Through multiple stories of courage and determination, never previously explored, the book shows how, in the masculineworld of treaty port China, the wives of consular officials forged and sustained the British presence, despite facing significant challenges and being systematically ignored by the Foreign Office. It goes on to show how through family connection, correspondenceand travel, they extended the British world by building networks linking the metropole to treaty port China and passing on their experiences on to the next generation.Focussing on a category of women who, until now, have been ignored, it demonstrates how such lives can be drawn out of the shadows to present a new and important aspect of Britain’s imperial project.