Rating: Needs Parent Supervision

Reading level: Middle School, High School

This would be a great book for exposing students to an entirely different culture. The story is simultaneously sweet and alarming as it reveals the cultural rules that oppressed women during The Choson Dynasty in Korea.

Possible Concerns:

  • Luck. Jade refers to luck several times; carries a charm for luck
  • Ancestor worship. Ancestor worship is present
  • Oppression of women. Girls don’t go to school and are confined to their husbands’ homes. You don’t go out of the family courtyard unless your brother gets married, you get married, or someone dies. Period. (Yikes!!!)

Things I like:

  • Contrasts to Christian views of women. There could be great conversations about how Christianity changes everything. There is so much contrast: hospitality/treatment of strangers; treatment of women; worship practices; reaching out to other countries vs. closing off from the outside world.
  • Justice. Jade wrestles with the rules and even approaches her father to stand up for a man who is fired because of her.
  • Problem-Solving. Jade finds ways to solve problems; she uses a seesaw to see the outside world

Discussion Questions:

  • What differences and what similarities do you see between your life and Jade’s life?
  • How do you think that the teachings of Christ would change Jade’s world?
  • Jade approaches her father with caution because it is not common for a girl to approach her father if he doesn’t call for her. How do you feel when you approach your father? How do you feel when you approach your heavenly father? The prophets and priests in ancient times approached God’s throne with fear and trembling. Why does the bible say we can approach God’s throne with confidence?
  • Jade approaches her dad to advocate for someone that she had wronged. Have you ever done something wrong that hurt someone else? How did you respond? Did it seem to make things right again? What does God do when we do something wrong?