Jumping Through Hoops

Jumping Through Hoops is a collection of nine intense and dramatic stories that sheds new light on the experiences of Chinese women during the Second World War. Originally published in Chinese in 1945, as part of Xie Bingying’s classic anthology Nu zuojia zizhuan xuanji (Selected autobiographical writings by women writers), the extraordinary narratives reveal the writers’ personal struggles during the years of turmoil between the Republican and Communist eras. Whether the contributors are internationally acclaimed or just rediscovered, most of these narratives are seldom found in other collections, either in Chinese or in translation.

Jing M. Wang is an Assistant Professor of Chinese Literature and Language at Colgate University. She specializes in twentieth-century Chinese women’s autobiographical writings and modern Chinese literature. She is the co-author of Yingshi rumen (How to read English poetry, 1990).

“Informative and fascinating. A ‘must read’ for anyone interested in China.” —Adeline Yen Mah, author of Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter

“Anyone interested globally in autobiography would do themselves an immense service by reading these texts. For the Western reader reading these remarkable stories will be like stumbling upon an undiscovered country. These stories serve as a valuable and enormously entertaining lesson in cultural and political history. The opening pages of Bai Wei’s Jumping Through Hoops, are as powerful as anything I have read in autobiography.” —Dr Patrick Riley, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Colgate University

“This collection represents an invaluable source as to how women thought and lived their lives during the Resistance War. Their voice not only needs to be heard by the Chinese people but also by Western audiences who are interested in both Chinese culture and women’s lives during that period.” —Dr Yanfang Tang, Associate Professor of Chinese, College of William and Mary

“We have seen short stories written by some of the contributors in this collection, but in contrast their autobiographical writing is less sentimental, contains far more personal experiences and delves deeper into individual lives and psyches. Scholars and students of modern Chinese women writers will find this book an essential reference for the biographical information contained therein and the inner world of women writers it reveals.” —Dr Lily Lee, Department of Chinese Studies, University of Sydney, and editor of Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women