The Rock Maiden

By Natasha Yim, Pirkko Vainio (illustrator),

Book cover of The Rock Maiden: A Chinese Tale of Love and Loyalty

Book description

When her fisherman husband fails to come home after a storm at sea, the beautiful maiden Ling Yee is heartbroken. Every morning, she puts her baby on her back and clambers to the top of a cliff looking for any signs of his return. But day after day, she is…

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Mythology

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Rock Maiden as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Shirin Yim Bridges

Author

This book presents mythology from my own Chinese culture—specifically, a legend from Hong Kong, where I lived from the age of seven to sixteen. We used to go on drives into the countryside on the weekends—Hong Kong still had some semblance of countryside then—and we’d often see the Amah Rock looming above us in the distance. This book tells the sad and poignant legend behind that rock. I love how it takes a tale specific to one geographical spot—one small pile of stones—and turns it into a universal story about love and loyalty. What also makes it special is that…

From Shirin's list on children’s stories introducing history and culture.