“These days you can’t live without an education,” a common enough quote that pops out of the mouths of millions of American parents and grandparents every day. But how many times have you heard a thirteen year old girl say those words? Billed as “the diary that changed lives,” The Diary of Ma Yan is an extraordinary tale both in content and in the way the diary became a published bestseller in France and its author a celebrity throughout Europe.
Today Ma Yan is sixteen and a high school student in China, but her story begins in the year 2000 and ends in December, 2001. We meet Ma Yan when she’s thirteen and in the last year of her primary school. She lives in the dormitory during the week and makes the twelve and a half mile walk home every weekend. Her life revolves around school and the absolute necessity for her to do well, while her very existence is consumed with thoughts of food and constant hunger. Ma Yan’s story is of her struggle to survive and break out of this terrible poverty.
“How wonderful it would be if I could stay in school forever,” says Ma Yan, but in 2001 she knows that will never happen. Life in rural China is hard. In the village of Zhangjiashu, thousands of miles northwest of Beijing, the way out is by getting an education. If a family is able to provide the funds for school, the boys are the lucky recipients. When Ma Yan cries out, “Why can boys study and not girls?” her mother says, “When you grow up, you’ll understand.”
But Ma Yan does not understand; while, despite her harsh words, Ma Yan’s mother does understand her daughter’s passionate plea to remain in school. Determined that her daughter have a better life, Ma Yan’s thirty-three year old mother sacrifices even more and travels two hundred and fifty miles away to earn the money needed for her daughter to return to school. In many ways, this is as much the story of the mother as it is the daughter. In May 2001 when French journalist Pierre Haski arrived in Zhangjiashu, it is the mother who appeared out of nowhere and pushed “a letter and three small brown notebooks” into his hands. Scribbled on the back of a seed packet for green beans, Ma Yan had written her now-famous cry, “I want to study.” Tears on the paper attested to her anger. Later Haski learned Ma Yan had gone fifteen days without food to have the money to pay for the ballpoint pen.
In short daily entries, Ma Yan tells of life in and out of school. Her desperate need to succeed, her emotional upheavals, the intense rivalry between students, the enormous sacrifices made by her parents, and the “cruel life” lived by her octogenarian grandparents pull the reader deeper and deeper into Ma Yan’s world and reveal an ordinary girl living a life few of us can imagine.
First published in France, The Diary of Ma Yan is finally reaching American shores with this edition. As a direct result of Ma Yan's diaries being read, the Association for the Children of Ningxia now helps children like Ma Yan stay in school. Although this is essentially a young adult book, the story has the power to capture the imagination of adults. In my humble opinion, Ma Yan’s Diary should be mandatory reading for all.
--vikk simmons, Down the Writer's Path
Article comments
1 - SFC SKI
This looks pretty interesting.
2 - Eric Berlin
This sounds like an amazing story, Vikk. Astounding that millions of people have a life/death struggle to attain what most take for granted in the U.S.
This book review has been selected for Advance.net. You’ll be able to find this and other Blog Critics reviews at such places at Cleveland.com’s Book Reviews column.
3 - Susan
I read this book. It´s great, but I´d like to know where she´s now. A life in that part of China is very hard. Ma Yan´s parents expected very much from her and I didn´t feel much love from the book. Anyways I would recommend it to everybody. Not just because it´s story that can inspire us, but you can also get informations about China. I think it´s very good book.
4 - DrPat
This review reminded me of my encounter with a Chinese film, Not One Less, with a similar underlying theme. Although the plots are totally different - in the movie, one of the students leaves school and his teacher goes after him to bring him back - the purpose of telling the tale seems to be the same, to encourage youngsters to stay in school.
5 - Melchizedek
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap
6 - Aaman
Soweth, baby!
7 - edison
if there is only one book in the world that can make my tears fall, it would be the Diary of Ma Yan.
this is a piece of work that touched my heart any my interest....
8 - Johanna
I just finished reading this book. It made realize how lucky I am and how much I can do to help others in need.
I will remember Ma Yan every time I complain about something silly. I can't believe a girl her age and her family had to suffer so much to survive.
9 - Melody
This was one of the most moving books I have ever read. I have entered it in my book circle of middle school teachers and hope they will share it with their students.
10 - vikk
I'm glad so many people have enjoyed this book. I'm sure this is one school librarians and teachers will love for all the reasons cited above.
11 - Bob
How lucky was I to be born in Australia
12 - tana
I read the book. It's ausome and very interesting. I think that this book will have an effect on me and make me do better at school now that I have read it.
13 - Karateyo
it is a good book
14 - Laura
hey im reading ur book its good i never read anybook like this before its very interesting and i like this book so you did a good job
15 - sunny ifeanyi odinye
i haven't read the book but i met the author of the book at Jinan, Shangdong Province, China on 2nd Confucius Institute Conference...better than reading the book.if you can meet her, please go and read the book. thanks.
16 - Maka
I haven't read this book, but plan to buy it for my library. The story reminds me also of Greg Mortenson's book Three Cups of Tea, which talks about his journey to Pakistan to climb K2, his wandering into a small village, and his promise to build them a school, especially to ensure education for girls. Fantastic to see more stories like these getting told. Education is freedom!
17 - vanessa
this story is really inspiring. i sometimes slack off with my school work. WHen i see people like M Yan it makes me want to work harder in school. Ma Yan is a very insprirational person.
18 - Sofia
Where is she now? Is she a policewoman now?
She's 20, isn't she?
19 - Isabella
Every night I should be glad to be born in Europe.
20 - anna
i love ma yan she is so interesting