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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
I have no idea how to review this book.
First, I listened to the audio. Listening to it 1.5x speed helped me get through it.
I recommend starting with the authors note.
She details what in the book are history and what are fiction.
The discrimination and anti-Chinese violence are all true.
There is nothing hopeful in this story.
I think everyone should read it.
CW: everything. Rape, assault, racism, antiChinese violence, gun violence, murder, lynching, drugs, kidnapping, sex trafficking… truly, I can’t think of a horror that isn’t in this book.
First, I listened to the audio. Listening to it 1.5x speed helped me get through it.
I recommend starting with the authors note.
She details what in the book are history and what are fiction.
The discrimination and anti-Chinese violence are all true.
There is nothing hopeful in this story.
I think everyone should read it.
CW: everything. Rape, assault, racism, antiChinese violence, gun violence, murder, lynching, drugs, kidnapping, sex trafficking… truly, I can’t think of a horror that isn’t in this book.
This felt like a Jodi Picoult book in the way the ending completely let me down. It really sucks to come all the way through a book with characters only to literally have them ALL DIE. What the heck?
A beautifully written and informative novel about the experiences of Chinese immigrants and victims of trafficking in 19th century USA.
A difficult read I couldn’t stop reading.
Definitely not a girl boss/ inspiring heroine story I thought it might be from just reading the blurb.
Full of sad and difficult historical truths everyone should be aware of. Well worth the read if you can stand against the vast amount of terrible circumstances the central character goes through.
A difficult read I couldn’t stop reading.
Definitely not a girl boss/ inspiring heroine story I thought it might be from just reading the blurb.
Full of sad and difficult historical truths everyone should be aware of. Well worth the read if you can stand against the vast amount of terrible circumstances the central character goes through.
4.5 stars
This was NOT an easy book to read or listen to (I did both) and for those for whom sexual assault, lynching, and being a victim of violent racism are triggers, you may want to tread lightly or skip it altogether because this book is hard. But it is also beautifully written and crafted and through all of the tragedy of the story that HAD to be told, you feel that Daiyu and all of her identities--her true spirit--somehow managed to triumph over it all.
This is the story of Daiyu, who was named after the tragic Chinese heroine, Lin Daiyu, who she always resented because of her unhappy end. After her parents disappear, her grandmother sends her to a port city dressed as a boy, in hopes of saving her life. Initially, she lands with a calligraphy master and you think she'll end up okay. But things do not turn out that way and she is eventually smuggled to America in a coal barrel and sent to a brothel under the name of Peony. She eventually escapes with the help of someone who betrays her and finally lands in Pierce, Idaho where she is taken in by kind Chinese shopkeepers who believe she is a boy named Jacob.
This is the story of Daiyu who is also Lin Daiyu, who is also Jacob. The lessons she learned at the calligraphy master about the four treasures help form her life through all the hardship and I loved listening to her learn about people and their essence through the characters of their names. I'm so glad I listened to this book because hearing her say the Chinese names and how meaning flowed from the characters was fascinating and I think I would have missed that if I had just read it. While this book is short enough that I could have listened to it much quicker, it was a tough read and I definitely had to read it in smaller sessions. The author does not flinch from the pain and the suffering, but she somehow coaxes beauty out of the story, and in the end, you're left with an image of Daiyu flying free.
The author's note at the end was one that I was so glad to have read. While I'm glad I didn't read it beforehand because then I would have predicted the ending, I also think it added to the story to learn about the origins of her story and how it connected to true Chinese American history and the Chinese Exclusionary act. With all of the anti-Asian instances of racism that occurred every time I read the news throughout the pandemic, this book is sadly very relevant. But even if not, it is his history that needed to be told. I know I never knew about any of this history. It is appalling and I applaud the author for taking on such a tough subject and her dad for suggesting she write about it. I also enjoyed learning about how the book began being about one of the other characters but ended up turning into the story of Daiyu.
This was NOT an easy book to read or listen to (I did both) and for those for whom sexual assault, lynching, and being a victim of violent racism are triggers, you may want to tread lightly or skip it altogether because this book is hard. But it is also beautifully written and crafted and through all of the tragedy of the story that HAD to be told, you feel that Daiyu and all of her identities--her true spirit--somehow managed to triumph over it all.
This is the story of Daiyu, who was named after the tragic Chinese heroine, Lin Daiyu, who she always resented because of her unhappy end. After her parents disappear, her grandmother sends her to a port city dressed as a boy, in hopes of saving her life. Initially, she lands with a calligraphy master and you think she'll end up okay. But things do not turn out that way and she is eventually smuggled to America in a coal barrel and sent to a brothel under the name of Peony. She eventually escapes with the help of someone who betrays her and finally lands in Pierce, Idaho where she is taken in by kind Chinese shopkeepers who believe she is a boy named Jacob.
