During the 1990s, Xinran was the host of a radio call-in show dedicated to offering a place for the women of China to tell their stories.  In her desire to more fully understand the cares and concerns of the women in China, she often followed up on the calls, meeting many of the women who called in. 

This book is a collection of some of the most compelling of their stories.  We meet an educated woman who lives the life of a scavenger so that she can occasionally have a glimpse of her estranged son who lives the high life as a party official.  We meet women who were raped by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.  We meet wealthy and powerful women of the city whose lives are empty and countryside women who are still considered “breeding machines.”  As we read the stories, we learn much about the traditional beliefs surrounding women, relationships and marriage that, even in modern China, continue to influence attitudes and behavior.  

This book is not easy to read as most of the stories are tragic and heart wrenching.  It is, nonetheless, an important book to read to understand the society around us.  In a society that is trying to shake itself loose from the traditional (often oppressive) notions of womanhood and is, unfortunately, looking to secular western practices, we need to be ready to offer an alternative vision of the role of women and the nature of relationships.

Reviewed by Kay Danielson.  Kay Danielson has been living and working in East Asia for over 20 years. She does research and supports the church through various consulting and teaching projects.

(The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices by Xinran Xue, Anchor, November 11, 2003, ISBN:  1400030903, 256 pages, paperback) 

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chinasource  - Compelling   |SAdministrator |2009-08-11 10:45:25 This is a compelling review. Very concise and yet represents the contents well. I'm interested to read it and learn more about the conditions of women in China. Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

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