That is all totally beside the point except that the statement comes to mind tonight as I think about the
novel I just finished. I can’t say it exactly
“restored my faith in literature,” because I’ve never lost that faith. But it
did remind me of what real and robust storytelling can be and do in a world
where it seems we lazily apply that term (storytelling) to everything under
the sun.
The book, Jade Dragon Mountain, is a debut historical mystery by Elsa Hart, and the tale woven
across its 300-some pages is alluring and rich like the cover. Exiled librarian
Li Du, who is traveling in a western corner of China in the early 18th century,
finds himself in the role of detective after crossing paths with a kind and
curious Jesuit astronomer discovered dead just days before the arrival of the
emperor. As a long-anticipated festival looms, all in honor of a solar eclipse
widely considered the work of the emperor himself, time is of the essence. Somewhat
reluctantly, Li Du suspends his solo travels to investigate the killing, an
inconvenient development in the eyes of the ambitious local magistrate.
I am no mystery aficionado (though I want to read more of
them after this!), but I loved this book. Somehow it manages a quick pace and
plot alongside sentence-level delights of language. In addition, Hart’s
understanding of the history and geography comes across with confidence and
care, leaving me with a welcome glimpse of people and places about
which I have known so very little.
There are compelling stories within the story, too. Thanks
to the presence of the character Hamza, a travelling storyteller who befriends
Li Du, the book introduces us to
not only the city of Dayan (now Lijiang, where Hart drafted the novel) but to other faraway locales through Hamza's dramatic storytelling. Seamlessly told, the yarns tie nicely
into the action of the overarching story, while also hinting that there are
many more stories to come from this talented author.
And then of course there are the characters, who for all
their no-doubt-carefully-planned-out usefulness to a satisfying story full of
twists and surprises, are rendered with delightful relatability and depth.
Lastly, I loved the descriptions of tea, broth, wine and all
sorts of tantalizing earthly goodness in this book. Two Sundays ago, I could
not have been more happy than I was that afternoon, curled up on the couch with
tea, cat, Jade Dragon Mountain and
an impending eclipse of our own.