The Soong Sisters

by Emily Hahn

“If the story of the Soong family were told as fiction, people would say it was fascinating but too improbable. . . . A dramatic human chronicle . . . engrossing.” —The New York Times Book Review   In the early twentieth century, few women in China were to prove so important to the rise of Chinese nationalism and liberation from tradition as the three extraordinary Soong sisters—Eling, Chingling and Mayling—who would each marry historic figures. Told with wit and verve by New Yorker correspondent Emily Hahn, a remarkable woman in her own right, the biography of the Soong sisters reveals the story of China through both World Wars. It also chronicles the changes to Shanghai as they relate to a very eccentric family that had the courage to speak out against the ruling regime. Greatly influencing the history of modern China, they interacted with their government and military to protect the lives of those who could not be heard, and appealed to the West to support China during the Japanese invasion.   “[A] first-rate reportorial job on three distinguished women.” —Kirkus Reviews   “A spirited, well-informed book . . . a fascinating saga . . . Hahn skillfully interweaves the personal material which she has collected in abundance with some indispensable background knowledge of Chinese history.” —The Atlantic

Genres: History, Biography, China, Nonfiction, Asian Literature, Asia, Biography Memoir

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Emily "Mickey" Hahn was called "a forgotten American literary treasure" by The New Yorker magazine; she was the author of 52 books and more than 180 articles and stories. Her father was a hardware salesman and her mother a suffragette. She and her siblings were brought up to be independent and to think for themselves and she became the first woman to take a degree in mining engineering from the University of Wisconsin. She went on to study mineralogy at Columbia and anthropology at Oxford, working in between as an oil geologist, a teacher and a guide in New Mexico before she arrived in New York where she took up writing seriously. In 1935 she traveled to China for a short visit and ended up by staying nine years in the Far East. She loved living in Shanghai and met both Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai. She became the lover of Zau Sinmay, an intellectual, whom she particularly liked for his overwhelming curiosity about everything, she felt it rubbed off on her, and together they founded the English-language magazine Candid Comment. During her time in China she learned to smoke opium, persisting for two years until, inevitably, she became addicted; she was then cured by a hypnotist.

In Hong Kong Hahn met Major Charles R. Boxer, a married British intelligence officer; in 1940 she became pregnant and they had a daughter, Carola. Boxer was captured by the Japanese after being wounded in the attack on Hong Kong; Hahn visited him as much as possible in his prisoner-of-war camp, until she and Carola were repatriated to the United States in 1943. On his release they got married and in 1946 they arrived in Dorset where she called herself a "bad housewife". Although Boxer continued to live in England, where he became Professor of Portuguese at London University, Hahn lived mostly in America as a tax exile.

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I had just read Jung Chang's biography of the Soong Sisters (Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China), I thought it would be interesting to go back and re-read their biographies in the 1940 book by Emily Hahn, a prolific author who ended her days as a columnist for The New Yorker magazine in New York but was famous for her life and adventures as an American in China in the 1930s-1950s.

Mickey, as she was known to her family and friends (and I knew one of her nieces), wrote the book at the request of Doubleday & Co. in 1939 when the Soong sisters were world-famous and Doubleday wanted to publish their story. Mickey herself confessed that "aside from the stories, she knew little about them; [she] had seen Madame Chiang ['little sister'] only once, and that was from a distance". But she approached 'elder sister' (Ei-ling), who gave her access to the famous trio. That explains why the book is a strange blend of their childhood memories, interspersed with 20th century Chinese history. Mickey was too much of a journalist not to provide the background of the period, but it's clear that the sisters were not very forthright with their biographer about their current adult lives, marriages, and the roles they had played influencing their spouses and the political environment of the days. And that is sad because while nostalgic memories of childhood games and travels can be interesting, the lives of these women were far more interesting. Or in the words of their later biographer, Sterling Seagrave, in his book The Soong Dynasty, "Few families since the Borgias have played such a disturbing role in human destiny".

