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unmorality 's review for:
Four Treasures of the Sky
by Jenny Tinghui Zhang
I think what Zhang has done here is really important. I was lucky enough to learn about the Chinese Exclusion Act in college (still pretty late), but a lot of Americans aren't so lucky. I share Zhang's hope that this book will open people's eyes to the history of anti-Chinese sentiment both past and present. It's clear that this is a meticulously researched piece of historical fiction and one that the author felt very passionate about. I think this passion is one of the book's best attributes.
Unfortunately I found the pacing and the prose itself a little lackluster. Daiyu bounces from place to place via circumstance and I feel like there was never enough time to really sit with her circumstances except in Pierce. There's also something about the writing that feels very detached. The Lin Daiyu segments were probably the worst offenders. I think I understand what Zhang is going for with this concept but it never gels correctly for me.
Unfortunately I found the pacing and the prose itself a little lackluster. Daiyu bounces from place to place via circumstance and I feel like there was never enough time to really sit with her circumstances except in Pierce. There's also something about the writing that feels very detached. The Lin Daiyu segments were probably the worst offenders. I think I understand what Zhang is going for with this concept but it never gels correctly for me.