Anna Louise Strong's lifelong pursuit of a new social order was evident in her early independence both in character and thought. Her career was initially associated with the promotion of children's welfare; then the workers' movement both in her own country and later in the Soviet Union; and finally her commitment to reporting revolutionary fervor and corresponding achievements in various Asian countries, most notably China, where she spent the last twelve years of her life. An enormously productive and enthusiastic writer, Strong published more than thirty books in her life, as well as many news articles in both mainstream and labor-supported publications.

Strong's progressive spirit has often been attributed to her ancestors. Her parents' ancestors on both sides were colonial founders of their towns. Sydney Dix Strong, her father, was a minister, known not only for his religious devotion but also for his progressive leadership of his congregation...