The Library of Legends by Janie Chang
Vancouver, British Columbia-based author Janie Chang is headlining Whatcom County Library System’s second Open Book: a Festival for Readers at the Ferndale Events Center on Nov. 3. Known for her rich historical fiction, Chang crafts family dramas, often weaving in Chinese culture. Her 2:30 p.m. talk at Open Book, “Inspiration, Research and Serendipity,” will focus on her bestselling novel, “The Library of Legends.”
Though Chang has many compelling and well-researched historical novels to her credit, including “The Porcelain Moon,” “Dragon Springs Road,” “Three Souls” and “The Phoenix Crown,” which she co-authored with Kate Quinn, “The Library of Legends” was an obvious choice for WCLS’s all-day celebration of libraries and reading. Set in 1937 just as the Japanese begin attacking Nanking, China, the book follows 19-year-old Hu Lian, a student at Minghua University.
Lian is en route to the train station in Nanking, frantic to meet up with her mother in Shanghai when “bombs began falling, like beads slipping off a necklace.” Forced to retreat to her university, Lian is pressed into service by Professor Kang, her Classics instructor, for an important mission for the Ministry of Education: join 123 fellow students and professors to transport the Library of Legends safely out of Nanking.
As its name implies, the Library of Legends is a rare and precious cultural treasure consisting of 147 volumes recording Chinese myths and folklore. Commissioned 500 years earlier during the Ming Dynasty, it’s the only remaining section of the 11,000-volume Jingtai Encyclopedia. Each student is entrusted with one volume, and required to carry it more than a thousand miles across China to safety. As a precaution in case a volume is destroyed during its journey, Professor Kang implores his students to read the stories in their care.
Lian and her fellow students name themselves the “Minghua 123” and set out with resolve, trepidation and even a little excitement as the university evacuates the city. Initially more focused on the physical hardships of walking for hours on end, the students are naïve and less concerned about the threat of Japanese soldiers. As days and miles add up, Lian is exposed to the realities and terrors of war, even as a romance blossoms with a handsome classmate, Liu Shaoming. It becomes increasingly evident that supernatural forces are at work protecting the students — immortals that come to life as the precious stories cross the country.
Chang presents a tale that is bittersweet and grounded in historical accuracy, laced with mysticism and magical realism with a dash of mystery and politics. Readers who enjoy learning about the history and culture of China, mythology or lesser-known aspects of World War II will find much to appreciate. Be aware that this is not straight-up historical fiction; there are guardian spirits, magic and dragons. A story, “The Willow Star and the Prince” figures prominently, and gives a taste of Chinese folklore.
Meet author Chang at Open Book on Nov. 3, where she will speak about how she chooses stories to tell, how she conducts her research and how this impacts the end product. Open Book runs from noon to 5 p.m.; Chang will speak at 2:30 p.m.
Info: wcls.org/openbook.
Christine Perkins is executive director of the Whatcom County Library System, wcls.org.
(Originally published in Cascadia Daily News, Monday, October 28, 2024.)