The Library of Legends

Janie Chang is a master writer who weaves the power of myth into her story of a 1937 escape of Chinese university students as Japanese bombs drop on their city. Charged with protecting an irreplaceable trove of ancient books, the students face air raids, a ragged life on the road, and a growing fear of traitors from within. The Library of Legends is an evocative tale of love, war, and survival, beautifully written.

Library of Legends pulled me into the history and tragedy of the 1937 Japanese bombing of Nanking, China. Janie Chang’s novel relates the true and heroic narrative of a group of Minghua University students and faculty who embark upon a thousand-mile journey, mostly on foot, carrying the priceless 500-year-old Library of Legends. As a bibliophile, I couldn’t help but love how Chang eloquently braids this true story into the fascinating legends and mythology of ancient China. I lived this novel!

Chronicling the real-life evacuation of Chinese university students during the Battle of Nanking, Janie Chang makes history and magic come alive in The Library of Legends, perfectly tying together the trials and tribulations of a group of students evacuating Nanking with the myths and legends that they’re sworn to protect – and which protect them in turn over the dangerous 1,000-mile journey to safety. Quite simply, this book is magical.