Red Silk: Class, Gender, and Revolution in China's Yangzi Delta Silk Industry

a wide array of primary sources, such as a host of publications by Beijing YWCA and various archived materials from newspapers, magazines, local chronicles and so on. Moreover, the chapters are well structured. For example, the lasting contribution of Beijing YWCA to the city’s modernization in the epilogue makes the entire study more complete. Zhang also places her argument in context by providing sufficient background information, such as the description of Beijing’s layout and facilities in the early republican era, which can support her defense of the Beijing YWCA’s modernization efforts. However, two points deserve further exploration. One is adding the case analysis of several representative women to explain the influence of the Beijing YWCA. Through the close description of the Beijing YWCA, the author selected a variety of activities, like Better Homes and Baby Welfare, camping trips, to make a thorough analysis. But adding several cases to describe the specific contribution of the Beijing YWCA women vividly would make the argument more convincing. For example, Ding Shujing, the general secretary of the Beijing YWCA, could be used as a case for further elaboration. Another suggestion is to compare the Beijing YWCA with other local branches in depth, like Shanghai YWCA and Canton YWCA. Although Zhang compared the residential composition and activities of the YWCA’s hostels in Nanjing and Shanghai, it seems that there is less discussion about the differences and similarities in other parts, such as the schools and playgrounds for children, recreational activities for women, etc. All in all, Zhang’s work is really inspiring for the study of Chinese YWCA and women in Republican China.