This is one long melodrama of a woman's never-ending struggle to keep herself and her family fed and clothed. Kuei-mei (Gui-mei) leaves her home and a lover in mainland China to go live in Taiwan, obeying her father's orders. Once there, she is forced into a marriage of convenience with a self-pitying widower who is the father of three children. Accepting her lot as unalterable, she makes the best of it even when her husband loses his job. Throughout heart-wrenching difficulties that take them from Taiwan to Japan and back again, Kuei-mei is a pillar of strength. This is definitely not a film dedicated to feminists.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide