A multi-generational informative novel depicting China’s harsh and restrictive one child policy. I found this hard to accept that this not a dystopian novel but is based on recent history. Life in rural China in the 1990s is a struggle and for 12 year old Chen Di, she finds herself angry and aggrieved by the death of her mother due to a harsh stance on controlling the population. She flees to Shanghai to take revenge on the man she believes is responsible for her family’s suffering however begins to review her way of thinking through the friendships she finds there.

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

Oh my… this book… it was so so good. Riveting, thought provoking, informative about the Chinese one child policy , very strong and interesting main character. A real page turner. I did wonder how everyone kept running into each other by chance in such a big city. But it's an unimportant detail for such a brilliant book. I can’t wait to read what Shi Naseer writes next!!!

The writing in this was absolutely stunning! It really hit home in a lot of ways.

It tells the story of Chen Di growing up during China's one child policy. Her mum dies due to the enforcement of the policy and the writer chronicles her journey in search of revenge.

The plot of a seemingly small powerful person trying to make a difference in a world that's designed to put them down is quite moving

The book is well researched and I learned a lot about China.


I really enjoyed reading this, however it was a bit hard to get in to and it felt like the writer was trying to cover a lot of ground.

The Cry of the Silkworm by Shi Naseer is simply glorious. A captivting and immersive read

Set in rural China, the book explores a lot of China's history that is not known to the Western world, not least the ramifications of the one-child policy and the lengths that families would go to in order to ensure that they had a son to carry on the family name. There are a lot of trigger warnings associated with the themes in this book due to the gritty, devastating reality of the nations history and its effects on the people of China

A heart-wrenching tale that follows Chen Di, a young girl trying to find her way in this disparate social landscape, giving a heart and soul to the cold hard facts of Chinese history. A very well written and researched piece of literature

Thank you to Netgalley, Atlantic Books | Atlantic Fiction and the author Shi Naseer for this awesome ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I love a good coming of age story and this one ticked so many boxes for me! It was such a gripping and interesting dual-timeline read, which I can hardly believe is the author’s debut.

In the 1990s, we meet Chen Di as a young girl in a village in rural China. With the one child policy strictly enforced by the local chief, and any failure to comply severely punished, we begin to see the reality of life under the regime and the desperate lengths ordinary families will go to to be able to have a much-coveted son. Against this backdrop, Chen Di must fight for her education and her place as a girl in a society that places greater value on boys.

In the early 2000s, following her mother’s untimely death, we follow Chen Di to Shanghai, where, as a young woman, she seeks vengeance against those she holds responsible for her family’s suffering. From Chen Di and the people she interacts with in the city, we see the ripple effects of the one child policy and life under the regime that are felt many years later.

I really enjoyed this one and found Shi Naseer’s writing captivating. She completely drew me in to the characters and offers a really intimate perspective of this time in Chinese history. I enjoyed the blend of the coming of age story with intensity of the thirst for revenge and the chapters alternating between the 1990s and the 2000s really kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will definitely be looking out for any future books from Shi Naseer.

Thank you to Atlantic Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

🪱 REVIEW 🪱

The Cry of the Silkworm by Shi Naseer
Publishing Date: 6th June

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📝 - Growing up in 1990s China, in a village where failure to observe the rigidly enforced one-child policy is deemed tantamount to a crime, Chen Di must fight to get the education she craves in a world in which boys are prioritized. Following her mother’s untimely death, 16-year-old Chen Di’s thirst for vengeance against those she holds responsible brings about her transformation from a gutsy, marginalized child into an aikido-practising young woman who braves Shanghai.

💭 - I must say, I am thoroughly enjoying Chinese historical fiction at the moment. As with Tiananmen Square, this one really pulled me in, especially watching the two timelines unfold simultaneously, and being able to understand the links between Chen Di’s childhood experiences and her choices in adulthood. I also really enjoyed the recurring themes/motifs that cropped up throughout, and thought the details really wove a beautiful story. This is a story of guilt, family, forgiveness, and revenge, and the backdrop of the harshly enforced one-child policy only makes these themes more emotional. Highly recommend.

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This is the story of Chen Di, a 20-ish young woman living in Shanghai and stalking a certain Mr Lu. The story jumps between the "present", and a period between Chen Di's being 9 years old and about 17, describing the events that led her to her to where she is today. The two timelines intertwine, as we meet some of the same characters. The main themes are the implications of the one-child policy on the socio-psychological fabric of Chinese society and individuals, including breaking down families, making officials complicit in murder, etc etc.

The ambition of this book is impressive, and the research that has gone to it in equally staggering. For this reason alone the book is worth reading and remembering - a topic that is rarely spoken of and discussed has such fundamental impact on Chinese society till this day, and everyone should know more about it.

That being said, I really struggled with this book. At one point I even said to myself that I wish this book made up its mind - it wasn't good enough to really like, but it also wasn't bad enough to stop reading. This was apparent in all the various aspects of the book and the storytelling. First and foremost, the characters were caricatures and felt like they needed to exist to help tell the story. They were written in a rigid and unrealistic fashion, leaving the impression that they were almost like parables intended to convey a message. While I read other books in the Chinese tradition that had this aspect, it's not something I enjoy. I should actually say - I vehemently dislike it. The other thing I struggled with was the overly moralistic tone of the book - a combined effect of implying that people carry little personal accountability for their actions (vs the system which they happen to inhabit), with highlighting too much aspects of redemption, understanding, and regret. In this way, the book almost feels like a vehicle of Chinese propaganda.

