Dragon Spring Road by Janie Chang

Author : Janie Chang
Title : Dragon Spring Road
Published : 09/02/2017
Pages : 400
Genre : Historical Fiction
Publisher : William Morrow Paperbacks

     In 1908, Jialing is only seven years old when she is abandoned in the courtyard of a once-lavish estate near Shanghai. Jialing is zazhong-Eurasian-and faces a lifetime of contempt from both Chinese and Europeans. Without her mother's protection, she can survive only if the estate's new owners, the Yang family, agree to take her in. Jialing finds allies in Anjuin, the eldest Yang daughter, and Fox, an animal spirit who has lived in the haunted courtyard for centuries. But Jialing's life as the Yangs' bond servant changes unexpectedly when she befriends a young English girl who then mysteriously vanishes.

     This was yet another book I came to by way of recommendation, But after reading the blurb I was glad someone had mentioned it to me. China is a land steeped in tales both old and new, They run through the very fabric of the country and have spread out far beyond its borders. The time period in which this book is set was a bore witness to a great many upheavals for its people, the old ways were starting to be pushed out in favor of influences from the west. An i was curious to see how there author would use her heroine to explore the theme.

     The author delivers an amazing story about a woman caught in an ever-changing current of her time. From the moment we first meet her, her life is thrown into chaos, She is viewed by others as someone less than, this in part down to her being half chines and the daughter of the family help. She does not come across as strong-willed as some leads I have come across but in part, I think this fitting for the space she inhabits. Her life choices were always going to be limited by her social standing. This does not, however, lessen the story anymore, It serves to highlight the struggles of many women held in place by the societies they a born into. Jailing has to fight for even the simplest of things such as a roof over her head and a job to pay her bills. I think too often we take things for granted simple liberties such as feeling safe in our own homes. 

     As we witness her life go by the things she hopes for change and give birth to newer ways of looking at the world presented to her. She is a character I grew fond of the more time I spent with. The supporting cast serves to show the way Chinese peoples views on their country were forced to change and gave way to what it has become in the times we live in now. How the wealth of yesterday was eroded away and gave way to a dramatic shift in the social hierarchic.

     The style in which this book is written gives off an almost lyrical feel as you read it. With its blending of historical fiction and magical realism, it forms a great bond with the myths and fairy tales of ancient China. The Fox spirit acting as jailing's guide on her life path shows that even their plights are not always the happiest. That since the first grains of sand have fallen over there country most of it people have live hard lives. It is through all this that the author raises questions that go beyond our cast and on to China as a whole. Looking at its treatment of women and those the deemed to not be worthy of reaching lofty heights, It is I suppose still a problem that rears its head in modern times. There are however still moments of lighter tones and hope within the novel bring a breath of air to the book and allowing Jailing's story to not be one of hopelessness and despair. 

     This was a book that took me in and showed me a life that is very different to my own, As is so often the case with great books. It allows the reader a place to question what they think they know of a country and it's people all the while laying down a solid story to keep you entertained.