Legends of the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng

This slim book tells the story of the Jewish people of China, how they got to Kaifeng and established themselves. It builds upon the legends inscribed on stele, with the intention of making them more real and accessible to modern English-language readers. Not only are there stories of the early period of the Chinese Jewish people, but there are also stories of more modern times, including examples from the 20th century.

The fact that there were Jewish immigrants to China is not well known, but this book is a nice introduction to them and the blending of their traditions with the Chinese culture. The illustrations are a good visual supplement to the legends - they, too, blend a traditional Chinese art style with Western illustration show more style.

Despite the interesting subject matter, I was disappointed with the book. I felt that there were too many liberties taken with the legends and they were embellished too much by the writers. I wish they had been presented as they are on the stele, though in translation, of course, so that I could make my own judgments. However, I am not necessarily the target audience, and this book is more suited to casual readers than academics studying folklore. show less

For my library I am categorizing the book as Children's Literature. As an interesting and useful read for children I give the book four stars. As a historical, informative read for adults I give the book two stars. The use of quotation marks around invented hundreds-of-years-old dialogues among the characters reduces the reality of the legends.

NO OF PAGES: 140 SUB CAT I: Chinese Jews SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: The interesting and profoundly inspiring story of Chinese Jews.NOTES: SUBTITLE: