Daughter of Xanadu
The granddaughter of Khubilai Khan, 16-year-old Emmajin takes more interest in joining the army than in finding a husband. When her grandfather asks her to gather intelligence from foreigners who have arrived from the West, she befriends young Marco Polo. Their relationship, begun with some trepidation and marred by cultural missteps and misunderstandings, deepens throughout the story. Meanwhile, Emmajin’s goals slowly alter through her contacts with other cultures and her experiences as a soldier. An appended glossary identifies characters and places, defines Mongolian terms such as del and ger, and offers historical information that separates fact from fiction within the novel. Emmajin’s first-person narrative will capture readers with its scenes of adventure and its vivid depiction of a capable young woman in a time of change. The battle scene is realistically brutal, and the love scenes are subtly written, but the most involving element of the storytelling is Emmajin’s ongoing struggle to forge her own way. Grades 8-10. --Carolyn Phelan