Reviews

Letters in the Jade Dragon Box by Gale Sears

elizabethkerr's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

elsiebrady's review

3.0

Really a 3.5 rating. It was an interesting perspective from Hong Kong of Mao's China in the 1970's.

k_lee_reads_it's review

3.0

While I didn't find this well written, I greatly enjoyed this glimpse into China's tumultuous history.

I knew much about Mao and the catastrophic movements he imposed on his people. So sad.

I loved how the author added footnotes about the Communist rule and of the earlier history of China. While I've read many novels about China, very few connect the history.

I learned of the beauty of the city of Guilin. Awe inspiring.

I felt like the LDS Church in Hong Kong was a very small, but interesting part of the story.

I recommend reading it if you are interested in China.

nomiclature's review

emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

readerturnedwriter's review

5.0

I did not have high expectations for this book. I am not generally as interested in Chinese history and the cover did not look all that interesting, but this book literally blew me away. I finished it in a day because I couldn't put it down. I learned so much about Chinese history and culture without ever feeling the history was overdone or boring. I loved the characters and the author did such a wonderful job of character and relationship development. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a new historical fiction to read. I also think it's a great one to start with if you are just getting into Chinese history (speaking as one who knows very little about Chinese culture and history).

ghumpherys's review

4.0

4.5 stars. This was an interesting, and at times heart-breaking, historical novel about a Chinese girl who escaped the China of Mao Tse-tung and goes to live with her great uncle in Hong Kong. I listened to the audiobook and wished I could have had the author's footnotes about which people and events were historically accurate. I was also expecting there to be more of the story related to the beginnings of the church in Hong Kong, but that did not take away from the beautiful story.

danaleanne's review

4.0

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. At times the dialogue was pretty sappy, but the letters were really well written. also, I didn't learn anything new about Chinese history, but it was still interesting to read and try to imagine what those people went through.

mstaker's review

4.0

Really interesting book. It was a little slow in parts but I loved how I was introduced to a period of time and place that I had known little about. The characters were solid and I loved how their relationships developed. Fun read.

shaegeeksout's review

4.0

This book is an interesting look at 1970's Hong Kong, and the early beginnings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there. If you have an interest in history, Chinese culture, or people growing towards the LDS Faith, then I would check out this book!

charlottereadsbooks's review

3.0

This was an enjoyable book that gave me more insight into Communist China and the trials the Chinese people endured. This book read more like a young-adult novel to me, especially since the main character is a fifteen-year-old girl. I also found the development of Wen-Shan's relationship with her great-uncle endearing. I appreciated the notes at the end of each chapter, because going into this book I didn't know much about Chinese culture or Mao's years of power. It was also interesting to learn more about the LDS influence in Hong Kong.