摘要
In addition to introducing the genre of biography, the editors intend the chapters to provide a good sense of the broader flow of Chinese history, particularly in terms of turning points in normative expectations for women. In their introduction, Judge and Hu state that biography can show how transformations in, or the expectations for, women＇s lives were most marked in times of war and social disruption and when there were rising levels of literacy for women. But this argument is not woven throughout the essays in the book nor is it summarized in the editors＇ epilogue. How did conflict （such as the An Lushan Rebellion and the Sino-Japanese War） lead to changes in women＇s lived experience？ The reader will need to look for answers to this question, and others, on his or her own.
In addition to introducing the genre of biography, the editors intend the chapters to provide a good sense of the broader flow of Chinese history, particularly in terms of turning points in normative expectations for women. In their introduction, Judge and Hu state that biography can show how transformations in, or the expectations for, women＇s lives were most marked in times of war and social disruption and when there were rising levels of literacy for women. But this argument is not woven throughout the essays in the book nor is it summarized in the editors＇ epilogue. How did conflict （such as the An Lushan Rebellion and the Sino-Japanese War） lead to changes in women＇s lived experience？ The reader will need to look for answers to this question, and others, on his or her own.
