Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

In "One Bright Moon", Kwong discusses his painful coming of age in Chairman Mao's China. As a member of the intellectual class, Kwong and his family were subject to unfair levels of scrutiny and police brutality. Eventually subjugated to the worst caste in Chinese society, Kwong becomes disillusioned with Mao's manifesto and works to escape China. After a harrowing few years of fighting the system, he makes the extraordinary journey to Australia and starts a new life. While I enjoyed this book, I would like to mention that for many generations, people in the lower socioeconomic status have had to live just as Kwong and his family live. In fact, in the United States today, many people live in the way Kwong's family had to live. However, because of their lack of access to education, they often can't escape in the same way. Therefore, one of the values that Kwong ironically embraces is the value of education which is something Mao professed too. Overall, a tender coming of age tale!