Reviews of Two Novels of China During Two Wars, 1918 and 1937: Historical Fiction

The Porcelain Moon

by 

Janie Chang

Genre: historical novel, WWI novel

Expected publication: February 21st, 2023; William Morrow

The historical aspect of this novel is as important if not more important than the novel's basic plot of marriage and romance in the early 1900s during WWI. 

Pauline Deng and her cousin Theo are Chinese who have spent many years living in France working in Theo's father's antique shop. They are both reluctant to return to Shanghai for arranged marriages to people they have never met.

I was also fascinated by the little known, overlooked part of history, of over 140,000 Chinese laborers and peasants  brought over to help the WWI war effort in Europe, in non-combatant work such as clearing battlefields, loading goods and ammunition on trucks and trains, keeping the railroads running, and soul-destroying jobs such as handling decayed corpses in the trenches.

Pauline and Theo are a fascinating part of the novel, as they struggle to keep their freer life in France, in spite of the war.  There is danger for both of them, and possible death, as they try to find their way during wartime France.

An excellent read. 

The Library of Legends

by 

Janie Chang

Published May 12th 2020 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre: historical fiction, magical realism, romance

Hu Lian and Shao, students at Minghua University in Nanking in war torn China of 1937, flee with their professors and other students into the countryside, taking for safe keeping the Library of Legends, precious books of Chinese literature. With the students is an immortal, a Star, posing as a humble servant girl. The magical elements of celestial beings, gods, guardian spirits, and other immortals pepper this novel, giving a fantastical flair to the novel that describes the drudgery and danger during this long and arduous trip.  Hu Lian and Shao later leave the group and travel to Shanghai to find their mothers, who are both in danger and ill. Their stories give a personal side to these historical events of universities moving to the Western provinces on foot, dodging the enemy planes and troops during the second Sino-Japanese War between China and the empire of Japan. The historical background, the mixture of the magical into the novel, the well developed characters, their romances, and their stories, and the legends made this book both informative and a delight to read. I had my fill of Chinese history from WWI and WWII eras, as I read the two books back to back and quickly wrote the reviews.  I was entralled by the lushness of the descriptive prose and the characters who were individualized and complex.  What are you reading this week?  Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon, Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday

Sunday Salon: Two Paradises and the Wrong Mother

I am reading less. For many reasons, reading has lost its appeal, gradually, since the beginning of the stay-at-home orders. I've also canceled subscription to Kindle Unlimited, so several books will disappear from my e-reader at the end of today.

 But there are lots of books on shelves waiting to be picked up and read, and the library has many e-books to lend. 

Along with the disinclination to read a lot as I used to, comes the disillusionment with my once favorite genres - psychological thrillers whose plots I cannot remember or keep straight even though I enjoyed them while I was reading; police procedurals which seem dry and unoriginal; contemporary fiction that seem superficial and thus uninteresting. 

Whatever the reason, I hope to find the odd book that will grab my attention again. I just finished Saving Paradise by Mike Bond, whose thrillers on politics and international affairs I still enjoy.

Saving Paradise

Saving Paradise is set in the Hawaiian islands and features a surfer and Special Forces veteran, Pono Hawkins, who gets involved in fighting corporations and politicians wanting to change parts of the islands into giant windmill farms. 

Pono discovers the body of Sylvia, a journalist covering the island windmill deals, and vows to find her killers, thus putting himself in danger from those involved in national and international interests threatening his beloved islands. 

The suspense of chases across the islands and on the ocean separating the islands made the book entertaining. Some armchair travel and an intriguing plot with unusual characters made this book one I was able to stick with! 

Another book I liked:

The Wrong Mother

The Wrong Mother's compelling and intricate plotting made me want to read more of Sophie Hannah's books.
Just when you had it figured out and all seems to be revealed in this psychological mystery, you are turned on your head. The ending is brilliant.

On my ebook reading list:

The Library of Legends

The Price of Paradise

What are you reading this week?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon