On a trip to Chinatown, thirteen-year-old Jasmine steps through a doorway back in time and finds herself in the 1880's. Jasmine is not sure she likes the idea of being stuck in Victoria while her father goes to China. But on a field trip to Chinatown, she changes her mind. Passing through a doorway in Fan Tan Alley, she mysteriously finds herself in the early 1880's. Adventure begins with a new friend, a journey to the Fraser Canyon during the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and a search for an ancient amulet. But Jasmine is not the only one searching for the white jade tiger…
"This is a complex and ambitious first novel. Lawson skillfully interweaves the narratives of present and past, exploring the concerns of each on many levels. The examination of racism and greed in B.C.'s early days is well integrated into the narrative."
Quill and Quire, starred review
"Julie Lawson has written a story so well grounded in real-life Victoria, B.C., now and in 1881, that the fantasy of time travel between our time and the past seems natural and necessary. White Jade Tiger is successful, both at telling a gripping story and finishing it in a satisfying, believable way."
Victoria Times-Colonist
"Lawson successfully combines a very real sense of period, a vivid portrait of the lives of the Chinese workers who built the railway, and an exciting adventure."
