These letters provide a fascinating insider's account of everyday life in China at a time when, although the country is rapidly undergoing change, it is still possible to "catch some of the old China." The author has something to say on every aspect of life: the cold winters and hot stifling summers; Chinese social customs, both traditional and modern; working and living conditions; love and marriage. Nothing escapes her attention. She is at her most informative when describing her personal experience both in coping with domestic problems, and with the issues of her professional life in the...