Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze is a Young Adult historic fiction novel, a vivid and well-presented story of China during the dark and dangerous 1920's after the death of empress Tzu Hsi and before the Communist revolution. After his father's death, Young Fu and his mother Fu Be Be move from a small village to the big city of Chungking in central China . He works as an apprentice to Tang the coppersmith. Through Young Fu we come to know the people and culture of China; their life of hardship and poverty; their dedication to their family and honor for their elders; and their great respect for education. The introduction to this book is written by Pearl S. Buck with a forward by Katherine Paterson, both serving as an introduction to young adults (and their parents) to the ancient and magnificent culture of China. ( )

I really enjoyed this look at life in the Chinese city Chungking at the turn of the century. Watching Young Fu come of age was enjoyable and his experiences and life are interesting in terms of Chinese culture. It is clear that Ms. Lewis loved China and the people she came to know. ( )

Might be described as a rags-to-riches story. Young Fu is a country boy who is apprenticed to a master coppersmith during the turbulent 1920's China.