Review: Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China

Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China by Jung Chang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chang's research, as always, is astonishing. In this intimate portrait of the Soong sisters, you get a real sense of who they were. I've seen one or two reviews be critical about the fact that the book focuses a fair bit on the men in sisters' lives. I can understand that - I think Chiang Kai-Shenk was given more prominence than "Big Sister" Ei-Ling.

But, all three sisters were in the positions they were because of who they were married to (or in Ei-Ling's case, who her sister May-Ling was married to). The reality was a woman would never have power without some connection to a powerful man at that time in China's history - though all three certainly played fundamental roles in helping the men in their lives gain and keep power.

Overall, an interesting read but one that was a bit of a slog at times. Possibly a good book to read on holiday when you have time to devote it.

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