Chen s] story is a reminder that the desire for basic human rights . . . arises from the deep well of the human spirit. "The New York Times Book Review"
It was like a scene out of a thriller: One night in April 2012, China s most famous political activist a blind, self-taught lawyer climbed over the wall of his heavily guarded home and escaped. After he turned up at the American embassy in Beijing, high-level negotiations finally led to his release and a new life in the United States.
Chen Guangcheng is a unique figure on the world stage, but his story is even more remarkable than we knew. The son of a poor farmer in rural China, he was determined to educate himself and fight for the rights of his country s poor, despite his disability. Repeatedly harassed, beaten, and imprisoned by Chinese authorities, in the end Chen made the most dangerous choice of all: freedom.
Both a riveting memoir and a revealing portrait of modern China, "The Barefoot Lawyer "tells the story of a man who has never accepted limits and always believed in the power of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle."