When Deng Xiaoping s efforts to open up China took root in the late
1980s, Xinran recognized an invaluable opportunity. As an employee for
the state radio system, she had long wanted to help improve the lives of
Chinese women. But when she was given clearance to host a radio call-in
show, she barely anticipated the enthusiasm it would quickly generate.
Operating within the constraints imposed by government censors, Words on
the Night Breeze sparked a tremendous outpouring, and the hours of tape
on her answering machines were soon filled every night. Whether angry or
muted, posing questions or simply relating experiences, these anonymous
women bore witness to decades of civil strife, and of halting attempts
at self-understanding in a painfully restrictive society. In this
collection, by turns heartrending and inspiring, Xinran brings us the
stories that affected her most, and offers a graphically detailed,
altogether unprecedented work of oral history."