Reading the three biographies together enables readers to triangulate the stories and come to their own conclusions, but neither provide the picture of these three women as young girls as well as the Hahn volume. It was a very popular best seller in the 1940s and my copy was purchased for 99 cents in a used bookstore in Maine in 1966.

[Dawn Echlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took an interest in The Soong Sisters after learning their curious story from my employer. He spoke of Madame Sun being one of the greatest women in Chinese history. After reading the story it appears that all three sisters made an amazing contribution to present day China. All three sisters were Christian raised, American School educated, and married the 3 leading men in the country at the time. Its truly an amazing story.

The book itself was difficult to read. Things were not succinct, or clear. Many things were happening simultaneously and the sisters lives were so intertwined that at times it was hard to keep track of who was doing what. I am intrigued enough to go on and read additional books on these amazing ladies, if only to get a deeper perspective.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wish I had something good to say about this book as I am a fan of both Emily Hahn and Chinese culture, but I'm just not coming up with anything. I believe I once read that Ms. Hahn had unusual access to the sisters (possible) and was given carte blanche by them to write whatever she wished (very doubtful). A large part of it seemed to be a puff piece for the Generalissimo as recounted by Madame Chiang.

I came away not really knowing much more about them as personalities apart from their politics or lack thereof in Madame Kung's case. There is a famous Maoist saying that "one sister loved power (Madame Chiang), one sister loved money (Madame Kung) and one sister loved her country (Madame Sun)". Actually I'm sure they all loved their country, all had a good deal of personal power, and all had a considerable bankroll (maybe Madame Sun not so much), but think it was really their value systems that were so different. I think Madame Kung was a traditionalist, with old-school Confucian values, and interestingly the only one to have children; Madame Chiang the nationalist who wanted to see China modernized and a made into a world player; and Madame Sun the universalist who placed individual equality and freedom above all, even though later her husband's ideals became perverted by the Communists.

It is unfortunate that at this late point in history we'll probably never know much more about these women. I'm sure Ms. Hahn could have dished if she were free to as she was there at the time and pretty much knew "everyone who was anyone", and China being notorious for its vibrant grapevine. She probably didn't have enough material for a book without access to the sisters, so chose the censored/compromised path for a paycheck. Bummer.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, Emily Hahn more interesting to me than the Soong sisters - first half much better than second. Better to read 'China to me'

[Emma Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although interesting as a primary source in its own right, this book was something of a slog to get through - I thought it was lacking in actual analysis of the Soong sisters and too heavily focused on summaries of general current events. However, I understand it was targeted towards an early-1940s American readership wanting to learn more about current events in China. What analysis it did perform of the Soong sisters was insightful, penetrating, and unforgettable - and surely effective as rhetoric, convincing a mid-war American public to care more for the Chinese cause. For example:

’Surely, surely if everyone understood what she was telling them there would be a great movement on the part of the world, particularly America, to save China! She was positive of it. She knew that the great democracies move slowly; nobody knew that better than herself, practiced now in waiting for weary months before the simplest, smallest reform went into the country’s programme. But America, even from the most selfish viewpoint, would certainly see that all her duty and her common sense put her on China’s side; an economic embargo, refusal to sell war materials to Japan — what else could one possibly expect? What else, above all, could an American-trained student expect? Mayling had spent her childhood and adolescent years in the United States, studying American history from the glowing pages of partisan textbooks, and she had first gone to America because of the high ideals her father entertained for that land of promise and glory.'

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soong Ai-ling, Soong Ching-ling, and Soong Mei-ling were the daughters of Charlie Soong, a converted Christian missionary. He gave up missionary work due to lack of support and financing and became a successful businessman who printed Bibles. He enrolled his daughters in Methodist schools, providing them with both education and religious indoctrination. Ching-ling and Mei-ling was among the first government-funded female Chinese students to study in the United States. All three sisters married successful men and became very influential in politics and the community. This book was really interesting and detailed many facts about their lives and interests. I had never heard of these women before but found this book on sale and gave it a shot.

