A Woman’s Empire: Russian Women and Imperial Expansion in Asia

“A Woman’s Empire is a compellingly written, methodically researched, and persuasive study of empire. It provides insightful readings of lesser-known texts and paints an engaging picture of how women contributed to colonial discourse by upholding the legitimacy of Russian rule in Central Asia and beyond, while at times critiquing their own unequal status and the failures of imperial expansion. Hokanson’s impressive study is an essential book for historians, literary scholars, and students of gender studies, postcolonial studies, and travel writing.” Colleen Lucey, University of Arizona, Slavic Review

"Empire is, by default, a masculinist project. A Woman’s Empire challenges this view from both within and below. It takes the reader on a breathtaking journey across imperial Russia’s Asiatic frontiers, seen through the eyes of a remarkable set of women writers, artists, scientists, and spiritual leaders who contributed as much to the imperial project as they critiqued and undermined its foundational assumptions."

Anindita Banerjee, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, Cornell University

"Katya Hokanson’s new book stands out as a valuable contribution to the study of the Russian empire and its literary representations. It offers the most comprehensive analysis of female writers travelling to the eastern borderlands of the empire and beyond. By focusing on the issues of gender and colonial difference, Hokanson explores when, how, and with what results women added their unique perspectives to the predominantly male business of empire-building."

Olga Maiorova, Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan