The Faces of Modern Chinese Legal Identity

Abstract

changes and judicial reforms, such as the introduction of the “cooling off period for divorce” in the new PRC Civil Code in 2020, have made divorce harder, not easier. She concludes the epilogue with a call for collective action and resistance, for women whose land rights are threatened upon or after divorce. It almost feels like the author was out of steam when writing down those words. Indeed, readers can see and feel the enormous effort that Li put into her research and writing for this excellent book—the final product of a very long scholarly journey. Perhaps its theoretical contributions would be underappreciated by political scientists who are not interested in culture or socio-legal researchers who are not interested in power, but the book will surely find its place in the classics of Chinese law and society research because of its richness and sophistication, as well as the author’s sincerity and compassion. When today’s academic publishing is filled with fast and junk food, this fine cuisine is a rarity.