The Journal of Rabbi Levy Wang

by David Harris Lang

1937 China; the Japanese Imperial Army is chewing up China. Three middle-aged friends, Westerners, who have lived in China for decades, are about to lose everything to the onslaught. Leave China or die. As their world collapses around them, a fur trader from New York, a Russian, and a Rabbi from Germany, learn that a race of Chinese Jews is about to become victims of a German and Japanese alliance to acquire a valuable ruby, supposedly hidden in their village of Kaifeng.

The three friends embark on one last adventure before leaving China, to save the Jews of Kaifeng and the jewel. Can they reach Kaifeng before the alliance bent on the destruction of the village gets to them? It’s a deadly pursuit across 1937 China, through Japanese controlled territory, Chinese bandits, and countless dangers and obstacles.The only clues to its location are written in a cryptic, twenty-year-old diary of a disillusioned Chinese Rabbi; the Journal of Rabbi Levy Wang. The three friends are tested to the extreme in a desperate attempt to warn their friends and find the jewel.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2014

About the author

David Harris Lang, a current resident of Hong Kong, has lived and worked in Asia much of his life. Besides being a prolific author of Asian-based thrillers, he is an international architect who brings an indelible sense of place’ to his writing as well as a deep understanding of Asian cultures, locales, and customs. His vivid fight scenes come from a life-long practice of the martial arts.

Reviews

[Robyn Echols · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Journal of Rabbi Levy Wang is an action-adventure that at times struck me as a fantasy novel, too. It is set in China in the late 1930’s at the time Japan was in the process of trying to conquer China. Many of us Americans who may have some familiarity with the growth of the Axis Powers may be more familiar with events in Europe and have a sense that Japan attacking Pearl Harbor was an event that came out of nowhere. That is not the case. Part of the premise of this novel is the early stages of Germany and Japan courting each other even as they remained cautious allies.

Towards the front of the book the author tells a history behind the existence and journey of a fabulous ruby, starting by playing fast and loose with the retelling of the Moses and Aaron leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt story. It ends up in a Chinese Jewish community of Kaifeng. Such a place did exist in the 1930’s. However, as the Rabbi Levy Wang questions his faith and seeks answers, he goes on a quest and takes the ruby with him. The only clues to the location where the good rabbi hid it are recorded in his journal found twenty years after his death.

The story follows the plethora of adventures of the three main Western characters—an American, a Russian and a German Jew. Juwu, a Chinese member of a resistance organization, was a fourth honorary member of this group on the quest. These middle-aged men used their wits and persistence more than brute strength to meet and overcome the challenges they faced in an effort to find the ruby. Along the way they met a wide variety of characters, helpful and not so helpful. Many of the cast of characters were Chinese and Japanese with a smattering of Germans and other Americans for good measure. It took a little doing for me to follow some of the names to keep track of the host of characters, but once I was able to identify the Chinese names from the Japanese, it became easier to keep track who was on what side.

Some characters came across as mystical, as if I had stumbled upon a fantasy novel. Some were contemplative, giving a sense of the religious teachings of China. Others were downright bizarre. They were all entertaining and they intertwined and moved the plot forward at warp speed. I especially enjoyed the scenes that took place in the mountainous regions, and recalling images of the mountains of China, I could picture myself there.

The author drew upon some of the stories told by his father and grandfather who were fur traders in China in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Also, he has lived in Japan and China and is currently living in Hong Kong. His understanding of these Asian cultures comes through in the book. This book is not for the faint of heart—there are some violent acts described—and the language was rough in spots. This was not a romance novel. It was fast-paced, laced with subtle humor in spots, and I enjoyed it very much.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I really want this to be a 4 1/2 star. I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

If I had not read his other book "Devil in Hong Kong" first, I would not have realized that he could write even better than this. This book is fast paced and exciting, with lots of twists and turns. As always his Asia springs to life in his writing and you find yourself picturing, feeling, smelling and tasting China and its different regions and people as he takes you on a blood-racing romp through the dangers of China in 1933. If you like writers who can transport you to exotic places without bogging you down in paragraphs of description, you need to read David Harris Lang's books. His protagonists are interesting and have some meat to them. If his books were movies they would definitely be advention/action movies, but set in spectacular scenery. If you like mellow, fall asleep, elevator music type books these are not for you. Otherwise, hang on and enjoy the ride.

My only complaint about this book is that there are just too many dangers. Without details I will just say that having the Germans, the Japanese, Chinese brigands, crazy "Empresses", psychotic priests and officers, drug-crazed loonies of both sexes, and the Chicago/San Francisco mob may have been one or two more dangers than I found believable in the short time line in this book. Still a great read!

[Book Bits-N-Bobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of three friends trying to find a lost treasure, all while evading capture of many different groups out for their blood and the treasure. I jumped on the chance to review this book because I had previously read A Devil In Hong Kong and really enjoyed it. This book is very enjoyable but I think Author David Harris Lang’s writing style has come into its own on his later books. The flow of this book is not quite as smooth, but it is still engrossing and thoroughly enjoyable.
The narrative jumps; not only between different people, but also between different time periods. However it is done so well that instead of feeling lost you are able to remember each character vividly, many of which meet a sticky end. This style of narration also gives you a full story rounding out all the missing pieces. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or action/adventure. As a warning this book does contain strong language, drug use, and many people are killed off, but it isn’t grotesque. I gave this 4.5 stars so it is rounded up to a 5

I received a copy from Loving The Book in exchange for my honest review.

[Brittany Henderson Dhawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only can I count this new author as a friend, but as a first published book I have to give this one a full five stars. The story has developed a page-turning action / adventure, but also well developed locations and characters with depth. This is no easy task for a writer, so you can see how closely the story comes from the life of the author. All in all a great read which I'm going to pass along to others this Christmas;-)

[A. McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one wonderfully written adventure and action filled book. I enjoyed it all the way through. It was a fast paced read that left me wanting to read my of this authors work. For this one there was a lot of description that definitely made the pictures vivid and made this a fantastic read.

I, Amber McCarty ( Imaginative Dreams), was given a copy for an honest review.