Our July Book: A China More Just by Gao Zhisheng

For July we have chosen A China More Just by Gao Zhisheng. As you many readers of this blog already know, our Amnesty International chapter has taken on Gao's case. He was detained in February 2009 in Shaanxi Province, China, and nothing is known of his whereabouts after April 20, 2010. Amnesty International fears he is at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.  Before his detention he wrote A China More Just and this discussion will give us the chance to get to know him better.  Here is the jacket copy,

Attorney. Activist. Fearless. Faithful.

The story of one man who has taken on the world's largest authoritarian regime... And, in the eyes of many, won. 

Born and raised in a cave with only the stars to tell time, Gao Zhisheng rose from poverty to become China's most important lawyer. He has courageously sought justice for vulnerable groups such as the poor, the disabled, and the persecuted. Yet Gao's fortitude has drawn the ire of Communist authorities. Today, physical threat and police surveillance are a constant reality for both Gao and his family. Undeterred, he has responded in the nonviolent tradition of Gandhi by launching nationwide hunger strikes to intensify the call for justice and human rights in China. His undaunted resolve and generous spirit have won the hearts of millions. Whispers can be heard in China's streets, Will Gao Zhisheng become the next president? 

Part memoir, part social commentary, part call to action, A China More Just is a penetrating account of contemporary China through the life of one attorney. Its selection of writings takes readers from a village in rural China to urban courtrooms, mountainside torture chambers, and the halls of a reluctant government. A China More Just is at once witty and raw, touching and wrenching, sober and playful.