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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm not sure I'll ever recover from this book. This book touched on a piece of history I did not know much about. As someone who lives in Idaho, it led me to do more research about the Chinese population in Idaho and why it dwindled (spoiler: It's racism!) I love stories that span over multiple continents and multiple decades. I think it was wonderfully written and one of the best books I have read this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation
Moderate: Abandonment
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Beautifully written, and very immersive. Just a very heartbreaking era/person to jump into
If you're finding this book hard to finish or stomach because it's heartbreaking, hang in there. The author's note and discussions at the end (don't skip to it, it will spoil the book) are grounding after such a... Brutal book. Really incredible piece of work, even though it's heartbreaking and awful. The purpose of this book is to educate, albeit through fiction, and it does a wonderful job of that.
Thank you for the opportunity to walk through Chinese immigrant shoes, especially those who experienced the absolute worst brutality from Americans.
Thank you for the opportunity to walk through Chinese immigrant shoes, especially those who experienced the absolute worst brutality from Americans.
This one left me staring at a wall for awhile. A historical fiction with this setting/premise was bound to be deeply sad, but I'm not sure if I was entirely prepared for how it made me feel, which, often, is a sign of a book that did its job.
I really appreciate how it brought me back to a time, place, and group of people that aren't often a focus, at least in my experience. These topics were probably incredibly difficult to research and represent.
Daiyu was a beautifully written character, and the book was so immersive. Caring for Daiyu makes the absolute hopelessness in the book harder to process, I think.
I really appreciate how it brought me back to a time, place, and group of people that aren't often a focus, at least in my experience. These topics were probably incredibly difficult to research and represent.
Daiyu was a beautifully written character, and the book was so immersive. Caring for Daiyu makes the absolute hopelessness in the book harder to process, I think.
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Tells an important part of American history that is brutal and dark, but with the grace it needs to not feel gratuitous.
I think the author pinned down the tone really well, showing how a young character ripped from the comfort of her family life would deal with sex trafficking and racist violence in a new country. I also think the author's note was interesting - in wanting to remind the world of this history in the COVID-era discrimination against and violence towards Chinese people.
Definitely not an easy read, but an accessible one which I think does a great job of telling the story it set out to. Reminds me of How Much of These Hills Is Gold in terms of setting and some of the themes, and Babel with some of the language elements.
I think the author pinned down the tone really well, showing how a young character ripped from the comfort of her family life would deal with sex trafficking and racist violence in a new country. I also think the author's note was interesting - in wanting to remind the world of this history in the COVID-era discrimination against and violence towards Chinese people.
Definitely not an easy read, but an accessible one which I think does a great job of telling the story it set out to. Reminds me of How Much of These Hills Is Gold in terms of setting and some of the themes, and Babel with some of the language elements.