Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze

By Elizabeth Foreman Lewis

Book Overview

When Young Fu arrives with his mother in bustling 1920s Chungking, all he has seen of the world is the rural farming village where he has grown up. He knows nothing of city life. But the city, with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312380070
• ISBN13: 9780312380076
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Square Fish
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.5" x 0.8" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

This is a great book!

I was sorry to see that many kids had trouble reading this book. It's true that it may seem to bog down in spots, but only to build up to the next interesting bit that comes along. This book is very well written, but, alas, it is not geared towards the younger set. One could compare it to, say, the Hornblower novels, or A Single Shard... Perhaps the problem is with the Chinese culture being so different, but the main thrust of the book is a rags-to-riches theme, much like Horatio Alger's books, but not so simplistic. People who have read the other works I mentioned should enjoy this book with little or no problem. But I know that there are cultures which I don't want to read about, maybe the Orient isn't your cup of tea (pun?)... I wish it had been longer, as thick as "Shogun" or something...

Great Book For Readers

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze is a wonderful book that I could continue reading a long time. The literature provided by Elizabeth Foreman is rich with interesting characters and a lush background. It seems like you want to get inside of the book and find out what's going on in their heads. The story is set in 1920's China after the Empress dies. There is turmoil and mayhem. Looting and theivery is expected every day. Corrupt soldiers wander the streets looking for an unexpected peasant to push around. Fu is a young boy from the countryside who has come to the city after his father dies. Fu Be Be is Young Fu's mother and she is wary about moving to the dangerous and exhilarating life of the city. Fu is an apprentice to a craftsman named Tang. Immediately Fu is thrust into a whirlwind of responsibility and he shows his soft side. Many obstacles are thrown his way, but he always keeps his humanity intact. When an American woman needs help from a burning building, Fu pushes aside the tales of them and how they can inflict evil upon contact. To see an Chinese book being written by an American is refreshing for the mind.

A beautiful, well-written book that teaches "values"

This book was so interesting from the cultural as well as human point of view. It is a great book for children as well as adults to read. It can serve as a point of departure for discussions on such things as what is right and wrong -- the little boy is always faced with difficult decisions to make, and what are some differences with the way people live in other countries. This book shows what is "good" by example, yet it is charming and delightful to read.