Recommendations based on Mao's Last Dancerby Li Cunxin

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Happiest Refugee

    by Anh Do
    A memoir of an immigrant family's struggles and triumphs as they seek a better life in Australia.

    Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. His entire family came close to losing their lives on the sea as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. But nothing - not murderous ... (Goodreads)

  2. Desert Flower

    by Waris Dirie
    A harrowing autobiographical account of a young Somali girl's journey from oppression to freedom.

    Waris Dirie ran away from her oppressive life in the African desert when she was barely in her teens, illiterate and impoverished, with nothing to her name but a tattered shawl. She traveled alone ... (Goodreads)

  3. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

    by Jung Chang
    A family memoir spanning decades of Chinese history, exploring the power of resilience.

    The story of three generations in twentieth-century China that blends the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history—a bestselling classic in thirty languages with more than ten ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Barefoot Investor: The Only Money Guide You'll Ever Need

    by Scott Pape
    A practical guide to managing personal finances, including budgeting, investing, and reducing debt.

    This is the only money guide you'll ever need That's a bold claim, given there are already thousands of finance books on the shelves. So what makes this one different? Well, you won't be overwhelmed ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

    by Anonymous
    A collection of ancient records and testimonies of Jesus Christ's mission and teachings.

    The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement , which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from ... (Wikipedia)

  6. I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World

    by Malala Yousafzai
    The inspiring story of Malala Yousafzai, who stood up against the Taliban for girls' education and survived an assassination attempt.

    When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when ... (Goodreads)

  7. A Child Called "It"

    by Dave Pelzer
    True story of a child's unbearable suffering at the hands of an abusive parent.

    Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE], ACE #1, This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of ... (Goodreads)

  8. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    by John Berendt
    A journalist's exploration of a mysterious murder in Savannah, Georgia.

    A sublime and seductive reading experience. This portrait of a beguiling Southern city was a best-seller (though a flop as a movie). ~ Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty, ... (Goodreads)

  9. Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog

    by John Grogan
    A heartfelt journey of a family and their beloved, but mischievous, dog.

    John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of ... (Goodreads)

  10. Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

    by Immaculée Ilibagiza
    True story of a woman's faith and resilience in the face of the Rwandan genocide.

    Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family ... (Goodreads)

  11. Sh*t My Dad Says

    by Justin Halpern
    Collection of humorous musings and witticisms from an elderly father.

    After being dumped by his longtime girlfriend, twenty-eight-year-old Justin Halpern found himself living at home with his seventy-three-year-old dad. Sam Halpern, who is "like Socrates, but angrier, ... (Goodreads)

  12. In a Sunburned Country

    by Bill Bryson
    Exploration of the unique and diverse land, people and animals of Australia.

    A CLASSIC FROM THE, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF, ONE SUMMER , Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the ... (Goodreads)

  13. My Story: "A Child Called It", "The Lost Boy", "A Man Named Dave"

    by Dave Pelzer
    An autobiographical account of a young boy's harrowing journey through childhood abuse and neglect.

    Dave Pelzer's remarkable journey from a child who lived in terror of his unstable, violently unpredictable mother's every move, to his emergence as an inspiration the world over is a remarkable tale ... (Goodreads)

  14. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle

    by Fiona Carnarvon
    The true story of Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, and her life at Highclere Castle, the real-life setting of Downton Abbey.

    Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration and setting for Julian Fellowes's Emmy Award-winning PBS show Downton Abbey , and the life of ... (Goodreads)

  15. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

    by Susan Cain
    An exploration of the power of introversion, examining the implications of modern society's emphasis on extroversion.

    The book that started the Quiet Revolution, At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Rape of Nanking

    by Iris Chang
    A harrowing account of the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers during the Nanking Massacre in 1937.

    In December 1937, the Japanese army invaded the ancient city of Nanking, systematically raping, torturing, and murdering more than 300,000 Chinese civilians. This book tells the story from three ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Lost Boy

    by Dave Pelzer
    A heart-wrenching story of a boy's survival of extreme childhood abuse and neglect.

    The book continues after the ending of the previous book,, A Child Called "It", with David Pelzer, 9 years old, running away from his home in Daly City, California . He ends up in a bar, getting ... (Wikipedia)

  18. The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices

    by Xinran
    Xinran shares the stories of women in China, revealing their struggles and triumphs in a male-dominated society.

    When Deng Xiaoping's efforts to "open up" China took root in the late 1980s, Xinran recognized an invaluable opportunity. As an employee for the state radio system, she had long wanted to help ... (Goodreads)

  19. Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter

    by Adeline Yen Mah
    An autobiography recounting a young woman's struggles with a difficult family life.

    Born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

    by James McBride
    A memoir of a black man's journey to understand his white mother's past and how it shaped his own identity.

    Touches readers of all colors as a vivid portrait of growing up, a haunting meditation on race and identity, and a lyrical valentine to a mother from her son. Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A ... (Goodreads)

  21. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

    by Ishmael Beah
    A gripping tale of a child soldier's journey to survive and reclaim his humanity.

    My new friends have begun to suspect I haven't told them the full story of my life.,"Why did you leave Sierra Leone?","Because there is a war.","You mean, you saw people running around with guns and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

    by Erik Larson
    A family's struggle to cope with the darkness of Nazi Germany, as seen through one man's courage.

    The time is 1933, the place, Berlin, when William E. Dodd becomes America's first ambassador to Hitler's Germany in a year that proved to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from ... (Goodreads)

  23. It's Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life

    by Lance Armstrong
    A story of resilience and courage, detailing Armstrong’s fight against cancer and recovery.

    In 1993 , 21-year-old Lance Armstrong becomes World Cycling Champion . In Austin, Texas, four years later on October 2, 1996, at age 25, Armstrong is diagnosed with testicular cancer with metastasis ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Geisha, a Life

    by Mineko Iwasaki
    Autobiography of a geisha, recounting her life of beauty, art, and traditional Japanese culture.

    "No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story. We have been constrained by unwritten rules not to do so, by the robes of tradition and ... (Goodreads)

  25. Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

    by Ross King
    A look into the remarkable life and legacy of the pioneering artist and architect, Filippo Brunelleschi.

    The, New York Times, bestselling, award winning story of the construction of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and the Renaissance genius who reinvented architecture to build it. On ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

    by Daniel James Brown
    An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes

    by James L. Ferrell
    Exploring how to bring peace to one's life and relationships through Christ.

    How is Christ the answer to a strained relationship with child, parent or sibling? What if I am being mistreated — what does the atonement say about that? How can I discover the desire to repent when ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Not Without My Daughter

    by Betty Mahmoody
    A woman's dramatic fight for freedom from an oppressive husband in a foreign land.

    It was August 3, 1984. Moody, Betty, and Mahtob had spent two days traveling from their home in Detroit to Moody's native country of Iran. In preparation for their arrival, Betty, at Moody's request, ... (Wikipedia)

  29. In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

    by Yeonmi Park
    A young woman's harrowing escape from North Korea and her struggle to survive and thrive in a new country.

    Human rights activist Park, who fled North Korea with her mother in 2007 at age 13 and eventually made it to South Korea two years later after a harrowing ordeal, recognized that in order to be ... (Goodreads)

  30. Hark! A Vagrant

    by Kate Beaton
    A collection of humorous and witty comic strips about history, literature, and popular culture.

    Hark! A Vagrant is an uproarious romp through history and literature seen through the sharp, contemporary lens of New Yorker cartoonist and comics-sensation Kate Beaton. No era or tome emerges ... (Goodreads)