Jul 24, 2015

Book Beginning: CONFUCIUS JADE by Frederick Fisher

The Friday 56: *Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader. Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. Post it. Add your (url) post in Linky at Freda's Voice.
Also, visit Book Beginning at Rose City Reader


Confucius Jade by Frederick Fisher, published February 11, 2010 by Dudley Court Press
Genre: historical fiction
Book beginning:
Prologue - Mangin Taung, Burma 
Under gray skies, leaden with the September monsoon, the burros wound their way down the mountain, known as Mangin Taung in northern Burma. Twelve of the pack animals were tethered to each other. A drover led the train and another followed. An A frame of rough hewn wood, strapped over hemp-pad blankets, burdened the sturdy animals. They bore fifty-kilo burlap sacks containing jade boulders, lashed tightly to each side of the frame. Twelve hundred kilos of precious jade rough traveled on a route from the ancient mines at Hpakant in the Kachin Territory to Rangoon, far to the south. 
Page 56:  Only a storyteller could imagine how the jade came from the mountains of Kachin, split and lay there many years at this precise bend of the river, to be discovered by our Mei Hua. Only a storyteller could imagine what would emerge from the jade to affect the lives of so many. 

About the book: A fantastic jade carving of Shou-Xing Lao, the Chinese God of Longevity has mystical properties and guides the Kong family from Burma back to their homeland of China, then to family in San Francisco's Chinatown and a high-stakes bidding war among three billionaires - each of whom covets the priceless jade for its promise of long life and redemption. A Japanese pearl magnate, an Arabian oil sheik and an American media mogul find their destinies intertwined in this compelling epic of loyalty and treachery, generosity and greed, deception and love. (pubisher)

My comments: I am always willing to give interesting historical fiction a try, to get what nuggets of history I can while reading. The author is a certified gemologist and registered jeweler with the American Gem Society for many years. Until recently, he and his wife spent six months each year in Southeast Asia. I am eager to read what he has to say about this fascinating subject - jade and the ancient myths surrounding it. 

I received a review/feature copy of this book from the publisher. 

10 comments:

  1. I know exactly nothing about jade. This does sound interesting.

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  2. While I sometimes a good historical fiction novel, I don't pick it up as often as I should. I may add this to my tbr! :)
    Check out my Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings).

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  3. Hi!
    Sounds really good. I love Historical books. Have a great day!

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  4. I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but this one does sound interesting to me too. Thanks for sharing and have a good weekend.
    sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes

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  5. Jade and all the mysteries surrounding it fascinate me as well so this book looks really interesting. Hope you enjoy it!

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  6. The beginning and your quote are both very atmospheric. I'm most curious and need to read some historical fiction again:)

    My 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/07/24/the-friday-56-70-fudging-the-books-by-daryl-wood-gerber/

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  7. The premise of this book is fascinating to me. It's fun to learn a little history while enjoying a compelling story, isn't it? This sounds like a good book.
    My Friday post features The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty.

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  8. I've never heard of this one before but it sounds interesting. Happy reading!

    My Friday 56 can be found here: http://tsundokubooks.blogspot.com/2015/07/friday-56-blood-of-olympus.html

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  9. This one was a sleeper for me. Hope you enjoy it more!
    Happy weekend!

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  10. I like historical fiction and I have never tried anything like Confucius Jade so I will have to watch for it. Happy Friday!

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