Anchee Min is widely celebrated for her historical novels, to which she brings her personal experiences in China during the turbulent days of the Cultural Revolution. At age 17 Min was sent to a labor camp near East China Sea, where she endured mental and physical hardships and suffered a severe spinal cord injury. In 1984 she came to America, and within six months, taught herself English by watching television. She began to write and publish, eager to correct historical accounts which she knew were incorrect.