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44th out of 198 books
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221 voters
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On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family
by
Lisa See (Goodreads Author)
Out of the stories heard in her childhood in Los Angeles's Chinatown and years of research, See has constructed this sweeping chronicle of her Chinese-American family, a work that takes in stories of racism and romance, entrepreneurial genius and domestic heartache, secret marriages and sibling rivalries, in a powerful history of two cultures meeting in a new world. 82 pho...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
August 27th 1996
by Vintage
(first published 1995)
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If you happen to be a member of the See family you will find this fascinating. If you are researching family histories about the Chinese as a growing factor in California culture in the 19th and 20th century, this book will give you material. Not having either of these roles, I found this the most tedious book I have read in the past 20 years. If it weren't the choice of my book club, I could never have gotten through it.
As it was, I scanned the middle 150 pages.
See seemed th...more
As it was, I scanned the middle 150 pages.
See seemed th...more
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In the new world, known in 1800’s China as the Gold Mountain, fortunes were made by those whose lives were otherwise destined to be laborious. One of those lives was Fong See’s and he changed the make-up and the fortunes of his family forever.
On Gold Mountain reads like a work of fiction. The story is fascinating by itself but Lisa See (the author, whom I will refer to by first name from now on to avoid any confusion) has made it even better. A few of the dialogues are completely made ...more
On Gold Mountain reads like a work of fiction. The story is fascinating by itself but Lisa See (the author, whom I will refer to by first name from now on to avoid any confusion) has made it even better. A few of the dialogues are completely made ...more
A very entertaining and interesting family story, although I wasn't crazy about the writing style, which occasionally reminded me of The Boxcar Children (which is a fine and dandy writing style when you're writing for elementary school students, but this one was full of whores and opium). I also kept finding myself thinking, "How could she have KNOWN what he was thinking at that moment?" so I think either her family interviews were EXTREMELY in-depth or she speculated about a lot of s...more
I love this book because it made me look at the immigration issue in a new way. It's amazing to read many of the political speeches given in the early part of the 20th century about the Chinese and then to realize that many are saying the exact same things about some of the immigrants coming over today. Don't we learn! Immigrants are always looked at as a burden but they have always proven the doubters wrong in the past. This book taught me that lesson. It is not for the squeamish. Some of...more
Anyone who does so much research for a book and tells good stories deserves five stars.
This is a remarkable historic and biographical book that not only covers Lisa See’s own family history, but also the Chinese in America. Gold Mountain is the Chinese name for the United States. Having heard stories as a child in Los Angeles Chinatown in her family’s antique business of her family’s past and especially that of her great-great grandfather (Fong See) who emigrated from China to the Unit...more
This is a remarkable historic and biographical book that not only covers Lisa See’s own family history, but also the Chinese in America. Gold Mountain is the Chinese name for the United States. Having heard stories as a child in Los Angeles Chinatown in her family’s antique business of her family’s past and especially that of her great-great grandfather (Fong See) who emigrated from China to the Unit...more
The story of a remarkable man and his descendants, made doubly interesting by the fact that the man was a Chinese immigrant to California in the 1870's. The deck was so stacked against Chinese immigrants then and for the next almost 100 years (immigration almost impossible once the railroad was complete, almost impossible for women to immigrate, illegal to marry a white person, illegal to own property, couldn't become a citizen, etc. etc. etc.) that to survive and even thrive was an amazing ach...more
On Gold Mountain was a non-fiction book about Lisa See's family history. It begins with the story of Fong See's immigration to the United States and his efforts to make himself a success. He opens several stores and marries an American women. The book is interesting in that the story is highly unique and new. However, the prose is difficult to read. One quote on the book's cover said that it was as "readable as any novel" but I don't find this to be true. I was not engaged at all in th...more
A non-fiction family saga about coming to the US from China and the experience of being an immigrant in America. An interesting twist is that the original immigrant marries an American woman; the Chinese husband, American wife and bi-national children all face different types of discrimination. The family also experiences the "rags to riches" story of financial success in their new country, so the overall story is one of hopes and dreams fulfilled in addition to pain and loss.
