{"product_id":"my-dearest-martha-the-life-and-letters-of-eliza-hillier-9789629375775","title":"My Dearest Martha: The Life and Letters of Eliza","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"For this brief moment, the two sisters could be 'together in heart and affection', and through such letters bridge the distance of empire.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe often learn about the commerce, diplomacy, and military campaigns of the British empire without reference to the intimate side of life in these times-the development of self, the position of women, and the importance of family. In this book, the story of empire, so often told from a man's perspective, is given a unique vantage point through Eliza Hillier's letters to her younger sister, Martha. Written largely from Hong Kong, Shanghai, England, and Siam, the letters allow us to become a member of her family and follow the daily tribulations associated with the life of a young British woman in the port cities of Asia. We are thus able to share Eliza's experiences as she leaves home to embark on married life, starts and raises a family, grieves at the abrupt and tragic loss of her husband, Charles Batten Hillier, and then sets about re-building her life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt once a reflection on the daily components of empire, an entertaining narrative of familial relationships, and the story of one woman's inner feelings, My Dearest Martha guides us through the vagaries of life for a family who were very much a part of imperial careering and missionary circles in East and Southeast Asia. The letters are complemented by images and commentary from the author, a descendant of Eliza, providing context and depth, which together give us a fuller picture of British colonial life in the mid-1800s from a perspective that will resonate with readers around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntroduction: An Epistolary Relationship\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart I: Intimate Empire\t\u003cbr\u003e\t1. Evangelical Families\t\u003cbr\u003e\t2. Letter-writing and the British World\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart II: The Letters\t\u003cbr\u003e\t3. Marriage, 1846-1847\t\u003cbr\u003e\t4. Early Motherhood, 1847-1851\t\u003cbr\u003e\t5. To Shanghai and Back, August 1851-July 1852\t\u003cbr\u003e\t6. Homeward Bound, 1852 \t\u003cbr\u003e\t7. England, 1852-1855\t\u003cbr\u003e\t8. Return to Hong Kong, 1855-1856\t\u003cbr\u003e\t9. At Home in Siam, 1856\t\u003cbr\u003e\t10. Sorrow and Bereavement,  1856\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart III: At Home in the Empire\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e11. Re-building Her Life\t\u003cbr\u003e\t12. Bridging the Distance of Empire\t\u003cbr\u003e\t \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"City University of Hong Kong Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50473253077335,"sku":"9789629375775","price":24.76,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9789629375775.jpg?v=1744905868","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/my-dearest-martha-the-life-and-letters-of-eliza-hillier-9789629375775","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}