The Song Book of Quong Lee of Limehouse

"The Song Book of Quong Lee of Limehouse" by Thomas Burke is an eloquent chronicle that unveils the world through the eyes of Quong Lee, a Chinese shopkeeper nestled in London’s Limehouse during the early 1900s. Told with a poetic cadence, the book intimately portrays an outsider grappling with his identity as he builds a life in a land far from his own, wrestling with the trials and tribulations that come with it. Love, community, and the harsh realities versus hidden wonders of city living take center stage in the various musings. Quong Lee intricately shares his musings on daily encounters, the enchantment of melody, and the impact of environment on his soul. Like snapshots from a personal album, each entry skims over social commentary, individual dreams, and the tinge of longing he feels, specifically for a fair maiden with radiant, blonde hair. As the author paints a portrait contrasting the simplicity of his origins and the tangled web of his present, readers are swept into an experience that stir both sorrow and elation.