East Wind: West Wind

About this film

LibriVox recording of East Wind: West Wind by Pearl S. Buck. Read in English by Michele Fry. East Wind: West Wind, Buck's first novel (published in 1930), is set in early 20th century China. Kwei-lan, a young aristocratic maiden, narrates her emotional tale to her "sister", a friend familiar with both east and west. The book explores an ancient family culture where women have no rights, their feet are still being bound, marriages are arranged, husbands have multiple concubines, parents exert crushing control over their childrens' lives, girl babies are devalued and sometimes killed, and slaves abound. Alas, Kwei-lan's betrothed (made by arrangement before her birth and whom she has never met), has read Western books, studied Western medicine, yearns for more freedom and a modern life, and does not find his Chinese wife fulfilling -- until they have a son. Kwei-lan's brother, ignoring his parents, has moved to America and married an American girl. When he brings "the foreigner" home to meet his family in China, and they have a son - east meets west in the bloodlines. The extreme culture clash this brings on is the study of this classic book. (Summary by Michele Fry) NOTE: Peart Buck…

Directors & creators

Pearl S. Buck

Subjects

librivox; audiobooks;foot-binding; China; chinese medicine; culture clashes; opium; slavery

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