The children China lost: Review of Barbara Demick’s Daughters of the Bamboo Grove
Barbara Demick’s book 'Daughters of the Bamboo Grove' investigates the human cost of China's former one-child policy through the story of separated twins. The narrative highlights how families, particularly those in poverty, were targeted by officials and forced to give up children for international adoption.
Why it matters
The book sheds light on the long-term social and human rights consequences of state-mandated population control policies.
When 28-year-old Zanhua felt a contraction grip her body while trimming vegetables for lunch, she wasn’t afraid of the pain that was about to follow. She had already given birth twice and knew what to expect. She also knew that she would have to give birth to her third child in secret because China strictly enforced the one-child policy. Zanhua and her husband Youdong were aware of punishment and heavy fines that awaited them if they were caught. Still, Zanhua wanted a third child because of the family pressure to give birth to a boy. She gave birth to twin girls.
The focus on the victims of state policy and the critique of 'ruthless' implementation aligns with a human-rights-centered perspective.
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