This powerful memoir is the compelling true story of Peter Tang, a Chinese labor camp survivor who was brutally imprisoned for 15 years. Because Tang wished to have a suitable job and marry a girlfriend who had relatives overseas, he was branded a political malcontent and became a purge target. Accused of being in a counterrevolutionary clique, he was sentenced to two years of so-called "re-education through labor." He never dreamed those two years would turn into fifteen. At the camp, Tang suffered through starvation, terror, heavy labor, and mental oppression so intense that many fellow inmates sought escape through suicide.
After the death of Mao Zedong, Tang was finally freed, but he still suffered from the shock and fear. Through many setbacks, he succeeded in coming to the U.S. where through diligence and hard work he was able to build a new and happy life.