Weina Dai Randel’s new novel opens in 1925 in Harbin, China. Anyu Zhang is fifteen and living with her mother when she finds an irreplaceable Fabergé egg. Selling it would immediately alleviate their poverty. Instead, Anyu returns it to the owner, Russian emigre Isaac Mandelburg. Grateful to have it back, Isaac provides his address in Shanghai and an open door when she sees fit.
Later arriving in Shanghai as an orphan, she accepts Isaac’s invitation. Determined to earn her keep, Anyu is eager to learn the art of making jewelry. As she builds her skillset, the reality of the world outside begins to seep in. Anyu’s arc is that of a sheltered girl into an adult who has witnessed the darker side of humanity.
From a Jewish perspective, it is interesting to see our heritage and faith through the lens of an outsider. A knowledgeable reader of Jewish customs and history can easily pass this aspect of the tale without notice. But because we see everything from Anyu’s point of view, we have to pause and appreciate what we might see as normal.
For his time, Isaac is surprisingly liberal when it comes to Anyu and her aspiration to succeed him. He could easily deride her because of her gender and kept her in a position that is “appropriate” for a woman. Instead, he sees a young person who knows what she wants and is willing to put in the work. It is because of his confidence in her that Anyu can enter an industry that is male-dominated and filled with danger.
At its core, The Master Jeweler is about two people from two different cultures who, in another time and place, would never meet. But because fate throws them together, they become like family. We live in a time in which hatred and division are the new normal. But when we discover our common humanity, we learn that we are more alike than initially thought.
Adina Bernstein has been a writer and blogger since 2014. She lives in Brooklyn and needs writing to survive this crazy world we live in. She can be found online at https://writergurlny.wordpress.com/.
