Heroines of Jiangyong

A valuable addition to contemporary scholarship of Chinese literature, especially regarding studies of Chinese peasant women and changben. . . . Heroines of Jiangyong serves as an excellent point of departure for exploring rural women's complex lifeworlds . . .

The book represents a significant contribution to Chinese history, language, and culture, as well as to global literature and women's studies.

The book provides a wealth of comparative thematic, topical, and motif material for folklorists, ethnographers, and anthropologists, and is highly recommended.

Heroines of Jiangyong provides a paradigm for Chinese feminists to better understand and recognize the hidden tensions of traditionally imposed gender roles in China in order to move toward gender equality.

Idema brings a sensitive literary perspective to nushu texts. The result is a set of translations through which, it is easy to believe, the Jiangyong women's voices may be heard . . . . The Heroines of Jiangyong is a valuable contribution to English language studies of nushu.

… provide fascinating glimpses into the trials and tribulations, as well as the ideals and aspirations, of rural women… the protagonists of these ballads, while they may weep, lament and wail, also shout and curse and scold and, for the most part, do indeed emerge as 'heroines'… translations such as these… should be especially welcomed by those who teach China in the classroom. For the language of these ballads, deftly conveyed by Idema's translations, is lively, earthy and often… refreshingly vivid.

The stories and songs translated here are gems of folk literature. For the first time, Western readers will be able to appreciate some of the most popular stories composed in women's script and survey the kind of stories and songs enjoyed by these village women.

Contributes to the study of Chinese literature, history, and society by filling the void of research on rural women in imperial China—-a field grossly underexplored due to the lack of historical documentation.

An excellent entry into a form of writing widely noticed only in the last few decades, the 'women's script' of a small area in southern Hunan in central China.

For the first time Western readers will be able to appreciate some of the most popular stories composed in Women's Script and survey the kind of stories and songs enjoyed by these village women. Thanks to the detailed notes provided, readers will understand the cultural context within which these texts were interpreted by the women of Jiangyong. The introduction succinctly summarizes the various theories concerning the origin of Women's Script material, and the uses and social function of Women's Script within Jiangyong. . . Heroines of Jiangyong will be favoured reading for all those with an interest in Chinese popular literature, Women's Script, Chinese oral and literate culture, folklore and gender studies.