National Network for Equitable Library Service

"The wild folk in Pleasant Valley were whispering strange stories to one another. If the stories were true, they were most amazing.

Arthur Scott Bailey (1877 – 1949) was the author of more than forty children’s books. “Mr.

Arriving in late 19th-century China with her missionary parents, Pearl Buck is soon fascinated by her new home and strikes up a friendship with a young Chinese girl named Willow.

Late 19th-century China is a tumultuous land beset by warring enemies--both from beyond its borders and within the fabled walls of the Forbidden City.