Review by Grace Ruhara

Dreaming in Chinese: Memoirs from a Taiwanese Prison is a story based on the experiences of William Tsung as an inmate. He recounts the events that occurred during his two years of incarceration in Taiwan for drug possession. After being arrested, he is taken to an interrogation room and denied a lawyer. As an American citizen who barely spoke Chinese, his application for a translator is also rejected. Instead, he is forced to sign a confession in which he incriminates himself. He endures the authorities' negligence, corruption, and incompetence inside the prison. Not only does he have to sleep on the floor, but he is also locked in a crowded cell and gets sick from contagious diseases that the medical unit takes a long time to diagnose and isn't competent at treating.

One of the reasons that William Tsung started writing Dreaming in Chinese was to have a place to vent his emotions and feelings since he had no one to talk to or share them with. He also identifies the need for men to be able to express their emotions without fear of ridicule or judgment. William concludes by advocating an end to the gender-based stigma around emotional expression, hopefully leading to a healthier society. The author describes the abuse and appalling conditions inmates face while serving prison terms. This mistreatment continues to occur in prisons worldwide. It is an eye-opening read that will leave you shocked and horrified at what goes on behind bars.