Divine Traces of the Daoist Sisterhood: Records of the Assembled Transcendents of the Fortified Walled City, by Du Guangting (850-933)
Suzanne Cahill's translations illuminate the Tang Daoist women in the contexts of both their times and the gendered body politics of our times. The thousand-year-old women come alive--perhaps this was not the immortality they sought but that is good enough for us. --Dorothy KoThe book presents fascinating material, made accessible to both specialists and nonspecialists. With its highly readable translations and insightful and interesting introductions, it will be of great value not only in courses on Chinese religion but also in courses on gender and religion. Suzanne Cahill has again excelled in her work. --Beata GrantSuzanne Cahill is the leading specialist in the study of medieval Daoist women. Here she presents the first complete translation of their key biographies, integrating skillful analysis of the text with interdisciplinary exploration of the social and historical issues raised by its data. All who study history, religion, and gender will greatly appreciate Cahill's expert and revealing synthesis. --Russell Kirkland