The Library of Legends

Chang (Dragon Springs Road) explores the effects of the Second Sino-Japanese War on students in this spellbinding tale. In 1937, after the Japanese bomb Nanking, students at Minghua University flee to an interim campus in Chengtu, including a group entrusted with Minghua’s sacred 147 encyclopedia volumes from the Ming dynasty, known as the Library of Legends. Hu Lian, 19, enrolled in Minghua to study the volumes. Now, on the journey with them to Chengtu, she is intent on letting her mother in Shanghai know about the evacuation as she befriends fellow student Liu Shaoming “Shao” and his servant, Sparrow. Their travels are fraught with the perils of bombing raids and poor living conditions, yet Lian continues her research on Willow Star, a legend about an immortal princess who returns to Earth with each of her reincarnations, and begins falling for Shao. In a supernatural twist, Lian discovers Sparrow is Willow Star, and fears that as long as Sparrow remains on Earth, Shao will never return her love. As the journey becomes more dangerous, Shao and Sparrow join Lian as she veers off for Shanghai where she hopes to find her mother. Chang expertly weaves mysticism and historical details, and sets up a cast of memorable characters. This will charm readers from the very first page. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. (May)