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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was definitely not the easiest of reads, but "Four Treasures of the Sky" has already been one of the most memorable books I've encountered this year.
The story is told from the perspective of Lin Daiyu, a Chinese girl who grows up in a fishing village out of Zhifu, China in the late 19th century. Her life gets upended when her parents mysteriously disappear overnight, and she's forced to try and survive on her own. Daiyu's journey takes her across the world, starting with a calligraphy school in Zhifu, a brothel in California, to a small general store in Idaho, Daiyu learns the cruel truths of the world, especially in the midst of the Chinese Exclusion Act which pits her race against the rest of America.
There are a lot of hardships that befall Daiyu, and perhaps here it would be best to note a large TW for sexual abuse, kidnapping, and violence. In between these terrible situations that she's forced into and the people she meets who consistently try to take advantage of her, there are are small glimmers of hope and joy interspersed between them. Her ultimate goal, to claim her own name and identity, is one that many of us can empathize with and the final ending of the book allows her to meet it on her own terms.
I really enjoyed Zhang's prose and sentence structure, and how she was able to convey Daiyu's emotions and thoughts. I appreciated as well that she was able to highlight a point in history that isn't often written about, especially in the midst of the present anti-AAPI violence movement.
Thank you Flatiron Books for an advance copy of this novel!
The story is told from the perspective of Lin Daiyu, a Chinese girl who grows up in a fishing village out of Zhifu, China in the late 19th century. Her life gets upended when her parents mysteriously disappear overnight, and she's forced to try and survive on her own. Daiyu's journey takes her across the world, starting with a calligraphy school in Zhifu, a brothel in California, to a small general store in Idaho, Daiyu learns the cruel truths of the world, especially in the midst of the Chinese Exclusion Act which pits her race against the rest of America.
There are a lot of hardships that befall Daiyu, and perhaps here it would be best to note a large TW for sexual abuse, kidnapping, and violence. In between these terrible situations that she's forced into and the people she meets who consistently try to take advantage of her, there are are small glimmers of hope and joy interspersed between them. Her ultimate goal, to claim her own name and identity, is one that many of us can empathize with and the final ending of the book allows her to meet it on her own terms.
I really enjoyed Zhang's prose and sentence structure, and how she was able to convey Daiyu's emotions and thoughts. I appreciated as well that she was able to highlight a point in history that isn't often written about, especially in the midst of the present anti-AAPI violence movement.
Thank you Flatiron Books for an advance copy of this novel!
every word was intentional as calligraphy. the prose rewrote me.
i grew attached to the main character, not in the sense where i related to her, but i just really, really wanted to give her a hug. her mind was an addictive place to be, with memories as calm waters and her calligraphy as the beautiful and strong lens she uses to perceive the world. this was not a happy story, but it was an honest and real one that i grew to appreciate more after reading the author’s note.
it’s stories like these that humble the world, and i’m glad i got to read this one.
But resilience is not achieved by pressing harder. No, the artist must master the art of releasing the brush, giving it the space and freedom to find itself again.
Resilience is simple, really. Know when to push and when to let go.
i grew attached to the main character, not in the sense where i related to her, but i just really, really wanted to give her a hug. her mind was an addictive place to be, with memories as calm waters and her calligraphy as the beautiful and strong lens she uses to perceive the world. this was not a happy story, but it was an honest and real one that i grew to appreciate more after reading the author’s note.
it’s stories like these that humble the world, and i’m glad i got to read this one.
medium-paced
Які ж все ж таки уродські люди, які вважають, що вони чимось кращі за іншим, лише за фактом свого народження: чоловіком/білим/багатим/з привілеями
Я слухала в аудіо і мені не зайшло, але останню частину прочитала і було значно краще.
Через книгу авторка показувала життя однієї китаянки, її нещасливу долю, її поневіряння світом. Лінь Дайю хотіла простого життя. Вона була митцем, любила цей світ і описувала його досить поетично. Описи від Лінь Дайю, певно, найкраще, що трапилось у книзі. Її сповнене тепла і любові дитинство, навчання каліграфії, а потім коли інші почали вирішувати за неї її долю... Що ж. Життя не було прихильним до неї, а вона до інших людей.
Ця книга це зріз того, що наприкінці 19-го століття відбувалось з жінками, китайськими іммігрантами. Найсоковитіші описи, як на мій смак, припали на Китай. Потім, коли авторка писала про Америку, в неї неначе закінчились теплі барви. Їх було так мало, так мало щастя та радості в її житті. Від цього сумно. Книга гарна, але вона не тільки про китайським іммігрантів. Можуть бути будь-які, бо Америка будувалась на кістках і кров і
Я слухала в аудіо і мені не зайшло, але останню частину прочитала і було значно краще.
Через книгу авторка показувала життя однієї китаянки, її нещасливу долю, її поневіряння світом. Лінь Дайю хотіла простого життя. Вона була митцем, любила цей світ і описувала його досить поетично. Описи від Лінь Дайю, певно, найкраще, що трапилось у книзі. Її сповнене тепла і любові дитинство, навчання каліграфії, а потім коли інші почали вирішувати за неї її долю... Що ж. Життя не було прихильним до неї, а вона до інших людей.
Ця книга це зріз того, що наприкінці 19-го століття відбувалось з жінками, китайськими іммігрантами. Найсоковитіші описи, як на мій смак, припали на Китай. Потім, коли авторка писала про Америку, в неї неначе закінчились теплі барви. Їх було так мало, так мало щастя та радості в її житті. Від цього сумно. Книга гарна, але вона не тільки про китайським іммігрантів. Можуть бути будь-які, бо Америка будувалась на кістках і кров і
Gosh, what truly agonising, insightful, and bittersweet feelings this story brought upon me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Murder
Moderate: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder
Minor: Gun violence
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Started and finished in a day, wonderfully written. Heartbreaking stuff. Hope snuffed out, more hope, more violence, more pain, hope... But it is wonderfully human throughout it all. The main character, Daiyu, is such a profound narrator. Just believable, human, fallible, but noble and strong. Also that this covers a time in our history as a country that is often glossed over, the Chinese exclusion act and rampant race-driven violence against Chinese Americans. Valuable read.