The Vagrants by YiYun Li

It was 1970, a young woman, Gu Shan, was to be executed. Her crime? Loss of faith in Communism. She was a stout supporter of Chairman Mao's believes. So Strong was her believes till her father could barely recognised the person that she had become. But one day she start questioning those believes and foolish enough to let another person know of it.

She was sentenced to jail. For ten years she rot in jail. One day out of the blue, her case was re-trialed and she was sentenced to death.

Her father was sadden by the sentence. Her mother refused to let go. Most of the citizen of the town were united to protest over her death. The plan conceived by Gu Shan's former classmate, Kai and her male friends. Many came and join the protest. Among them were Nini the cripple, Bashi the idler, Gu Shan's mother.

This protest made the Central Government came down harshly against those who were involved in the protest.

It is amazing to read how the story unfolds. The author is brilliant in linking the life of all the characters together.  Story told were vivid and frank. It's interesting to see how the dominoes fell together. Yes, it's a brilliant stroke.

However, I feel there are parts where the story are tedious to read. For example, the part where Bashi's grandmother died and the hassle gone through to bury her.

Now a bad read