It was written during the first eight years she spent in the United States, from 1984 to 1992, and tells the story of her personal experience during the Cultural Revolution.

"[3] Min stated "I wrote Red Azalea for the ghost of Little Green", referring to a female friend on a collective farm.

Her first conflict with this system comes when a favorite teacher is put on trial for espionage and the young Anchee Min is expected to testify against her.

She soon finds difficulty, however, when a friend is mentally broken by interrogation and humiliation after being discovered in a sexual situation with a man.

The next few years are briefly mentioned, and the memoir ends with a short explanation of how Min came to live in the United States in 1984.

"[1] Kirkus Reviews wrote that the work is "Fascinating", "haunting and quietly dramatic"; the magazine also praised the "poetic, distinctively Chinese diction" even though the author's use of the English language had "slight awkwardness".

[2] De Bertodano stated that the revelations involving a same sex romance and "dissident stance" made the reception in China negative.