Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven chronicles two young American women who embark on a round-the-world backpacking journey in 1986, starting in the People's Republic of China. Fresh graduates from Brown University, Susan and her friend Claire aim to spend a year traveling through Asia when China had just opened its borders to independent travelers. The memoir details their experiences navigating a China that lacks tourist infrastructure, English speakers, or Western amenities. Through their encounters with locals and other travelers, the two women face the realities of Communist China while dealing with illness, culture shock, and the strain on their friendship. What begins as a post-college adventure transforms into a story of survival and self-discovery. The narrative tracks their physical and psychological journey through a land that challenges their Western assumptions and tests their capacity to adapt. The book explores themes of privilege, cultural boundaries, and the distance between youthful idealism and harsh reality. It captures a specific moment in history while examining universal questions about identity and friendship under pressure.

Readers describe this memoir as a real-life thriller that starts as a lighthearted backpacking tale before shifting into darker territory. Many note they couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting. Readers appreciated: - The raw honesty about naive American travelers in 1986 China - Vivid descriptions of culture shock and local details - The building tension and pacing - The author's self-awareness about her youthful mistakes Common criticisms: - First third moves slowly for some readers - Some found the narrator self-absorbed - A few felt the ending wrapped up too quickly Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (6,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (250+ ratings) "Reads like a psychological thriller" appears in multiple reviews. Several readers mentioned feeling anxious even knowing the author survived to write the book. One frequent comment notes how well it captures "that feeling of being young and completely unprepared for reality."

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🌏 The author's 1986 backpacking journey through China took place just as the country was beginning to open to Western tourists, making her and her companion among the first American travelers to explore many areas. 📝 Susan Jane Gilman wrote this memoir 20 years after the events occurred, using detailed journals she kept during her travels to reconstruct the harrowing experience. 🏥 The story takes a dark turn when one of the travelers experiences a mental health crisis in rural China, at a time when the country had virtually no Western-style medical facilities. 🎓 The journey began immediately after both women graduated from Brown University, inspired by the back of a paper placemat they saw in a Providence IHOP restaurant showing international breakfast foods. 🗣️ The book's Chinese title translates to "Two American Girls in the Middle Kingdom," referring to China's traditional name for itself as "Zhongguo" (the Middle Kingdom).