The Library of Legends takes place in China in 1937, when Japanese bombs begin falling on the city of Nanking, forcing 19-year-old Hu Lian and her classmates at Minghua University to flee. Lian and more than a hundred others from the university walk a thousand miles to the safety of China's western provinces, fighting to protect the Library of Legends, a 500-year-old collection of myths and folklore passed down through the generations. After some of her classmates are murdered and arrested, Lian decides to escape the convoy. But as she learns more about her companions and the stories in the Library of Legends, the ancient books cause immortals and guardian spirits to awaken and change the country's fate. Janie Chang's book is based on true events.