A review by serendipitysbooks
Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

challenging emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

 
Four Treasures of the Sky is a work of historical fiction that feels like an epic. It traverses China and the United States in the late nineteenth century. It’s a mix of historical fiction (with some key plot points being inspired by actual events as well as the more general background being historically accurate), magical realism, and Chinese folklore with a lot of information about calligraphy blended in. Early on we learn that the protagonist Lin Daiyu is named after a tragic Chinese literary heroine. She worries about whether this is an ill omen for her life. By the end of the book it is easy to conclude that it was. Several of the broad plot points - girl trafficked to work in brothel, girl disguising herself as a boy and working in remote town - were familiar to me from other novels. What stood out to me from this book was the character of Daiyu herself especially her resilience and determination, the relationship between her and the ghost of the fictional Daiyu (sounds strange but it works) and the way that impacted her identity, plus the way she used her knowledge of calligraphy to find strength and courage. This is a well-told and well-researched story which highlights some of the xenophobia and racism which impacted the lives of Chinese migrants in the late nineteenth century. It’s definitely a tough read in places- many places- and this is not a story with a happy ending. What’s extra sad is how enduring the anti-Chinese racism has been. 
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