My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard

An epistolary narrative presents letters from a high-born Chinese wife to her traveling husband, portraying domestic life within a multi-generational household where filial duty, the struggle between conservative elders and younger Westernized ideas, and the yearning for sons shape women's roles. It traces her grief at losing an infant, her turn from traditional comforts toward solace found in a Christian text, and daily rituals, household hierarchies, and restricted public visibility. Through reflective scenes and cultural observation, the letters illuminate education, poetry, and the tensions between progress and ancestral customs, offering intimate perspectives on feminine experience, mourning, and quiet resistance within a patriarchal setting.