The doctor who was followed by ghosts

by Qunying Li

A Communist doctor of great dedication, Li Qunying undoubtedly had fewer ghosts behind her than others, yet her life was in many ways ill-fated as she struggled to exist through vast political turmoil—the Anti-Japanese War, the Civil War, the Korean War, and the notorious Cultural Revolution. The Great Leap Forward Movement tragically took away her son Bingbing's life, and the persecution of her husband during the Cultural Revolution took a serious toll on his health, ultimately leading to his early death. Besides enduring personal misfortune, Qunying also witnessed the suffering of the peasants, who were the majority of the population at the grass-roots level and whose sorrowful stories have rarely been shared. Told from a uniquely female perspective, this haunting memoir interweaves eyewitness history, folklore, and superstition to tell a truly compelling tale.