Overall, I do recommend reading this book to help understand and learn more about China. It will make you angry, and that's also a good thing perhaps. There should be better books written about this topic, but I haven't seen them yet.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

"The Cry of the Silkworm" is a a very emotional story about the subject I personally haven't encountered in any novel before. The characters were really interesting and the ending really got to me. The only thing that didn't work for me completely was the writing style that took me some time to get used to.

Oh my gosh this was an absolute masterpiece. I was completely captivated by Naseer's beautiful writing style from the very beginning. The plot revolves around a young girl named Chen Di who lives in a rural part of China. The story is set against the backdrop of the country's one child policy and explores various topics that are often overlooked by society.

One of the most striking aspects of the book is the portrayal of the abuse that girls had to endure, simply because they were considered inferior to boys. It also sheds light on the desperation of parents to have a male child and the infanticide that occurred when multiple females were born. The book also delves into the psychological impact that such policies had on children.

Despite the dark and disturbing nature of its themes, the book is beautifully interwoven with Chen Di's story, both as a child and a young adult. The author has done a remarkable job in telling a story that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

I believe that this book is an important contribution to literature as it sheds light on the harsh realities that many people had to endure under the one-child policy. It provides a glimpse into the abuse that girls had to endure and the indoctrination that was instilled in people's minds over time. I am grateful to the author for writing such an impactful book that raises important issues in a beautifully written way.

I want to thank Netgally, the publishers and the Author for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review with thanks.

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get into this book, but Chen Di’s character grabbed me from the start. She is strong, determined and completely human in her flaws and positive attributes.

This book is a balanced depiction of China’s one-child policy and shows the profound effect it had on its citizens, both long term and short term.

I’ll happily give this book a well-deserved four stars for its engaging and realistic characters and impactful writing.

With thanks to the publisher for granting me access to this ARC.

A truly haunting and humbling read about China’s one child policy. Chen Di is such an incredible character and her journey is outstanding. Brilliant writing and I found it hard to put this book down!

I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of Chen Di, a Chinese girl born with a birthmark in a rural area of the country at the time when the One Child Policy was being brutally enforced.

The social impact of this policy is demonstrated in terms of how the individual villagers' lives are affected, often adversely, by the policy of late abortions. Chen Di's family also suffers greatly as a result of this.

Widespread suffering was probably inevitable, given the cultural obsession with having sons and the depth of misogyny prevalent at the time (it has yet to be fully addressed in Chinese society, as elsewhere, even today).

The characters are well-drawn, even if at times the story flow and dialogues seem a little abrupt. But the reader is brought deeply into the lives of Chen Di, her parents and grandfather, Teacher Jia, the other villagers, the brutal bureaucrats, and the people Chen Di meets after moving to Shanghai, notably Lin Feng and Master Mu.

The story provides an indictment of China's One Child Policy, even as it acknowledges that some of the policy goals aimed at improving people's economic status may have been achieved. Worth a read.

This is a beautifully written book with some really interesting thematic exploration. It truly whisks you away to another world.

The Cry of the Silkworm by Shi Naseer is the moving and thought-provoking story of Chen Di, from the traumatic events of her teenage years in rural China in the 1990's to the early 2000's in Shanghai where she battles with feelings of love and revenge.

Chen Di's life in her home village is one of casual brutality,feeling unwanted as a girl during China's "one child" policy and the appalling reality of that,enforced contraception and abortion by the authorities,not least the local "enforcer", with villagers wanting a son disposing of unwanted baby daughters. When tragedy strikes her family Chen Di is ostracised ,finding acceptance and compassion only from one of her teachers and finding solace in education.
In Shanghai Chen Di finds both job and proficiency at martial arts. She also discovers that 2 of the greatest influences on her young life are in Shanghai so has the chance of both violent retribution and potential romance.

This is an exceptional book and an excellent insight into life and culture in China,both rural and in the big city at the turn of the century and not least shows the effect of authoritarian, and often quite appalling, government policies on a diverse range of people. There are no cardboard characters in this book, they're multi-facetted people and a big part of the plot is Chen Di trying to balance good and bad behaviour,her own as well as that of others, as she battles her way through the moral maze.

A remarkable and involving book.

There’s nothing I love more than a multigenerational story. Focusing on Chen Di, this book brings to life the recent struggles faced by families in China, and the one child policy. Chen Di not only faces abuse from her grandfather, but when her all important younger brother is born, she is torn over the love he receives, while she is still beaten. While she is eventually sent to school, despite her families wishes, her schooling experience is swayed by her teacher and his dangerous ideas.

Weaving together 1990 and early 2000s China, this book tackled the incredibly complex subject of family planning and intervention by the government, and just how far those in power are willing to go. There were several scenes that were uncomfortable to read and the entire book was heavy with pain and suffering. I’ve not read a book that shines the light on China’s family policies in an unwavering and honest way before. This was a gripping and incredibly poignant debut that doesn’t shy away from the horrific reality that so many families suffered at the hands of China’s policy. Unparalleled and incredibly well written.