Like most of us, I had seen the iconic images of the lone protestor facing a procession of tanks in Tiannamen Square. But I really didn't know the history behind it. After reading this gripping and brilliant novel, I feel more than ever, a sense of sadness and injustice.

Lai lives with her parents and younger brother in Beijing. She's shy and studious and lives a relatively normal life. But she's never felt that she fits in with her family, apart from when she's talking to her beloved Po po, her grandmother.

This is partly a coming of age story, set to the backdrop of Chinese history with the 1989 protests that led to military brutality.

We watch Lai fall in love with her childhood friend, a relationship that made me want to climb into the book to awaken Lai to his manipulation and cruelty.

We watch her make friends and find a sense of solidarity in the uprising against the government and its totalitarianism.

And we witness through Lai's eyes the police and military brutality and the far reaching consequences on China's brave protesters.

Immediately after finishing this book I researched more about this period of time, and it made me love this book even more. The weaving together of fact with fiction was seamless and rich with imagery. I thought the final act of Anna, her friend, was such a clever plot development.

This book is really something very special and I loved every word of it.

I loved this book! We have all seen the media footage of "Tank Man", the unidentified Chinese person who stood in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square. This book is the story of of what was happening in China prior to this footage emerging. It follows the vicious murder of many peacefully protesting students in the square previously. It shows the unrest, especially amongst students but also amongst the general working classes. It is difficult to understand how life in China was at that time but Lai Wen was there and lived through it. In this book she has recounted exactly how life was for her, from her school days to her University days. She wonderfully describes her relatives (especially her stoic, protective grandmother) and she brings all of them to life for us. Her assumption of who "Tank Man" was may or may not be correct but it nonetheless brought tears to my eyes. A most wonderful read. I highly recommend it.

2024 marked the 35th anniversary of the June Fourth Incident, known outside China as the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Tiananmen Square by Lai Wen, the pseudonym of a Beijing-born immigrant living in Britain, wraps an emotionally charged, Ferante-esque, coming-of-age tale around a gripping account of the student protests and the horrific, fateful night paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and his government decided to clear the square with murderous force and Chinese troops cracked down with bullets and tanks.

Even now, the Chinese government attempts to erase and suppress mentions of June Fourth on social media and across the internet, including the most iconic image of “Tank Man,” the single protester blocking the progression of a column of tanks.

But, back to this fabulous book, which begins long before the protests. We start with Lai as a child in the late 1970s. Ominous manifestations of death and danger shade her childhood, and as she grows, we are taken along on her journey.

The one relatively minor issue I have is Wen’s use of Westernised prose - I can’t imagine our Chinese teens saying they really ‘dig’ something or that it’s ‘pretty rad’, but maybe I’m wrong. This language style also lends a rather YA feel to the book, but again, perhaps that is deliberate given the age of our protagonist.

While lengthy, the novel, at almost 500 pages, is worthwhile, not just because it marks the anniversary of one of the most infamous protest crackdowns in modern history but also because it is a captivating read with an autobiographical basis—it is faction, aka embellished fiction.

While reading, I couldn’t help but draw parallels to the Israel-Palestine protests, particularly on campuses around the globe. Though the actions of student protesters may be imperfect, their shared anguish and longing to be heard are truly profound. 4⭐️

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley; as always, this is an honest review.

I would have loved this more if there was more explanation of Chinese politics/culture etc as the time. I thought for the title there would be more coverage of what happened in the protests

This was such an interesting, fascinating and thought-provoking read.
Beautifully written and full of emotion, a truly moving story.

A fascinating coming of age memoir by Lai Wen, a young Chinese woman growing up in a poor family in Beijing. Winning a scholarship to study at Peking University in the eighties, she gives a front row witness account of the activism that led to the student protests on Tianamen Square. Beautifully written, mesmerising and brutally honest.

Thanks to NetGalkey for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

This novel is a coming of age story set in Beijing, a work of fiction but with elements of autobiographical content too, given that the main character has the same name as the author who was born and grew up in Beijing before leaving. It is hard to tell what is real and what is fiction throughout the story, but I think that is part of the charm of this mesmerising novel.

Although I found this beautifully written novel a slow burn read, as Lai reaches her late teens and her time at Peking University, the tension increases as the students seek to push for democracy and I found I simply did not want to put the book down.

I was 21 and politically aware in 1989 and remember watching avidly as the situation gained international attention with trepidation. I think many people of my generation and older have vivid recollections of the iconic moment when a lone student stood in front of a row of tanks and forced them to stop.

This novel was captivating in its simplicity, compelling and incredibly moving. I spent much of the time crying towards the end of the novel as the students faced the brutality of the soldiers in the square. This is a novel that will stay with me for some time.

This is a very interesting book. I loved reading about her and her family. It is very well written. I remember watching the events in Tiananman Square on the news and it was interesting to read how this affected people's lives who live there at the time.

An interesting look at what it was like to grow up in China in the 70s and 80s. The story of what lead to the protests at Tiananmen Square and the resulting horror of a government violently reacting is told in detail. However the writer is continually losing the story in repetitive, overly emotional and self pitying tangents. The story of the old man in the bookstore was lovely, and the twist at the end with her friend Anna, were the highlights.

Enthralling and fascinating coming-of-age story set in mid-20th century China: student protests, young love, authoritarianism, the Cold War - all of it culminating in the horrific Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. A detailed and brutal glimpse into a terrible regime, yet it offers many universal reflections on youth, family and idealism. Gorgeous writing and a brilliant protagonist.

