makeshift English classes where students shave their heads in monklike devotion and sit day after day in front of machines watching English words flash by; and back to a farming village for the Chinese New Year, revealing the poverty and idleness of rural life that drive young girls to leave home in the first place. Throughout this riveting portrait, Chang also interweaves the story of her own family's migrations, within China and to the West, providing historical and personal frames of reference for her investigation. A book of global significance that provides new insight into China, Factory Girls demonstrates howthe mass movement from rural villages to cities is remaking individual lives and transforming Chinese society, much as immigration to America's shores remade our own country a century ago.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Just finished Factory Girls I just finished reading Factory Girls. It had received a 5 star rating in a magazine review and I thought it might be good. It really was. I am a big lover of Chinese movies, and thought this book would provide a background between the old and the new. It didn't disappoint. My only critical thing was, I wish it was published today, as there have been major changes since Leslie Chang wrote it...I wonder about the girls and how many factories have closeed, what has happened to their families who relied on... more info
Very engrossing reading on life in China I just finished reading "Factory Girls" by Leslie T. Chang. This book is by far the most fascinating book I ever read on life in China and its' factory workers. The author, Ms. Chang wrote an excellent thought provoking book. I literally could not put this book down, and found Mins and Chunmings lives quite unforgettable.
For people interested in Chinas' socio-economic, cultural, and it's history, go and buy this book. I give this book a five star rating!!
if you only read one book about China, it should be this one. As someone who lives in Beijing and has been part of the East Asian Studies scholastic community for years, I can honestly say that this book sums up everything my mountains of pretentious textbooks and Dashan-esque snooty white dudes have ever said about life in China. The book is long, as it should be, because there is so much to observe. The author's analysis is thoughtful, and never condescending or presumptuous. Her personal family history is so fascinating. Many reviews say it interrupts the rest of... more info
Outstanding I enjoyed very much reading this book. I read the author's WSJ article long time ago, so I was eagerly waiting for this book to come out. The stories are very interesting yet poignant at the same time. These girls' ambitions, hard work, & constant desire for self-improvement put those Americans who take everything they have for granted to shame. I admire the author's courageous effort in her research, following the girls to their factories, villages, and business meetings. Joining millions of... more info
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