author
Nellie Naomi Russell
1862–1911
Drawn from years of close experience in China, these stories open a window onto folklore, daily life, and the cross-cultural curiosity that shaped her work. Her writing feels both reflective and immediate, preserving tales she believed were worth carrying home to new readers.
1 Audiobook
Gleanings from Chinese folklore
by Nellie Naomi Russell
About the author
Born in 1862, she was an American missionary who spent much of her working life in China. Reliable catalog and author records consistently connect her with Gleanings from Chinese Folklore, the book for which she is best known today.
That collection was published after her death and brings together retellings of Chinese folk traditions along with pieces about life in China and memorial sketches from people who knew her. The result is more than a folklore anthology: it also gives a sense of the personal commitment and cultural interest behind her work.
She died in 1911, and the surviving public records I found suggest a life remembered mainly through this single, distinctive volume. Even so, that book has given her a lasting place among early writers who introduced English-language readers to Chinese storytelling.