This is the story of Daiyu who is also Lin Daiyu, who is also Jacob. The lessons she learned at the calligraphy master about the four treasures help form her life through all the hardship and I loved listening to her learn about people and their essence through the characters of their names. I'm so glad I listened to this book because hearing her say the Chinese names and how meaning flowed from the characters was fascinating and I think I would have missed that if I had just read it. While this book is short enough that I could have listened to it much quicker, it was a tough read and I definitely had to read it in smaller sessions. The author does not flinch from the pain and the suffering, but she somehow coaxes beauty out of the story, and in the end, you're left with an image of Daiyu flying free.
The author's note at the end was one that I was so glad to have read. While I'm glad I didn't read it beforehand because then I would have predicted the ending, I also think it added to the story to learn about the origins of her story and how it connected to true Chinese American history and the Chinese Exclusionary act. With all of the anti-Asian instances of racism that occurred every time I read the news throughout the pandemic, this book is sadly very relevant. But even if not, it is his history that needed to be told. I know I never knew about any of this history. It is appalling and I applaud the author for taking on such a tough subject and her dad for suggesting she write about it. I also enjoyed learning about how the book began being about one of the other characters but ended up turning into the story of Daiyu.
It’s hard to put to words about this book. After finishing it I felt…heartbroken? Once I realized this fiction is built upon a true historical event then I understood better why the story ended the way it did. But what a journey! And I truly felt for Daiyu all the way. I’ve been rooting for her after watching her stumbling and coming out strong only to stumble again and again…it’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster for me.
The book is written in a way as if someone else is telling the story. There is no actual “conversation” with no dialogue but more like a recounting of someone else who overheard the conversations. I really appreciate the imagination of who these people were that led to the real-life historical event (as it seems so little was known).
What’s more, this book also tied in various events that occurred to Chinese immigrants to America in late 19th century. I have a tendency to look up things while I read and definitely learned a lot from this book.
As a newly immigrated Asian American myself, and married into a Chinese American family in which half of it had a few generations already established in America, it’s a great way for me to learn and appreciate Asian American history.
The book is written in a way as if someone else is telling the story. There is no actual “conversation” with no dialogue but more like a recounting of someone else who overheard the conversations. I really appreciate the imagination of who these people were that led to the real-life historical event (as it seems so little was known).
What’s more, this book also tied in various events that occurred to Chinese immigrants to America in late 19th century. I have a tendency to look up things while I read and definitely learned a lot from this book.
As a newly immigrated Asian American myself, and married into a Chinese American family in which half of it had a few generations already established in America, it’s a great way for me to learn and appreciate Asian American history.
i cannot remember now why i wanted to read this book in the first place. few days ago i reread its description and immediately thought that i won't like it now. but i didn't want to just delete it from my tbr so i gave it a shot anyway. it is so... boring! the most typical story possible, you always know what is about to happen, you always know how the character is about to react and behave because it's hardly a character? nothing is shown everything is told. and the prose everyone's talking about is quite simple? not the kind that is able to carry the story on its own? disappointing in every aspect possible.
lin daiyu parts (on its own really weak and tiring at times) actually made me think that it could've worked better as a magical realism story. the author enjoys symbolic imagery quite a bit so i feel like she could pull it off and elevate the story, maybe not..
at least i am sure i understand my taste now better than 2 years ago!
lin daiyu parts (on its own really weak and tiring at times) actually made me think that it could've worked better as a magical realism story. the author enjoys symbolic imagery quite a bit so i feel like she could pull it off and elevate the story, maybe not..
at least i am sure i understand my taste now better than 2 years ago!
A brilliant debut novel, perfectly paced, deeply researched, and necessary. A story about the tremendous power of art in the face of trauma, the way to be true to ourselves.
I don't want to rate this book, I feel it's too sad, beautiful & tragic to rate but definitely an interesting read. I never thought about the historical struggles of the Chinese people in the U.S but this story of Lin Daiyu put many things into perspective for me. The history of the U.S is filled with so much blood & hatred, it's truly vile! Thank you Jenny Tinghui Zhang for bringing these characters to life and keeping these events seared in our brain.
Generally speaking, the story is compelling. You want to know where it’s going and how it will end. The writing style is different, especially the complete lack of quotation marks around dialog. However, I found this refreshing and actually easier to read. Quotation marks are subtly stopping/starting points for me and I never realized how much they interrupt my reading until I read this book. The historical fiction of this book is so unknown to most of us and because of that this should be a must read for everyone.