In Mother of Red Mountains by Apple An, Xiaojun supported her father in his store from an early age and yearned for a more fulfilling life. To gain acceptance into a vocational school, Xiaojun changed her name to Jun. These schools prepared students for immediate employment after three years of studying. Jun was accepted into a prestigious civil engineering institution, and she would need to adopt a new name to fit into a male-dominated and politically charged environment. Jun became an ambitious civil engineer and excelled in her profession. After marrying Binkai, they sought assistance with their children and asked Binkai’s parents to help care for them. Jun’s in-laws were persecuted by the Red Guards due to their capitalist affiliation, putting the children’s safety at risk. Jun’s life took an unexpected turn when she took the necessary actions to protect her children.

Mother of Red Mountains by Apple An tells the story of Jun’s experiences in revolutionary China. The historical transformations in China were deeply intertwined with the story, making these easy to follow through all the changes alongside Jun. The detailed descriptions of China and its environment made it easy to picture everything vividly. I found the writing style captivating, and the various customs presented were fascinating. It is crucial to honor traditions and show respect to the elderly. The characters were richly developed and easy to relate to. My favorite character was Jun, determined to assert herself in a male-dominated society. The story was exceptionally crafted, offering a thrilling journey of bravery, sacrifice, and a mother’s unwavering love. I gained much knowledge from the story and was intrigued by the historical details.

Mother of Red Mountain by Apple An centers on Xiaojun growing up as the smart child who helped with the family business since she was young. Despite the devastating losses and tragedies that plagued her family and friends amid the civil war, Xiaojun's family maintained a stable but difficult financial position. She also cleverly shortened her name to Jun as a government scholar in engineering school. Jun eventually married another engineer from the capitalist class a few years after graduating and getting a respectable job. With the help of her husband’s folks, her excellent work performance, and her affiliation with the communist party, she retained her employment despite the difficulties of pregnancy and parenthood. Tragically, her in-laws and her young daughters were routinely harassed by the communist Red Guards. Jun had to remove her children from the traumatic situation. Will her husband stand by her decisions even if his family suffers? Or will he divorce and leave her regardless of the vindictive and violent physical attack she received?

Apple An’s Mother of Red Mountain is an engrossing coming-of-age story featuring a protagonist surviving in a society with changing norms and political power shifts that ushered Mao's communism into China. The characters are well-developed and multifaceted. Through the author’s lucid and uncomplicated storytelling, the reader shares the sentiments, senses, and struggles seeping through the events and personal lives woven into revolutionary China’s history and culture. Themes of courage, fortitude, tenacity, resilience, and sacrifice are highlighted amidst the austerity, bereavement, and ordeals that the characters went through. It is a compelling and stirring tale of bravery and determination. This book is highly recommended to fans of historical fiction and drama, especially for readers who enjoy strong female leads.

Mother of Red Mountains by Apple An is a gripping and emotional story set during the upheaval of revolutionary China. Jun, a brilliant civil engineer, is trying to make her way in a world dominated by men while also going through all the emotion and strain of raising her daughters. She’s smart, determined, and incredibly strong, but life just keeps throwing obstacles in her path. As she starts to carve out a future for herself at last, political chaos hits her country, putting everything she loves at risk. Suddenly, she’s faced with choices no mother should ever have to make and horrible decisions that could mean survival or disaster. This novel isn’t just about history—it’s about strength, ambition, and the sacrifices women make when the world seems stacked against them.

Author Apple An demonstrates exceptional skill in crafting a narrative that is both historically rich and deeply personal. Jun doesn’t just feel like a character—she feels like a real person, full of struggles, hopes, and tough decisions. The historical details bring the setting to life, making it feel like more than just a backdrop but an essential part of the story, and also teaching readers about this chaotic time in China's history. Despite the heavy themes, the writing is beautiful, balancing the hardships with moments of hope and resilience. The descriptions of the world around Jun pull readers in, making it easy to get lost in her journey. Overall, I highly recommend Mother of Red Mountains as a powerful and moving story about strength, survival, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Mother of Red Mountains by Apple An is about a young woman navigating family and career in the tumultuous period of pre-revolution China. Liu Xiaojun (Jun) lost her parents as a young girl in the 1950s, and she and her young sister Xia had to look after themselves. After their brother sold their house to the government, Jun attended an engineering school in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, and became a well-known civil engineer who worked on many government-backed projects. However, circumstances tear Jun and her best friend, Yanshao, apart, and she ends up marrying a kind-hearted man named Zhou Binkai. But when Binkai's parents -- classed as capitalists during the Cultural Revolution in the mid-1960s -- are targeted by the Red Guards, Jun must find a way to save her young daughters from becoming social pariahs.

Mother of Red Mountains is a gripping tale of a woman's fight to survive and safeguard her family amid the political turmoil in mid-20th-century China. This is historical fiction/drama at its finest. Author Apple An does a masterful job of infusing an atmosphere of tension and intrigue into the narrative. The story shows the struggles of people who found themselves at odds with the Communist Party's plans during China's Cultural Revolution. In this character-driven drama, the reader follows the protagonist from her early childhood years to being a civil engineer, wife, and mother, covering several decades. I found Jun's story very realistic and captivating. Apart from Jun, I also enjoyed the story arcs of Binkai, Mr. Zhou, Yanshao, and Xia. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will love this book.