A fascinating and thought provoking book about the run up in China to the 1989 marches in Tiananmen Square and gives a insight to what it's like to live under such a totalitarian regime in the eyes of a child to adult through the decade leading up to it and the loss of innocence and awakening to what is going on around her beyond the love of reading and family. I would say the author has definitely drawn on her own life and thus the book feels semi-autobiographical in so much as being a pretty accurate read of life during the times in question and thus the ending hits particularly hard on the heartstrings.

A spectular debut novel and I hope to see Lai Wen write more in the future!

"Tiananmen Square" takes readers on a poignant journey through the life of Lai, a young girl growing up in Beijing during the tumultuous era of the 1970s and 80s. Living in a working-class area with her family, Lai navigates the complexities of her relationships with her formidable grandmother, her aging mother, and her quiet father who bears the weight of his past experiences.

As Lai matures, she becomes increasingly aware of the realities of the society around her, marked by encounters with the police, revelations from her father, and exposure to new ideas and perspectives from an old bookseller. The novel beautifully captures the universal experiences of youth – friendships, family dynamics, school challenges, and the exploration of love.

Against the backdrop of student protests at Peking University in the late 1980s, Lai's intellectual curiosity and social consciousness are ignited. As she becomes involved in the growing movement for change, the novel delves into themes of hope, idealism, heroism, and courage that defined a generation of young students.

Through Lai's personal journey and the historical events of 1989 that shape the narrative, "Tiananmen Square" offers a compelling exploration of coming of age in a rapidly evolving China. With rich storytelling and profound insights, this novel is a captivating and thought-provoking read that sheds light on the complexities of individual lives intertwined with the larger socio-political landscape.

An account of the 1989 massacre in Tianneman Sq told from the perspective of a young Chinese girl Lai Wen on what would’ve been the 35th anniversary of the tragic events. In the heart of the city and living with extended family Lai Wen’s life is as any other child of the same age, peppered with dramas and scrapes with her friends however under the watchful eye of the Chinese state. In her early days she experiences the wrath of those in authority and this begins to shape the person she is to become. Told very much from a female viewpoint, we see the lack of role models, a life of drudgery ahead, the only way out appears to be university and even there she struggles to make connections. Life comes full circle and the memories of childhood flashes before her eyes and she deals with the horrific events.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book I could tell was really well written, but I've realised lit fic isn't for me. I know some people who would absolutely adore this

*4.5 stars

A girl coming of age meets important historical events: you had me at 'girl', tbh. This book was right up my street.

In Tiananmen Square, we follow Lai Wen, from her childhood in 1970s Beijing to her being a witness of the 1989 protests on Tiananmen Square as a student. First of all, this book made me realise how little I actually know about the events of 1989 in Beijing (except for 'something about a tank and a man'). Whereas the part about Lai growing up is a beautiful exploration of childhood, family, growing up and aging, what really touched me was the chapters on the student protests. The simultaneous hope, awe and anger that Lai feels as she is surrounded by other students. The unbelievable, cruel crackdown of the army on unarmed protesters. It felt like an age-old story that happens again and again (even now), and yet it was also completely original and real.

Although the book is divided up in several parts, there is mostly a clear divide between Lai's childhood and her later years as a student. To me, the student years felt a bit rushed. Where I feel like I really got to know Lai's family members in the first part of the book (and I especially loved the story of her aging grandmother), I was still trying to tell the people she meets in university apart by the time the story comes to it's close. I can't help but feel like if i had got to spend a little more time with them, the ending would have moved me even more (i still sobbed though, obviously).

Thanks to Netgalley and Swift Press for the eArc of Tiananmen Square by Lai Wen in exchange for an honest review!

I erroneously thought this was a memoir, none the less I carried on. Sadly as I don’t know enough about the Tiananmen Square protests it was difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. The writing was good, but not to my taste, I found it difficult to keep engaged as I felt it was quite geared for mass consumption rather than a bit more raw and sincere.

I enjoyed this book which is set in China around the time of the 1980s student Tiananmen Square uprising .
Majority of the novel is set before this however as it watches a young girl as she grows up from middle childhood to her student years in Beijing

The novel made me think how much Childhood is the same the world over
as is young love sneaking around trying to find private time together in the middle of a large family
It’s quite a gradual buildup to the Tiananmen Square scenes to the extent that you actually wonder whether you’ve got it wrong and that isn’t going to happen
I enjoyed the twist at the end and only predicted it right at the very end myself
The novelist has a beautiful flowing prose style making the novel an enjoyable read. There are some beautiful poetic lines and some that really made me smile with recognition. This one “my mother was possessed of shrill energy like a tsunami. It could batter and overwhelm any structure that stood in its way “
I read an only copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book was published on the 30th of May 2024 by Swift press.

This review will appear on NetGalley UK Goodreads and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. It will also appear on Amazon uk

I’m not a huge reader of memoirs, but when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it, as an important part of history that I feel I don’t know enough about.

Lai Wen’s writing is captivating, warm and emotive. I adored her grandmother and the relationship between the older woman and the young girl. I found Lai's story of her upbringing and her move to university and into adulthood interesting and found myself totally invested in her life and her story, hoping for a good outcome for her.

I would have preferred to read more about the protests and less of the family dynamics, but it was an enjoyable read nevertheless.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Lai Wen and Swift for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Fantastic coming of age story against the backdrop of the horrific events of the Tiananmen Square massacre of protestors. Truly excellent and unsurprising this had to be published under a pseudonym. Highly recommended

A coming of age story set around the Chinese student protests that culminated in Tiananmen Square . I was very interested in the premise of this book and was looking forward to it.. I found the writing style difficult - to me. It didn’t flow well and read like a young adult book in places.

I had hoped to understand the political situation more by reading this book, but it seemed simplified “Government bad”, “ the people supported the students.” The twist at the end of the book. Not really sure what to think about that.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC