Chinese grandmothers have played a crucial role in Chinese families as essential caregivers for grandchildren, in the Qing dynasty as in the 21st Century. Although women have been easily marginalized and overlooked, especially in the public realm, by traditional historical narratives in China's patriarchal society, they have found ways to be active and influential in their own lives and in those of surrounding others through the remarkable grandparents–children–grandchildren relationships within families. China's Grandmothers, by Diana Lary, uses the experiences of Chinese grandmothers from the late Qing dynasty to the present as a lens to provide vivid pictures of intergenerational relationships and interactions in Chinese families. By locating various Chinese grandmothers’ experiences – as caregivers and educators to their grandchildren, as transmitters of traditional culture, custom and skills within generations, as household managers or matriarchs – in the broader societal context, this book demonstrates the changes and continuities of the roles and power of grandmothers in Chinese families in modern history and nowadays.

This book's main body includes 13 chapters that explore various aspects of life experienced by Chinese grandmothers from the early 20th century to the present. The early part of this book, from chapters one to five, introduces the multiple roles that grandmothers play in traditional Chinese families. The later part, from chapters six to thirteen, includes diverse topics, ranging from what old-age life looks like for grandmothers and grandfathers in changing Chinese societies (as a result of war, Cultural Revolution, or the rural–urban and China–abroad migration “fever” after China's opening-up) to Chinese people's philosophy of looking after self (seeking pleasures in old age and preparing for death with dignity) and contributing to the collective family by providing emotional, physical and financial support to their grandchildren. All chapters display smooth connections and thought-provoking comparisons between historical events and current phenomena to unpack the challenges faced by Chinese society. For example, historically, the Confucian moral code of filial piety and the traditional family structure guaranteed “non-conditional” life security in old age. However, nowadays, the relationship between the older and younger generations can become an exchange of resources, support and care. For some grandparents, being caregivers to grandchildren seems to be the precondition of claiming their right to be supported by their children in old age. One cannot question grandparents’ sincere love for their grandchildren, but it might be worth recognizing that today, in some families, looking after grandchildren might be a decision that is motivated not only by love but also by instrumental considerations. Furthermore, through discussing the shortages of the current social welfare system – pension, health service, education, employment in China and the consequences of Chinese family policies such as the one-child policy – Lary shows that both the senior population and the younger generations (e.g. migrant workers and left-behind children) have to cope with difficult challenges to live a decent life.

Throughout the book and particularly in the final chapter, Lary offers a personal record of her family history through the same focus on grandmothers’ lives and their impact on family. By sharing her own experiences of being a grandchild and a grandmother, a strong personal account has been added to this book. This personal record crosses the cultural, geographical and temporal boundaries to build up live “dialogues” with these Chinese grandmothers. I laughed when I read the family story shared by Lary about her grandmother's prescribed “gold-standard in the late nineteenth century” (p. 41) milk-stimulating food – several pints of Guinness a day for three months!

Extraordinarily rich sources, including photos, paintings, tales, proverbs and poems, autobiographies and interviews are well linked, triangulated and analysed in this book. These sources not only illustrate the lives of Chinese grandmothers over the past century but also contribute to a broader understanding the principles that govern Chinese society and families and regulate Chinese people's everyday lives: moral codes, gender rules, family structure and practice, childcare and education. An in-depth analysis based on diverse primary sources challenges some stereotypical constructions of family practice in China. For example, narratives of interactions between grandmothers and grandchildren demonstrated in this book provide inspiring insights into the strong emotions and high level of intimacy in Chinese families. The Chinese are often constructed as people who tend to suppress the expression of intimacy in family practice – they don't say “I love you” and rarely have intimate body contact, such as hugs and kisses – but these intergenerational interactions can show a high level of emotional intimacy. The widely recorded memories of love and warmth from grandmothers in childhood can also be good examples of carry-over emotions and emotional capital transmitted between generations in Chinese families.

In this book, a wide range of intersectional factors, including gender, age, socioeconomic status (class and urban or rural residence) and educational background have been brought into the analysis of Chinese women's experiences. These intersectional factors are put in changing historical, sociocultural, political and economic contexts in Chinese society. As a sociologist with research interests in childhood studies, especially children's everyday personal lives and relationships, I find this book's interdisciplinary contributions remarkable. It will benefit not only Chinese studies but also relevant disciplines, including history, literature, sociology, childhood studies, women studies and education. It is a helpful reference for a wide range of audiences – not only undergraduate and postgraduate students but also the public who are interested in family lives in China, especially in modern Chinese history.