Chu embarked on an investigative mission: What price do the Chinese pay to produce their “smart” kids? What lessons might the West learn, if any? For five years she followed Chinese students, teachers, and experts, pulling back the curtain on an education system rife with high-stakes testing and crippling competition. Yet as she delved deeper into the lives of her characters, she discovered surprising takeaways, such as the upsides of memorization and the cultural belief in hard work over innate talent.

Little Soldiers asks us to reconsider the true purpose of education, as China and the West compete for the political and economic dominance of a new generation.