(WPF) On Gold Mountain / Lisa See - 4****

[Book Concierge]

On Gold Mountain –Lisa See
4****

Subtitle: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of a Chinese-American Family.

This is See’s “biography” of her family, starting with her great-great-grandfather, Fong Dun Shung, who immigrated to America (“The Gold Mountain”) in 1861 as an herbalist / healer working for the railroad. He brought with him two of his four sons, who both worked as laborers helping to build the transcontinental railroad. His fourth son, Fong See, arrived in 1871 at age fourteen, and soon became an entrepreneur shopkeeper, with wives on two continents. See-bok, as he became known, was illiterate, but a shrewd businessman, and he founded a family dynasty. The story of this family is a history of the immigrants from China (and other Asian nations).

See used extensive research that began with the oral history passed down in her family. She looked at national archives, immigration records, property records and news articles. Her narrative explores not just her family’s history, but shows the history of America’s policies on immigration, specifically those coming from Asia.

It’s a fascinating story and exceedingly well told. I was very glad that the book included maps and a family tree, because I frequently made use of both.

The last forty pages or so of the book are Lisa See’s own story, including her trip to China to get more information from the family members still there. This really brought her family’s story full circle for me.

I’ve had this book on my TBR for ages, but it was the prompt to read a memoir that had me finally picking up. Additionally, I have recently learned that an opera has been written based on this family story and that also piqued my interest. I’m so glad I finally read it.


LINK to my review

[Theresa]

I was so surprised about the opera! Haven't looked it up yet, but oh what a great story for an opera.

[Book Concierge]

Hubby saw me reading it and now he wants to read it.