Ting-Xing Ye facts for kids

Ting-Xing Ye (born 1952) is a Chinese-Canadian author. She writes books for young people, and she also wrote a very popular book about her own life called Leaf In A Bitter Wind. This book shares her experiences growing up in China when Mao Zedong was in charge.

About Ting-Xing Ye's Life

Ting-Xing Ye was born in Shanghai, China, in 1952. She was the fourth of five children in her family. Her parents owned a factory. Sadly, her parents passed away when she was very young. Ting-Xing and her four brothers and sisters were then cared for by their Great-Aunt.

Growing Up During the Cultural Revolution

During a time in China called the Cultural Revolution, Ting-Xing and her family faced many difficulties. This was because her father had been a factory owner. The government at the time, led by the Communist regime, treated families like hers unfairly.

When she was sixteen, Ting-Xing was sent away. Like millions of other young Chinese people, she had to go to a special farm. There, she was expected to "learn from the peasants" and be "reformed" through very hard work. Life on the farm was extremely tough, and she suffered a lot.

Education and Career

Ting-Xing Ye worked on the farm for six years. After that, she was able to go to Beijing University. She studied English Literature there.

After university, she worked for seven years as an English interpreter for the Chinese government in Shanghai. During this time, she met William E. Bell, a Canadian writer and teacher. He was teaching English in Beijing.

Moving to Canada and Becoming an Author

Ting-Xing Ye moved to Canada in 1987. In 1997, she published her autobiography. This book told the story of her life in China during the time of Mao Zedong.

She also started writing books for children. Her first picture book came out in 1998. Ting-Xing Ye continues to write both fiction and non-fiction books for young adults.

Books by Ting-Xing Ye

Here are some of the books Ting-Xing Ye has written:

• Leaf In A Bitter Wind, an autobiography about her life, published in 1997.
• Three Monks, No Water, a picture book illustrated by Harvey Chan, 1997.
• Weighing The Elephant, a picture book illustrated by Suzanne Langlois, 1998.
• Share The Sky, a picture book illustrated by Suzanne Langlois, 1999.
• White Lily, a chapter book, 2000.
• Throwaway Daughter, a novel for young adults, 2003.
• My Name is Number Four, a non-fiction book for young adults, 2007.
• Mountain Girl, River Girl, a novel for young adults, 2008.

Related Topics

• Scar literature
• Cultural Revolution
• Jung Chang