Podcast Summary: NPR's Book of the Day

Episode: 'Fly, Wild Swans' weaves Jung Chang’s family history with the history of China

Date: February 24, 2026
Host: Scott Tong (for Here & Now, rebroadcast on NPR's Book of the Day)
Guest: Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans and Fly Wild Swans

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Jung Chang’s new memoir, Fly Wild Swans, a sequel to her landmark family history, Wild Swans. The conversation intertwines the personal—a daughter’s longing, sacrifice, and mother’s legacy—with the sweeping political history of modern China. Interrogating the costs of speaking truth to power, Scott Tong and Jung Chang discuss her forced exile from China, the legacy of her parents, the trauma of Mao-era policies, and reflections on China’s present and future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Writing the Sequel: The Personal Motivation

• Jung Chang initially resisted writing a sequel to Wild Swans, feeling post-1978 events were “not as dramatic.”
• In 2023, when her mother fell gravely ill and Chang could not return to China, she felt compelled to continue her family’s story “up to date.”

  “I suddenly realized I wanted to write another book. I wanted to bring our stories up to date along with the story of China.” —Jung Chang (02:22)

Love Letter to Her Mother & Her Family’s Political Odyssey

• The book serves as a tribute to her mother, who joined the Communist underground as a teenager with hope for reform, particularly to end concubinage—a direct response to her own mother’s suffering.
• Despite initial ideological commitment, disillusionment set in during the Cultural Revolution, especially after Chang’s father was persecuted and ultimately died as a victim of party purges.

  “My mother … suffered a lot. She went through scores of these ghastly denunciation meetings and was made to kneel on broken glass, but she still stood by my father.” —Jung Chang (03:28)

The Fallout from Mao: The Unknown Story

• Chang’s critical biography of Mao Zedong led to her books being banned in China and direct threats from the government, making it dangerous for her to return after 2018.

  “Beijing demanded that I apologize for that book of yours … otherwise, you would never be welcome in China.” —Jung Chang (07:18)

• A diplomatic arrangement briefly allowed annual visits to her mother in a tightly controlled “bubble,” which was revoked after Xi Jinping’s hardline ascension.

  “If I go to China again, I could be sure to go to prison. And so I made the extremely difficult decision not to go back.” —Jung Chang (08:22)

The Deepest Tragedies of Mao’s Era

• The most shocking historical discovery for Chang was Mao’s role in the Great Famine (1958–1961)—about 40 million people died of starvation, partly because Mao exported grain to buy military technology.

  “Mao’s answer was food. He exported food to the Soviet bloc … seeing people dying of starvation made by his party, that was the moment [my father] was thoroughly disillusioned.” —Jung Chang (05:26)

• This disillusionment among party officials set the stage for Mao’s deadly vengeance in the Cultural Revolution.

The Price of Truth—and Maternal Support

• Chang’s mother supported her decision to remain in exile for safety, even as she was dying.

  “When my mother opened her eyes, she saw me on the [phone] screen ... she said, don’t come back for this. She made it her decision so I wouldn’t feel bad. And this is typical of my mother.” —Jung Chang (09:06)

• Her mother’s legacy: Encouraging Chang’s independence and writing, even at personal cost.

China Then and Now: The Author’s Forebodings

• Chang reflects on China’s dramatic economic advances, but also sees Xi Jinping leading the country back toward the rigid, ambitious, and repressive practices of Mao’s era.

  “Mr. Xi is trying to turn China back towards the bad old people, Mao’s days. ... When I first realized this, the fear that had left me for 40 years returned.” —Jung Chang (10:01–10:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Great Famine:

  “Between 1958 and 1961, around 40 million people died of starvation.” —Jung Chang (04:55)

• On her father’s disillusionment:

  “Seeing people dying of starvation made by his party, that was the moment he was thoroughly disillusioned.” —Jung Chang (05:36)

• On exile and her mother’s wisdom:

  “At every juncture of my life, she gave me freedom and she made me a writer.” —Jung Chang (09:20)

• On fear for the world:

  “I fled that ghastly system. And now if China takes over the world, where shall I flee?” —Jung Chang (10:26)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02 – Introduction by Andrew Limbong
• 01:16 – Start of Scott Tong’s interview with Jung Chang
• 02:03 – Why write a sequel now?
• 03:06 – Her mother’s story and suffering under the Party
• 04:49 – Why her books are banned in China; Mao biography
• 05:12 – The Great Leap Forward and famine explained
• 07:16 – Government reprisals and short-lived return privileges
• 08:53 – Did she regret her choices? Her mother’s response
• 09:39 – China’s present: progress and political regression
• 10:40 – Closing thanks and farewell

Conclusion

This episode offers a profound look at the intertwining of a family and a nation’s tumultuous history. Through the lens of Jung Chang’s painful exile and love for her mother, the cost of bearing witness—and the enduring constrictions imposed by authoritarian power—are laid bare. Fly Wild Swans not only updates her personal story but also invites reflection on China’s past, present, and uncertain future.