The Day China Cried: A Witness to the June 4th Massacre

In this updated memoir, Nardini—a former history and anthropology double major at Beloit—explores the social unrest in China in 1989 from a firsthand perspective.

Nardini arrived in China to visit friends of friends just before the pro-democracy movement began, and subsequently found himself trapped in the nation as the massacres raged on. His account is one of turmoil, panic, and vivid interactions; as one of the last American tourists in the country, he was often seen as an object of fascination. Yet he was also in grave danger and witnessed many of these events at a distance while hiding in a friends’ apartment. Using a mixture of written and photographic narratives, Nardini provides stunning insight into a crucial turning point in China’s political history.

Nardini currently works as a writer for the Lawndale News and lives in Chadwick, Ill., with his wife, Jade.