[Judith De · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting book that allowed me to get acquainted with the history of China and these three impressive powerful women. This is not an easy book to read as you can get confused with the Chinese names and even with the sisters identities. What helped me a lot was to have a note with each one of her names and each of their husbands and then it wasn’t as difficult. The stories are of power, deceit, corruption, treason and more and I would recommend also from Youtube a video made in Canada that is very interesting also and that shows photos and documents.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an absorbing history of the Soong family, mainly of the father
and of the three daughters who married significant men in the first half of the nineteenth century in China. The story focuses on the ideas, personalities, activities, and importance of the daughters who had a large impact on Chinese society and on the Sino-Japanese war. It was a difficult read, especially in the first half, since the many names and locations were new to me. It is amazing how some of the comments on the Japanese invasion of China match the current situation between Russia and Ukraine.

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Soong Sisters were there. ~ Emily Hahn

Well. It's def. a product of the 1940's. Be forewarned racial slurs will be found here. I am excited to read a modern biography of the Soong Sisters. These women are extraordinary.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook because I like Emily Hahn's other writing, but not being terribly interested or knowledgeable about this period of history or the Soong sisters made it a struggle for me to thoroughly enjoy this one.

[Keenan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to civil war era China and the role the Soong sisters played in it. Obviously anything after the 1940s will require some later materials.

[Stephen Tubbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had trouble from the narrative working out which sister was which but the highlight for me was the Japanese invasion and occupation in the 1930's and the role of Chiang Kai-Shek.

[Johnny Quah · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's written in the 40s and the hero worshiping stance of CKC taken by the author is at misdirected and at odds with later books. It's almost unreal the noble and high sounding deliberation of CKC (during the Xian incident) as compared against general perception/finding of CKC as a prideful, brittle despot in the heavily research book on Stilwell and the American Experience in China by Barbara Tuchman.

General Yang Hucheng and his family were executed and General Zhang Xueliang was place on house arrest for the next 40 years. So alternate facts are not a recent phenomena.

Did not finish the book as the misguided tone was too much to stomach.

[Zoltan Pogatsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat longwinded, and with too much detail, but it tells an interesting story. I wish there was a better book on this fascinating family, but I have not found one yet...

[Lori Bain · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the most boring books I've ever read. It was absolutely mind-numbing and I gave up after chapter five.

[xiao yun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book which portray the Soong sisters' inner strength, exhibited since childhood onwards to overseas studies in America, being married to strong leading men of their times, and their incredible war efforts in education, humanitarian work, mobilising young women and appeal to western powers to intervene in the war.

Author has an acute awareness of the mechanism of politics. She also wrote about the division of the sisters due to their marriage to men which had taken different paths in political decisions.

This book ends rather abruptly in the middle of the war... however, perhaps the intention of the author was to end beautifully with the symbol of unity of the sisters in their war efforts, and an appendix of a speech given by the three of them.

Despite those were times of great turmoil and social upheavals in their lives, the author was able to focus and write these ladies as being very much in control of their lives, rather then the other way round. Perhaps this was also due to the fact that their Father had foresights and believe in the equality of sons and daughters alike.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather difficult to evaluate a book written in 1941 about the Soong sisters . . . it covers their childhood, education in Georiga, and each sister's marriage to a powerful man of the times (Sun Yat-Sen, Kong wealthiest man in China, and Chiang Kai Chek). We know now how things turn out for the sisters . . . that the Communists take over the country after the Japanese are finally defeated in a war that began in 1937, that Madame Sun Yat-Sen sided with the Communists and was revered in Peking, while Madame Chiang shared her husband's exile to Taiwan. But for the most part in this book, the sisters are united with the youngest one, Madame Chiang, the dominant one. Interesting, too, how place names are so difficult to recognize in this. Emily Hahn was a journalist, an interesting character herself. I would be interested in reading more about the Soongs and about Hahn.

[Guadalupe Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting to know the origins of Modern China

Fascinating the story of the Soong Sisters. This family sets the bases of modern China. I really enjoyed how Hahn walked me through the streets of Shanghai.

A highly recommend book with a fantastic historical context.

[Fern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quaintly old fashioned biography of the legendary Soong women.