This book is an informative survey of Chinese women’s history from ancient beginnings to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Hinsch employs conventional dynastic periodization to the subject of women’s history, stressing the construction of female identity in each era by examining the most important female social roles. The author draws on a rich scholarship of primary and secondary sources in English as well as in Chinese and Japanese to bring a fresh perspective to Western readers. The strength of this survey is its emphasis on the vast scope of China’s history as well as the formative impact of earlier eras. Most of the fundamental aspects of gender relations emerged many centuries prior to the well-researched late imperial period. The long time span also helps reveal considerable change and development throughout history. Valuable for Chinese women’s studies and an excellent supplement for courses in gender studies and Chinese history.

Summing Up: Highly recommended. General and undergraduate collections and up.

Choice Reviews

[O]verall, the work offers a wealth of information and many suggestions to further deepen the topic. (Translated from German)

Monumenta Serica: Journal of Oriental Studies

This book is a tour de force—a learned and lively presentation of women’s history during the longue durée of China’s development, from ancient beginnings to the end of the Qing era. Readers will appreciate how Hinsch demonstrates the changing ways in which female identity was constructed as well as the changing mechanics of patriarchy over time. Hinsch draws on a wealth of scholarship, including primary and secondary sources in English, as well as those in Chinese and Japanese, and creates a readable and informative narrative of women’s history in China. Both students and research scholars will benefit from reading this highly informative volume.

Harriet Zurndorfer, Leiden University