A female infant is abandoned by her birth-mother in a small Chinese village and spends her first ten months in an orphanage. She is adopted and raised in the United States where she becomes a social worker in order to help children in a desolate Detroit neighborhood.

Her nickname is The Jade Rabbit and this is her story.

As director of a shelter for runaway and neglected youth, Janice Zhu Woodward gets pulled into the lives of the lost children of the Detroit streets. Fueled by angry parents, stories of ghosts who haunt the shelter's basement, and her own history of being left by a birth-mother who may have long forgotten her, Janice emulates her adoptive mother and becomes an avid, nearly obsessed marathoner. Training injuries, failed goals, and unexpected trauma test her will and take her near her breaking point. When a mysterious girl with dreadlocks is abandoned at the shelter's front door, Janice becomes her surrogate mother and risks everything to save her. Only a miraculous, unforgettable run through the streets of Detroit can save them both.
My Review:

I realized quickly that Janice is a serious runner. Her goal is to run the Detroit Marathon in under three hours. That is serious! It was very intriguing to me to be inside Janice's head. I loved the way she was so connected to things (especially her adoptive mother) through her running. I loved how caring she was. She is the type of person who doesn't talk about helping but gets out there and does it. The Jade Rabbit is a very touching story. I cheered for Janice the entire way and felt such relief and happiness at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, runner or not.


Mark Matthews Website
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