A 13-year-old Red Guard revels in the great adventure, and struggles with her doubts. A silenced composer, facing death, determines to capture the turmoil. An idealistic student becomes the 'corpse master' . . .Nearly fifty years after its conclusion, the Cultural Revolution’s scar runs through the heart of Chinese society and the souls of its citizens. But official suppression and personal trauma have conspired in national amnesia: it exists, for the most part, as an absence. Here, Tania Branigan explores the stories of those who are driven to confront the era, fearing or yearning for its return. What happens to a society when you can no longer trust those closest to you? What happens to the present when the past is buried, exploited or redrawn? And how do you live with yourself when the worst is over?