The Master Jeweler - in 1920s Shanghai, a young woman learns the art of jewelry making.

This sweeping tale begins in 1925. Fifteen-year-old Anya Zhang is living in Harbin, China, with her mother. When she finds an irreplaceable Fabergé egg in the snow, she does the right thing, returning it to its owner, jeweler Isaac Mandelburg, who was frantically searching for it before his train's departure to Shanghai. Issac and his family were seeking refuge from the growing antisemitism in Russia, where he had crafted jewelry for the Imperial Family. Issac gives Anya his address, inviting her to visit him. She is soon orphaned and decides to travel to Shanghai, hoping Issac will take her in. Inspired by the beauty of the Fabergé egg, Anya is determined to learn from Issac how to design jewelry. As the years pass, the Mandelburgs become Anya's new family, and her talent in designing jewelry grows. Around them, the streets of Shanghai are filled with gangs, treacherous thieves, and violence. And as war looms near, Japanese soldiers occupy the city. Anya's engrossing journey, filled with triumphs and tragedy, continues.

The Master Jeweler by Weina Dai Randel is a transportive reading experience that is much more than a coming-of-age story of Anya, who starts as a naive, impulsive girl and evolves into a woman trying to survive. It also explores the plight of a Jewish family living in China, the art of jewelry making, and the political atmosphere leading to World War II. All fascinating.

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the advance.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Historical Fiction.

Publication Date: June 24, 2025.

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