The Soong Sisters (1941) By Emily Hahn

 

It would be difficult to overstate the influence the Soong sisters had on Twentieth Century China. To their parents and family friends they were Ailing, Chingling, and Meiling. To the rest of the world they were: Madame Kung, wife of the Chinese banking tycoon H.H. Kung; Madame Sun, wife of Dr. Sun Yat-sen the “father” of the post-dynastic Chinese Republic; and Madame Chiang Kai-shek, wife of Generalisimo then President of Nationalist China.  All three stood at the side of their illustrious husbands, sometimes in front of them, not behind them.  While the book is definitely political reporting, it is also a fascinating personal family history.

Born in Shanghai during the final decades of the Manchu dynasty, China’s final imperial dynasty, the sisters were the daughters of Charlie Soong, a successful businessman and his wife.  There were also two brothers, one would eventually run the family business, the other would grow-up to be the first Finance Minister of the Republic.

While his wife confined her role to mother and homemaker in the traditional style of Chinese culture, Charlie who was educated in America, was adamant all of the children, including his daughters, would also be educated in America. He would send his daughters to Wesleyan University in Macon, Georgia.  It was founded by the Methodist Church in 1836 and was the first American university to convey degrees to women.  All of the Soong children would return to China after completing their educations.

At the time of their return China was going through massive rapidly changing political upheaval.  After overthrowing the dynasty, many factions were competing for power while Dr. Sun served for a period as a transitional figurehead.  The main factions were the Communist Party eventually headed by Mao Tse Tung; and what would become the Nationalist Party, headed by Chiang Kai-Shek, with a factional split between the north based in Beijing and the south based in Nanking. 

The Soong Sisters separately supported different factions, at times significantly stressing family relations.  Madame Sun, who was the keeper of Dr. Sun’s political legacy was an advocate of working with the Communists because they addressed the needs of the peasantry.  Madame Chiang Kai-Shek was ruthless in her support of the Nationalists, defined by her as her husband.  And Madame Kung, as oligarchs always do, supported whoever was in power. The sisters and their differing politics were well known to the Chinese public.

Detractors of the Soong sisters normally describe them this way: “one loved money, one loved power; and one loved her country.”  Clearly, Emily Hahn, the author of this book found that to be an unfair description.  All three loved China, in their own way, and it would be accurate to say they also loved each other. 

The concluding chapter of the book documents the importance of the three of them coming together to advocate for a national unity effort to counter Japan’s invasion of China, and to warn foreign interests (including the U.S.) they could help China rebuff Japan now, which they did not, or they could pay for it later, which they did on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor.

EmilyHahn was an American journalist, author, and regular contributor to the New Yorker Magazine.  She lived in Shanghai during much of the time period of the book and had social access to China’s merchant class, including the Soongs.  Her journalism claim-to-fame was her interviews with Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. Hahn is also one of the key characters in Taras Grescoe’s novel Shanghai Grand.

The Soong Sisters -- complete movie

As always, a movie was made of The Soong Sisters.  It is on YouTube with English subtitles and it is excellent.

Recommendation:  Yes, both book and movie.  Real history buffs should read The Soong Sisters and Edgar Snow’s Red Star Over China (biography of Mao Tse Tung).