A review by andymaxyyc
Tiananmen 1989: Our Shattered Hopes by Lun Zhang, Adrien Gombeaud

challenging dark hopeful informative sad medium-paced

4.0

I wanted to read this because I was 10 years old during the massacre of Tiananmen Square. While I had heard about what happened (and have, of course, seen the 'tank man' picture thousands of times) I didn't really understand or appreciate the history and politics that led up to those events. In that regard this graphic novel was extremely enlightening. I feel like I have a much firmer understanding of this piece of world history. I would love to attend a TED Talk with Lun Zhang; I feel as though his first-hand experiences would make for a compelling address. While the book itself opens with an introduction to many of the key players in the events of the story, it was difficult to connect those people with the events later on in the story. Some footnotes or embedded explanations would help make those connections more meaningful, I think. This book would be ideal for any armchair history buff, particularly those interested in Asian cultures. While I am certainly no expert, I feel my foundational knowledge has been expanded, and has contributed to my evolving worldview on the governance of citizens.