What Was It Like Being an ‘Excess Child’? New Book Tells All

Welcome to 2021, when it is officially legal to have up to three kids in China. But it wasn’t long ago when the reality of having more than one child came with legal repercussions. In the autobiography More Than One Child, author Shen Yang documents, through courage and resilience, what it was like to grow up as an ‘excess-birth child,’ or heihaizi, during an era of stringent public policies. This facet of her identity would define every memory in life — both joyous and turbulent.

The young author at her grandparents’ house

If Chen Danyan’s Only-Child Manifesto captured the reality of life as an only child, More Than One Child is an ode to kids from the other side of the coin — the ones who had to navigate the rugged terrain of illegality, secrecy, and shame upon birth. But despite that, Yang is more than the sum of her struggles. And above all, the book is a story about the greater community of excess-birth children.

RADII is pleased to share an excerpt from More Than One Child, where the author lays bare recollections from her childhood. Beyond this scene-setting, we recommend picking up a copy of the book to better understand how the one-child policy shaped many lives.

Click “read more” below to get a taste of Shen Yang’s childhood and learn about where to purchase More Than One Child.

Cover image by Thana Gu

All images provided by Shen Yang