Gao Village, in Jiangxi province, is where the author was born and raised. His account is in every sense one from the inside. Although written as an academic work, it does not eschew personal stories and experiences relevant to the themes addressed: the village before and after land reform; the commune system; the dismantling of the communes; and the unfolding impact of the market economy, including growing villager migratory patterns toward urban areas, from the late 1980s onward.