A Daughter of Han: The Autobiography of a Chinese Working Woman

2011 Reprint of 1945 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. In "A Daughter of Han" author Ida Pruitt presents the autobiography of a Chinese working woman. Through this story the reader gains insight into the China of the poor, of women, and of the provinces. The subject of the autobiography, Ning Lao Tai-Tai, is also interesting as she lived in the period, the late 19th to mid 20th century, during which China underwent its most dramatic changes. This is a genuine, warm-blooded, dramatic chronicle of a woman's life, of the life of one of the "little people"; their wisdom and hardship and daily toil lighted by affection and gaiety that persist despite the endless pursuit of food and shelter to stay alive.

Ida Pruitt was a social worker, interpreter, and speaker who worked to advance cultural understanding between China and the United States. She authored several books including A China Childhood, Old Madam Yin: A Memoir of Peking Life, 1926-1938, and Tales of Old China.