Welcome to Good Book/Good Bread! Every two weeks, I recommend a book I love, and bake a delicious bread that fits with an aspect of the story. Haven’t subscribed yet? Sign up here! And, if you’d like to get some more Good Book/Good Bread goodness in between newsletters, follow on Instagram here.

Part 1: Good Book

Dragon Springs Road (2017) by Janie Chang

In a nutshell

Set in the outskirts of Shanghai at the beginning of the 20th century, Dragon Springs Road follows Jialing, a 7-year-old girl who is abandoned by her mother. The first years of her life are spent growing up very isolated in a small house on a wealthy family’s estate. Jialing’s loving mother does her best to creates a safe if insular world for her only child. The only other person Jialing ever sees besides her mother is the wealthy family’s patriarch, who comes by periodically, always at night.

Once the patriarch goes bankrupt, his family abruptly sells their estate and they all flee. Jialing’s mother goes with them. She tells Jialing she will be back in a few days, leaving her daughter alone in the empty, gated compound. Her mother never returns. Another family soon moves in, confused by the small, hungry child living there, and they must decide what to do with her. Constantly ostracized for being biracial, with a Chinese mother and a European father, Jialing draws on an innate resilience, as well as guidance from a fox spirit, to survive her childhood and teenage years.

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Why I was drawn to this book

I have passed this book a dozen times, as it is displayed on a shelf as part of the local library’s book club. One recent day I was taking a much needed break during the work day by browsing books at lunch, and decided to pick it up. I’ve been drawn to historical fiction recently, and when I read that it was set a century ago in Shanghai, a historical period I know little about, I was keen to read it.

Three things I liked about Dragon Springs Road:

The fox spirit
I loved the mystical inclusion of the fox spirit, affectionally known to Jialing simply as Fox. She is attached to the residence on Dragon Springs Road, and watches over Jialing throughout her life, shape shifting between fox and human form. Fox provides protection and valuable moral guidance for Jialing, especially during some of the tragedies that she faces during her formative years. I liked that Janie Chang attached limits to Fox’s powers, balancing this fantastical element of the story with the need for Jialing to eventually take control of her own destiny.
How kindness drives forward the plot
Jialing’s young life is marked by many episodes of cruelty, both from those close to her and as a result of the stigma of being biracial during this time in China. Yet she is also the recipient of a handful of significant acts of kindness that together keep her from a terrible fate and point her towards eventual autonomy. From a kind-hearted teacher fighting for Jialing to attend a mission school to a wealthy young man intercepting while watching her nearly get scammed of her savings, these moments of goodness slowly restore our protagonist’s faith in others.
The undercurrent of fragility
Dragon Springs Road is rich in the history of China at the turn of the century, and a consistent theme in the book is the fragility of affluence. Jialing is abandoned due to the family who owns the estate her mother lives on losing their money and leaving town. When a new family moves in, Jialing observes the waves of prosperity and debt they ride as owners of a garment factory. New neighbours periodically move into estates on Dragon Springs Road, replacing those whose fortunes have faded. A factory fire, debts to unsavoury actors, and political turmoil mean even those Jialing perceives as being incredibly well-off are just one event away from their lives changing. I liked this aspect of the book because it never allows the reader to get too comfortable with the state of things; you know a major plot twist can come any moment as prosperity dips.

If you like Dragon Springs Road, read:

Three Souls by Janie Chang
Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoon
Vera by Carol Edgarian

Part 2: Good Bread

Whole wheat and rye bread with seeds

Why this bread for this book?

A defining quality of Jialing’s is her integrity. Despite many opportunities to shortcut, steal, or take the easy route, Jialing acts unwaveringly in line with her fundamental values. With very few role models, she understands the importance of being true to herself.

Jialing’s integrity makes me think of the foundational, less processed nature of whole wheat flour. Unlike white flour which loses many of its natural nutrients when processed, whole wheat contains the entire wheat kernel, including the nutrient-rich bran and germ. Jialing is also powerfully resourceful, and able to sustain herself even in dire circumstances. This bread relates well to the idea of resourcefulness because it is versatile and you can add various combinations of whole wheat or whole grain flours and seeds floating around your pantry. I had small amounts of poppy seeds and hemp hearts, as well as the end of a bag of Anita’s rye flour, and they all went in, resulting in a lovely loaf.

Recipe

I used Minimalist Baker’s whole wheat seeded loaf recipe, here. This is a really easy recipe with very little hands-on time, but it does require four hours of rising time, two at room temperature and two in the fridge. I used half whole wheat bread flour and half rye flour. I added hemp hearts, chia seeds and poppy seeds, and topped with oats. The result is a wholesome, dense and flavourful bread with a subtle hit of sweetness from the maple syrup.

Works well with:

Cashew butter
Fig jam
Apples and sharp cheddar cheese

Looking forward…

Book I’m looking forward to reading: Happy Go Lucky by David Sedaris, here.

Bread I’m looking forward to baking: Matcha milk bread, here.

New album I’m looking forward to listening to while doing both of the above: Cruel Country by Wilco, here.

Have other books, bread, or music you’d recommend I check out? Reply to this email or leave a comment. And, if you liked this issue, feel free to hit the heart button (it helps other people find my newsletter!)

Good Book/Good Bread

Issue 13: Whole wheat seed bread + Dragon…