Wild Swans
By Jung Chang

This book recounts the story of three generations of women in one Chinese family during the massive political earthquakes of the 20th century. Chang's grandmother was given as a concubine to a warlord during the time of the Manchu Empire, her mother married a Maoist soldier, and Chang (after her family was denounced as an enemy of the people) was forced to work in the country as a doctor, without any training. Chang combines the tectonic shifts in China with her family's experiences, and the result is a beautiful and layered memoir.