This is the history of the Chinese side of the family of author Lisa See. Through research and talking to relatives, she has been able to trace back the beginnings of her family in America, when her great grandfather arrived from China when he was still in his teens, and pretty much uneducated. Despite the lack of education, he had ambition; he worked hard and became a successful businessman. He married a Caucasian woman, which was almost unheard of in those days. They fought prejudice and discr...more
Heather
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
chinese american history, california history, biography
Shelves:
biography-memoir
I read this to get some background on Lisa See after reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and learning the See is descended from a Chinese American family. I think she does an interesting job of presenting the melding of Chinese and American influences in her family. She also does a competent job of providing a historical context of the Chinese experience in the Western States. I think that See does a fine job of telling the story of Fong See's family but then the narrative turns slightly chop...more
This is an AMAZING book and such a delightful read. A book that is hard to put down and each page reveals another layer to this incredible and unusual sojourn. The story of a Caucasian woman who married a Chinese man at a time when it was unthinkable and how that union grew as well as other members of the family related to their "new country". It begins with her husband's journey to this country over 100 years ago. Opened my eyes in many ways to the travail put upon immigrants and thos...more
This was my first introduction to Lisa See's writing, and although the book was exhaustively researched, it was a bit of a slog to get through. It felt a bit static and emotionally removed from its subject(s), and while I certainly understand that Ms. See was not around during the time period she writes about, that distance lent the same dryness to the text as that of a history textbook. Her prose lacks poetry. She seems very pragmatic/factual, rather than overly descriptive, which makes it diff...more
This author of popular fiction undertook an in-depth study of her own family's history, chronicling their journey to the States in the 19th century. A few places throughout where she could have chosen story arc over comprehensive information, but overall very engrossing.
On Gold Mountain is the history of the See family and like most histories it is most interesting to the one telling it. For me, this book club choice was boring with a capital B. Approximately 400 pages of family history from Lisa See's great great grandfathers immigration to work on the transcontinetal railroad to her latest sojourn to the small Chinese town of Dimato to meet her great grandfathers and great uncles third and fourth family relatives from their concubines left in China. Make your...more
Loved it. A sweeping historical account of Chinese immigrants to the United States. The author profiles her family through 100 years or so starting when her great grandfather comes to the US and forges a livelihood for himself. It ends up sustaining his family in different forms for generations to come and becoming a well known 100 year old business in LA. Lisa See the author, descends from the great grandfather's American family. It was very common back then for men to have wives and concubines...more
Long but spellbinding true story of a Chinese immigrant to the US in the 19th century told by his great granddaughter. The patriarch works on the railroad that was being built from California east to Utah where the eastern tracks were joined with the western to create the first cross country railroad. Too smart to be just coolie labor, he becomes a merchant fairly quickly, then soon expands his business to sveral shops and factories. Along the way, he and succeeding generations marry white Ameri...more
A revelation. See's great-grandfather (or is it her grandfather?) rises from selling trinkets in Sacramento to the good life selling antiques bought cheaply off desperate countrymen in China during the turbulent years of the twenties and thirties. But it's the background of the brutal discrimination, slaughter, and complete segregation of Chinese Americans, even rich ones, in the U.S. from the mid-1800's all the way until the 1950's that makes this book so powerful. And she tells that story th...more
I met the author, Lisa See, at EncycloMedia this week! She is a lovely person, and we had a nice chat. I told her about the underground Chinatown project I did for Celebrate Oklahoma Voices this summer. She's going to take a look at it. She knew of other underground Chinatowns, but not the one in Oklahoma City. I have LOVED the three books of hers I've read so far--Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I have On Gold Mountain on reserve at the public library and must...more
I just finished this and it was completely captivating. Lisa See is at the top of my list of favorite authors (ok, so its a long list and the entire list is the top of the list, but still) and reading her account of her family's history and trek to the United States is amazing, it really puts a clear and fine point on the Chinese-American experience, from building the railroad to the red scare (and beyond!)
A few of the chapters read like they were transcribed straight from audio tapes - r...more
A few of the chapters read like they were transcribed straight from audio tapes - r...more
This was a wonderful book about one of California's historical families. I had seen a picture of Fong See & his wife Letticie at the Autry Museum and wondered about such an odd pairing. A Chinese man & a white woman marrying at the turn of the last century was highly unusual to say the least. I was fascinated not because their actions were unusual (because their family problems & joys were very much like everyone else's), but because of the authors desire to explain to herself & us what her fami...more
Interesting history of the Chinese immigration over the past 150 years or so from the experiences of Lisa See's family. Her great-great grandfather (I believe that is the correct relationship) arrived from China during the railroad building in CA and the family established itself in the years to come, first in the Sacramento area and them really putting down roots in Los Angeles. The story seem a bit long toward the end but that's how family stories often end up being told. Also there can be som...more
Rosalie
rated it
Recommends it for:
Patty
Recommended to Rosalie by:
Christie
Shelves:
kindle,
read-in-2011
I had read Lisa See's "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" and thought "On Gold Mountain" would be a good read. I have liked it very much so far. I may not have been as aware of the laws and discrimination that faced the Chinese in the late 18th Century. I am sure I was aware of it, but really hadn't thought much about it.
