Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity And Belonging In Xi Jinping’s China

Let Only Red Flowers Bloom is a nonfiction book written by Emily Feng who is an award-winning journalist and international correspondent for NPR. When I saw this floating around on Instagram, I knew I had to request a copy of the book and read it. Emily is someone I would want to do a Q&A with about the book and her time in China. I was happy to get a copy in the mail. There is a lot that the book covered. This book is not an autobiography but there are several true stories about the people of China and what goes on within the country and what Xi Jinping, China’s dictator thinks makes someone “truly Chinese”.

Writing & Important Information

Emily is an excellent writer & journalist. For a small book there is a lot to cover. I like how Emily covers the important information readers know or want to know about, such as the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, the one child policy, Covid19, Hong Kong, Taiwan & TikTok! We also read about several different people Emily encountered one of which is a Bookseller who wanted to bring books that the regime doesn’t like. He ended up having to re-open his bookshop in Taiwan eventually. We also read about families being separated if China refuses to let you back into the country and the others to leave the country. It was also very scary how Emily recounted being followed at points or knowing some people who she never saw again. Before the book starts, she talks about being banned from China.  If you enjoy books about current events in our world, preorder the book Let Only Red Flowers Bloom by Emily Feng which will be released on March 18^th! I’m so excited about our Q&A and what you write in the future!