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The White Jade Fox
Saranna Stowell was sent to Tiensin, a manor near Baltimore, to act as governess for a young relative. She soon discovered that there was an impenetrable mystery hidden at the manor which seemed connected to treasures collected by the last owner, a sea captain trading in the Orient.
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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212 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
696 books1,389 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 22, 2023
Batshit gothic romance with actual foxes.
August 30, 2025
Gothic romance mysterium med massa rävar. Och massa rasistiska stereotyper.
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August 10, 2010I know I've read this before, but I retain very few memories of it. About all I can say right now is that Norton must at one point have been to the port at Baltimore (and/or museums pertaining thereto), since it features in several of her books (usually as no more than a transit point).
There's some evidence that there were meant to be I Ching hexagrams at the head of each chapter, but if so, they're not in this edition.
For once, in a Norton book, nobody dies. That's cause for celebration in itself. It's not clear when this book is set. There are internal references to Godey's Ladies' Book, which places it not earlier than 1830. The heroine's step-greatniece's grandfather was one of the earliest Americans to trade (on a strictly limited basis) in China, and this would probably have been around 1800.
I should note that the villain threatens several people with confinement in a mental institution. Since we tend to threaten people with things we fear ourselves, what might this mean she fears about herself? She threatens another character with a marriage by rape--what does that say about her own marital experience?
One would like to hope that the young Damaris would follow her patron (and, likely, foster-kinsman by marriage), and free the slaves at Tiensin. One of the minor characters is threatened with being sold downriver, and fears to help the protagonists with that threat hanging over her--if she'd been free, she might have dared to be more help.
There's some evidence that there were meant to be I Ching hexagrams at the head of each chapter, but if so, they're not in this edition.
For once, in a Norton book, nobody dies. That's cause for celebration in itself. It's not clear when this book is set. There are internal references to Godey's Ladies' Book, which places it not earlier than 1830. The heroine's step-greatniece's grandfather was one of the earliest Americans to trade (on a strictly limited basis) in China, and this would probably have been around 1800.
I should note that the villain threatens several people with confinement in a mental institution. Since we tend to threaten people with things we fear ourselves, what might this mean she fears about herself? She threatens another character with a marriage by rape--what does that say about her own marital experience?
One would like to hope that the young Damaris would follow her patron (and, likely, foster-kinsman by marriage), and free the slaves at Tiensin. One of the minor characters is threatened with being sold downriver, and fears to help the protagonists with that threat hanging over her--if she'd been free, she might have dared to be more help.
March 26, 2018
One of my Teen favorites,mystery and a good amount of spookiness with a mansion fulled with wonder. Not one of my favorite books anymore but still a page turner.
October 7, 2017
Not one of Andre Norton’s best
The story is simple enough. Young woman loses both parents and is forced to seek out distant relatives for help. The young woman, Saranna, has arrived to meet her half brother, but found his glamorous but odious daughter Honora instead. Saranna is pushed about by Honora like a pawn. There is a younger wild child in the story by the name of Damaris. There is where the simplicity stops.
Saranna is visited by a woman with the face of a fox and given a fox head pendant. Foxes run wild on the mysterious estate. All of the oriental treasures in the house disappear overnight. In that place, the fates of Saranna, Damaris and Honora will be determined. Resting on the revealed mysteries of the fox estate.
This book is acceptable as a Gothic Romance (which it is). The only problem is that Norton did much better work in Science Fiction, Fantasy and children’s literature. One only has to look to Lavender Green Magic or The Crystal Gryphon to see the difference.
This book is passable, readable and ends in a satisfactory manner, but is only a time filler.
The story is simple enough. Young woman loses both parents and is forced to seek out distant relatives for help. The young woman, Saranna, has arrived to meet her half brother, but found his glamorous but odious daughter Honora instead. Saranna is pushed about by Honora like a pawn. There is a younger wild child in the story by the name of Damaris. There is where the simplicity stops.
Saranna is visited by a woman with the face of a fox and given a fox head pendant. Foxes run wild on the mysterious estate. All of the oriental treasures in the house disappear overnight. In that place, the fates of Saranna, Damaris and Honora will be determined. Resting on the revealed mysteries of the fox estate.
This book is acceptable as a Gothic Romance (which it is). The only problem is that Norton did much better work in Science Fiction, Fantasy and children’s literature. One only has to look to Lavender Green Magic or The Crystal Gryphon to see the difference.
This book is passable, readable and ends in a satisfactory manner, but is only a time filler.
November 26, 2023
This book has all the classic Norton elements--a young woman, alone, fighting forces she does not fully understand, people that communicate with animals (foxes in this case), and the triumph of goodness over evil--but this time instead of a SF story, we have a gothic novel set in 19th-century Maryland. The results are mixed. The book takes a while to heat up, Norton's somewhat overwrought prose can be annoying, and the protagonist is a bit anemic. However, the historical detail is admirable and about half way through the novel the plot picks up pace and becomes more compelling.
