{"product_id":"the-pitfalls-of-piety-for-wilt-l-idema-9781501758362","title":"The Pitfalls of Piety for Married Women","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Pitfalls of Piety for Married Women\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eshows how problematic the practice of Buddhist piety could be in late imperial China.\u003c\/b\u003e Two thematically related \"precious scrolls\" (baojuan) from the Ming dynasty, \u003ci\u003eThe Precious Scroll of the Red Gauze\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Precious Scroll of the Handkerchief\u003c\/i\u003e, illustrate the difficulties faced by women whose religious devotion conflicted with the demands of marriage and motherhood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese two previously untranslated texts tell the stories of married women whose piety causes them to be separated from their husbands and children. While these women labor far away, their children are cruelly abused by murderous stepmothers. Following many adventures, the families are reunited by divine intervention and the evil stepmothers get their just deserts. While the texts in \u003ci\u003eThe Pitfalls of Piety for Married Women\u003c\/i\u003e praise Buddhist piety, they also reveal many problems concerning married women and mothers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWilt L. Idema's translations are preceded by an introduction that places these scrolls in the context of Ming dynasty performative literature, vernacular literature, and popular religion. Set in a milieu of rich merchants, the texts provide a unique window to family life of the time, enriching our understanding of gender during the Ming dynasty. These popular baojuan offer rare insights into lay religion and family dynamics of the Ming dynasty, and their original theme and form enrich our understanding of the various methods of storytelling that were practiced at the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Wilt L. Idema\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1501758365\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781501758362\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Cornell East Asia Series\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/15\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 228\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.11lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.69d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2022","brand":"Wilt L. Idema","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43995972927743,"sku":"9781501758362","price":57.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_0ab04021-caa3-45dc-b182-9b4eb44dc158.jpg?v=1683338958","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-pitfalls-of-piety-for-wilt-l-idema-9781501758362","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}