Ning recalls that "from the time I was conceived, the fortunes of my family went down." Born in 1867 and never formally educated, Ning met with one hardship after another as she struggled to support her children without much help from her opium-addicted husband. An inspiring account of a lively and driven woman. Originally published in 1945, Ning's tale was told to the American writer Ida Pruitt, born in China.  (CHN274, $22.95)