Ezra. Holman Christian Standard Bible

 The book of Ezra in the Old Testament occurs during Israel's exile and involves the rebuilding of the Temple. 

One thing that caught my attention in this book is the last two chapters, it talks about the people of Israel intermarrying with the pagan people of the surrounding countries. When this matter was brought up, the people of Israel repented and it was decided that they would send away their pagan wives and the children they had with them.

In our own culture, this seems harsh. And maybe it was in their culture as well. The point I took from it is this: God made a covenant with the nation of Israel to remain separate, including racially separate from those around them. Not as a matter of racial supremacy, but because God wanted them to be defined as His chosen people, chosen to bring salvation to the world. There were exceptions made in His law, but the non-Israelites intermarrying had to completely forsake their gods, religion, and culture and follow the law of the covenant to be accepted.  In this case, that is not what was happening. The pagan wives were drawing their husbands away from God into idolatry. The end result, I am sure was messy and devastating, as I am sure in some way they must have loved their wives and children. 

Sometimes hard choices have to be made when it comes to obedience to God. Sometimes we may do something that we know is outside of God's will and will never be accepted in God's eyes. Sometimes we embrace those relationships, those choices, and paths, until it becomes intertwined with us and it just seems normal. But it isn't and if we want to be right with God, we have to align ourselves with God's word and his will, and have to let it go. It gets messy, and it's painful, but then God can begin healing us, and redeeming the situation.

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The Girl Who Wrote in Silk, Kelli Estes

The Girl Who Wrote in Silk, Kelli Estes, Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing

I LOVED this book. This is yet another fictional storytelling of Chinese American history. This book is based in the Seattle area and Orcas Island, going between present day and the late 1880's-1900's during the Chinese Exclusion Act. 

A young Chinese woman escapes genocide by being pushed into the water near Orcas Island and is rescued by a kind man. This is her story, and she embroiders her history and the story of her family on a silk robe, part of which is discovered years later. This story profoundly affects the family that discovered it, as well as the professor who researches its history. I am not going to say much more because you just need to read it.

Absolutely worth reading. Even though it's fiction, it gives one an idea of how the Chinese were treated. It makes me think about the Lilly White mine, near where I live in Baker City, Oregon. The mine was worked by Chinese slaves, and instead of paying them, when the mine was mined out, they sealed the workers inside and blew it up with dynamite, literally killing hundreds of Chinese.  It's sad and atrocious what mankind has done in our country's history. Reading things like this helps us remember and strive not to let things like that ever happen again.

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China Dolls, Lisa See

China Dolls, Lisa See

I find the best way for me to learn is through stories, whether fictional or non fiction. It sticks with me better in story form. That's one thing that is so great about this author, Lisa See, is they way she weaves history into her stories. This is not the first book I have read by this author, nor will it be the last. I started out with Shanghai Girls, about two sisters in 1930s China and the struggles they overcome, coming to America and moving to ChinaTown, the secrets they hide, and how they are treated as non-whites and foreigners in a country that is supposed to be a melting pot of nations. Then I read Dreams of Joy, its sequel, which is a story set in Communist China. Definitely worth reading, and very eye opening.

However, this story is a little different from Shanghai Girls. This takes place in the same time frame and general area as some of Shanghai Girls, but this is the story of three young Asian American women with very different pasts, who all end up in Chinatown in San Francisco, and all become dancers at a swanky Chinese night club. They all three carry heavy secrets, which affect their lives, careers, and relationships. 

We learn about Chinese culture in 1930s America, the family dynamic, racial prejudice, the night club life, and World War 2 and the fear it brought to Asian Americans. The Japanese were corralled into internment camps under suspicion of espionage, and Chinese had to make sure others knew they were not Japanese so they would be treated better, and not arrested. 

Despite all their challenges, they learn to overcome adversity, grow, reach for their dreams, and create a bond of sisterhood among themselves.

If you love learning about Asian culture or American history, this is a good one to read.

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