September 26, 2025
Powerless
Having read the White Jade Fox when it was first published (1975 maybe) and again, today in 2025, just WOW. The novel is a terrific gothic novel of mystic and good and evil in people. Reading it now, I felt tremendous frustration about the helplessness of women back in the circa 1800’s. A reminder to us, women, to never give up our rights!
Having read the White Jade Fox when it was first published (1975 maybe) and again, today in 2025, just WOW. The novel is a terrific gothic novel of mystic and good and evil in people. Reading it now, I felt tremendous frustration about the helplessness of women back in the circa 1800’s. A reminder to us, women, to never give up our rights!
September 16, 2020
A different sort of tale from Norton but an intriguing one.
June 26, 2021
A quick and interesting read, very antiquated in some ways. Not historical fiction - a mild sort of fantasy.
Read
August 1, 2023Pretty good, not the typical style of book I read (supernatural romance), but overall it was a very fast read with a satisfying ending.
December 13, 2025
Do not let the cover of the book turn you away! This novel is an amazing mystery with many exciting parts. The characters are so well developed. I couldn’t put it down!
June 14, 2018
Another Fox Fantasy
This is the second fantasy I have read by this author. I was absolutely blown away by the first one “Imperial Lady”, and I am hoping for the same with this one. Saranna is a seventeen-year old orphan who is dependent upon her much older half-brother, Jethro, whom she doesn’t even know. She is escorted from her home to Baltimore by Mr Stranger, her half-brother’s attorney, and as they reach their destination, she meets former Captain, now Mr, Gerrad Fowkes whose home ‘Queen’s Pleasure’ is out of town. Unfortunately, she doesn’t see much of Jethro as he is about to embark on what may be a twelve-month absence, so he hands Saranna over to his daughter, the widowed Mrs Honora Whaley. Honora banishes Saranna to ‘Tientsin’ ostensibly to look after twelve-year old Damaris, Honora’s stepdaughter, until a new governess is employed.
There are tensions and undercurrents at ‘Tientsin’, with Mrs Parton, the housekeeper seemingly in charge and acting according to Honora’s orders. The house had been built by Captain Whaley, Damaris’ grandfather, who had spent many years living in China and the house is filled with treasures that the old Captain had collected over many decades. He had passed much of his knowledge about them to Damaris, along with his love and appreciation of the skilled artistry in many of the pieces. The atmosphere in the house is chilling and with Honora’s arrival shortly after Saranna’s, the atmosphere deteriorates into fear as Honora’s intentions slowly become evident to Saranna. There are mysteries at ‘Tientsin’, - why are foxes protected? - what lies behind the huge, tangled hedge? - known by Damaris, and unintentionally found by Saranna, that will have a profound effect.
This is an absorbing story with well-rounded and detailed characters, a smidgen of Chinese occult, but no real plot as such. It is very well-written and edited which makes for pleasurable reading, and there are some delightfully lyrical passages similar to those I found in “Imperial Lady”. This book doesn’t measure up to that one for me, but is a good four-star read.
This is the second fantasy I have read by this author. I was absolutely blown away by the first one “Imperial Lady”, and I am hoping for the same with this one. Saranna is a seventeen-year old orphan who is dependent upon her much older half-brother, Jethro, whom she doesn’t even know. She is escorted from her home to Baltimore by Mr Stranger, her half-brother’s attorney, and as they reach their destination, she meets former Captain, now Mr, Gerrad Fowkes whose home ‘Queen’s Pleasure’ is out of town. Unfortunately, she doesn’t see much of Jethro as he is about to embark on what may be a twelve-month absence, so he hands Saranna over to his daughter, the widowed Mrs Honora Whaley. Honora banishes Saranna to ‘Tientsin’ ostensibly to look after twelve-year old Damaris, Honora’s stepdaughter, until a new governess is employed.
There are tensions and undercurrents at ‘Tientsin’, with Mrs Parton, the housekeeper seemingly in charge and acting according to Honora’s orders. The house had been built by Captain Whaley, Damaris’ grandfather, who had spent many years living in China and the house is filled with treasures that the old Captain had collected over many decades. He had passed much of his knowledge about them to Damaris, along with his love and appreciation of the skilled artistry in many of the pieces. The atmosphere in the house is chilling and with Honora’s arrival shortly after Saranna’s, the atmosphere deteriorates into fear as Honora’s intentions slowly become evident to Saranna. There are mysteries at ‘Tientsin’, - why are foxes protected? - what lies behind the huge, tangled hedge? - known by Damaris, and unintentionally found by Saranna, that will have a profound effect.
This is an absorbing story with well-rounded and detailed characters, a smidgen of Chinese occult, but no real plot as such. It is very well-written and edited which makes for pleasurable reading, and there are some delightfully lyrical passages similar to those I found in “Imperial Lady”. This book doesn’t measure up to that one for me, but is a good four-star read.
October 18, 2015
Even with missing pages I found this a fast, enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews