Anne Walthall's work delves into the profound impact of historical shifts on individual lives, with a particular focus on women's experiences. She critically examines the societal structures and forces that shaped daily realities across various historical periods. Walthall's scholarship offers deep insights into often overlooked aspects of history, emphasizing personal narratives within broader societal transformations. Her approach illuminates the complex interplay between individual agency and large-scale historical change.
Presenting the biography of Matsuo Taseko, a peasant woman of the Tokugawa period, honoured and then adopted as a patron saint by rightist nationalists, this text gives perspectives on the practices and intellectual concerns of rural entrepreneurs and their role in the Meiji Restoration.
The first book to tackle the importance of women's networks for civil society in Japan in th nineteenth century. The essays traverse the divide when Japan started transforming itself from a decentralized to a centralized government, and from legally imposed restrictions on movement to the breakdown of travel barriers.