Madame Sun Yat-Sen: Soong Ching-Ling

The history of modern China and the life of Mme. Sun Yat-sen (Soong Ching-ling) are closely aligned. Her husband, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, was the revered founder of the first Chinese Republic. At his side, and alone, after his death in 1925, she worked to bring order to the chaos of postImperial China, a task made all the more complex by her sister's marriage to Kuomintang General Chiang Kai-shek. Her story, which has often been told (mostly recently in The Soong Dynasty, is without question fascinating. But because the history of China in the 20th century is so vast and sprawling, this dry and sometimes fawning account of her life (written from secondary sources and running scarcely over 100 pages) has a tough time even setting the stage for her accomplishments. Though meant only as an introduction (the latest in the Lives of Modern Women series), this brief biography owes readers more than it delivers.(September)