Reviews and Testimonials

Here's what people are saying about Swimming to Freedom:

“A half-century later, he wrote down his and his generation’s
stories of risking their lives to escape China, hopping to comfort the
souls of his compatriots who died during the great escape, and to
expose the wounds caused by the extreme inhuman
authoritarianism.” — Miao Yu, Voice of America

“In this poignant and incisive memoir, Kent Wong bravely breaks
the silence that still persists amongst many Chinese refugee...Wong
truly sheds light on his generation’s determination to survive, the
wounds that time has healed and those that never will, and the
inspiring ingenuity and strength it took to overcome all odds.” — Jon
Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights

“I really enjoyed your book!” — Maria Bartiromo, Fox Business
“Morning with Maria”

“A touching and fascinating memoir that is essential for anyone
interested in life during the Cultural Revolution or the experiences of
the freedom swimmers.” — American Library Journal Starred Revie
by Joshua Wallace, Tarleton State University

“It’s a lesson in degradation and determination. Yet it’s also an
adventure story of forged documents, homemade rafts, and sneaky
smugglers.” — Jacqueline Cutler, New York Daily News

“A riveting tale of his life in China as a boy during the Cultural
Revolution. Wong joined the dissident underground and became one
of the half million other Chinese who braved the waters of the South
China Sea, escaping to Hong Kong…” — Suzanne Lang, NPR A
Novel Idea

“A Watery Escape from China: A young man swims to
freedom—and a new life as a physician in the United States” —
Harvard Medicine Magazine Fall 2021

“What Wong reports of the Cultural Revolution in Swimming to
Freedom would be absurd if not so tragic... Now retired, he set down
his thoughts in the form of a memoir of oppression and hope.”
— David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express

“Swimming to Hong Kong, A bold Chinese refugee looks back.”
— Andrew Hamlin, Northwest Asianweekly

“Wong has written a vivid memoir of his youth in Guangzhou
(Canton), his exile to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution,
his growing disillusionment with the Communist regime and his
eventual success in reaching Hong Kong on his third try.” — Faith
Johnson, Winnipeg Free Press

“Light the Fire and Fan the Flame: Surviving China’s Cultural
Revolution. Kent Wong recalls that journey in clear, direct prose in
this memoir.” One of the 10 New Seattle Books to Read This Spring
— SeattleMet Spring 2021