Lisa See has done so much research for this book and has made it read like a novel. My favorite kind of history.
Her Great Grandfather came here and s...more
Lisa See has done so much research for this book and has made it read like a novel. My favorite kind of history.
Her Great Grandfather came here and s...more
Like so many fans of Lisa See's novels I found myself curious as to how she ended up writing about the Chinese-American experience. Through other Goodreads reviews and via her website I learned that she had written an autobiographical work in 1994 which is "On Gold Mountain." As the title implies, the author traces the history of her family back to the village her great-great grandfather immigrated from in the mid-1880's. It is fascinating and must have required exhaustive research,...more
Well, it took me a long, long time to read this book. And I pecked away at it nearly daily. In about the middle of the book I got bogged down, and couldn't bring myself to manage more than a paragraph or two a day, on those days I felt like messing with it. I'm not sure exactly what it was about it... but for me, this read was not nearly as enthralling as See's fiction.
On Gold Mountain started out well for me. However, there were times that it felt as if See was including infor...more
On Gold Mountain started out well for me. However, there were times that it felt as if See was including infor...more
Good Story for Chinese Immigrants
In order to attract more eyeballs, I should have titled the review something like "Every Chinese Immigrants Must Read", blah, blah ... ... , which is obviously not my thing. So, the current title is what I came up and will stick with, which generally, it's more modest and humble. And with regard the book, I do like it and strongly recommend it. But whether you decide to read it or not, it will be your call. Here, I'm only telling what I felt...more
In order to attract more eyeballs, I should have titled the review something like "Every Chinese Immigrants Must Read", blah, blah ... ... , which is obviously not my thing. So, the current title is what I came up and will stick with, which generally, it's more modest and humble. And with regard the book, I do like it and strongly recommend it. But whether you decide to read it or not, it will be your call. Here, I'm only telling what I felt...more
It's been a while since I've given a good review, but today I've done two. Pretty nice.
This book was so interesting. Lisa See's family is interesting in and of itself with the family living America and in China (with all the wives and concubines), but the history of the Chinese in America is also intriguing. It really puts a new spin on the illegal immigrants of today. Now I still don't agree that they should be getting all kinds of government help if they don't pay taxes, but they d...more
This book was so interesting. Lisa See's family is interesting in and of itself with the family living America and in China (with all the wives and concubines), but the history of the Chinese in America is also intriguing. It really puts a new spin on the illegal immigrants of today. Now I still don't agree that they should be getting all kinds of government help if they don't pay taxes, but they d...more
Dawn Michelle
rated it
Recommends it for:
Anyone who is facinated by either chinese history/culture OR families in general
Shelves:
books-read-in-2009,
non-fiction
WOW!
This book was amazing. it also took forever to read. There is SO much information in it that it takes awhile to really digest it all. At 378 pages with VERY small print, its a pretty hefty book.
This is the story of Lisa See's (The author) family ~ starting back in 1866 when her great-great grandfather and tow of his sons came to California from China to make a better life for himself and his family. In Chinese, America was called "Gam Saan" or "...more
The writing in Gold Mountain is positively dreadful. Not only does Lisa See relate the history of her family in a completely dry manner that is totally devoid of all description, she also violates simple grammatical rules such as using complete sentances. She fails to develop her family members into real life character and relates only what they did or said during their lifetime. Gold Mountain is only slightly more entertaining than reading who begat whom in the Old Testament.
This was my introduction to Lisa See, an affair that is enduring and endearing. My own Los Angeles roots, if you can call the San Fernando Valley "Los Angeles", led me on odyssey through familiar places with a whole new perspective. I read it by accident, it being on my daughter's reading list for a college class and handy on the bookshelf. Well, what a gold-mine I've discovered through this chance encounter. Ironically, my daughter never read the book. She missed a gem.
The wonderful, poignant, fascinating story of the Chinese who populated this country starting in the late 1800s, and how they - and their children and children's children - have succeeded, failed, and added so much to this country's history. This follows the story of Lisa See's (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) ancestors - in particular her great-grandfather - as they struggled to maintain their sense of family and their love of China - while slowly, slowly assimilating into the fabric of Americ...more
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Lisa See is a Chinese-American author. Her books include Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2005), Dragon Bones, and On Gold Mountain. She was named the 2001 National Woman of the Year, by the Organization of Chinese American Women. She lives in Los Angeles.
More about Lisa See...
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