ON GOLD MOUNTAIN : THE ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR ODYSSEY OF MY CHINESE-AMERICAN FAMILY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Lisa See | 402 pages | 07 Feb 2012 | VINTAGE | 9780307950390 | English | New York, NY, United States On Gold Mountain : The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family PDF Book The amount of research that went into this is somewhat mind boggling. A man should be the boss. 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 probably would have finished the book and left a 5 star rating because the writing is really very good. We recommend 42 similar authors. He loved his mother, not that he could ever say it. See, a Publishers Weekly writer, has conducted extensive interviews and drawn on family lore for an enthralling saga of ambition, prejudice, love, loyalty, and sorrow--social history at its best. Out on this farm, Stella was with Mama and Papa only, instead of being left with one relative or other. Any Condition Any Condition. In reality, little money was sent "home," and families were separated for years on end. She interviewed nearly one hundred relatives—both Chinese and Caucasian, rich and poor—and pored over documents at the National Archives and several historical societies, and searched in countless attics, basements, and closets for the intimate nuances of her ancestors' lives. I do not want this. More filters. They fought prejudice and discr This is the history of the Chinese side of the family of author Lisa See. This book was my cup of tea. Try: Honolulu by Alan Brennert. Some days I didn't know what was worse - the outrage I felt with the day's news or reading her account of the shameful immigration policies of our country that I thought we had moved past. I love the idea of the book but it goes into way too much detail Defying the powerful ties of family tradition and the more tangible threats by the Dowager Empress of death by decapitation for leaving China, many men had gone looking for gold. Condition: new. Average Rating:. On one hand, you see the harsh treatment of inde This is a fascinating, intimate story of a family's American saga, meticulously researched and unabashedly frank. As it was, I scanned the middle pages. To what extent is their relationship based on the practical considerations and in what ways does it fulfill their emotional needs? Another relative also found letters from her great- grandmother's Oregon family who had disowned her when she married a Chinese man written in pencil some over years old If you've enjoyed any of Lisa See's novels, you will be happy to hear that although this story is based on historical events, it reads like one of her novels, with quite a lot of suspense, drama and even laughter. The novel is not only a page turner but is also timely. I got easily confused by so many names and family members, and at times I just skimmed through parts of the book, but on the whole, it was worth reading to the end, especially the updated epilogue. They were like a drug to him. In all the most amazing part of the book for me was the marriage between Fong See and Letticie Pruitt. On Gold Mountain : The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family Writer The result is a vivid, sweeping family portrait in the tradition of Alex Haley's Roots that is at once particular and universal, telling the story not only of one family, but of the Chinese people in America itself, a country that both welcomes and reviles immigrants like no other culture in the world. Related summaries: books by Lisa See Dreams of Joy. Everyone in town—well, at least every kid in Waterville—knew Stella was a toughie. They told intriguing and often silly stories about missionaries, prostitutes, tong wars, the all-girl drum corps, and the all-Chinese baseball team. Still, Stella loved being out on this farm. This took me a long time to finish as in, months , but i really enjoyed it. I was especially impressed with her ability to look critically at the actions of elders she grew up with. To ask other readers questions about On Gold Mountain , please sign up. Milton would have come home with a pocket full of money and Ray would be empty-handed. Make your On Gold Mountain is the history of the See family and like most histories it is most interesting to the one telling it. He hated how his father made everyone work hard every day: first uncrate, then straighten the nails. Ray hated the damned basket trade. Stock Image. In Georgia, a collection of eight stories and a novella, is set in Georgia just What do they show about the importance of how American-born children identify themselves [pp. The Seattle Story, Her family's stories were worth the telling. But for many years—as he tossed a son through the air, or moved himself through the exercises based on the movements of the deer, bear, tiger, monkey, and crane, which would be restorative for rheumatism, arthritis, digestive disorders, and chronic fatigue—there had always been customers. As Fong See got older, his Chinese heritage came to the forefront of his very being. In the three novels that follow the Red Princess Mysteries , See reuses many of these elements—but shifts the focus to the difficulty Americans face in coming to and understanding China. Fong See and his wife escaped much of the prejudice that Chinese families faced because they had amassed quite a fortune. However, Fong quickly gains respect as a businessman and becomes one of the most powerful people in Chinatown. Jul 31, Jane Mettee rated it it was amazing. I suspect much of this carefully assembled information will be new to most readers. All very fascinating. Stella glanced over to the cook wagon where her mother prepared the afternoon meal. What qualities do Ticie, Stella, and Carolyn share? The marriage between Fong See and Letticie Pruett—my Caucasian great-grandmother—would go on to establish the See name. And I want to praise See for the monumental amount of research she had to do! Feb 06, Lisa rated it liked it. Related Articles. Speaking of the Chinese side of her family, See has said: "Things were so fractured and wild at home Lisa See does in depth research even for her novels. Satisfaction Guaranteed! See was born in Paris but grew up in Los Angeles. A Chinese custom, when they were all American. See acknowledges that this is not the case for many immigrants, but that successful businessman Fong was one of the lucky ones who prospered. Immediate and gripping. See ends the book by recounting the short-lived marriage of her own parents, Richard See and Carolyn Laws, another mixed-race couple. Ray was only fourteen, but he had pride. I got easily confused by so many names and family members, and at times I just skimmed through parts of the book, but on the whole, it was worth reading to the end, especially the updated epilogue. A man should be the boss. How does the family's life in China, prior to emmigration, compare with their life in America? May 25, Shari rated it liked it Shelves: dnf. Original publication date. If you include such a tool, you should make it easily usable for your readers. Finally, he had gone back to her original question. I was hoping to get more history of the area, conditions, and the building of the American West vs the history of one family down to the specific details of their immigration records interviews consequently where I gave up. Lisa herself grew up playing in her family's antiques store in Los Angeles's Chinatown, listening to stories of missionaries and prostitutes, movie stars and Chinese baseball teams. On Gold Mountain : The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family Reviews During the wheat harvest, the horses, threshing machines, and binders tossed dust straight up into the air, creating huge brown clouds that drifted across the fields. Out on this farm, Stella was with Mama and Papa only, instead of being left with one relative or other. What I found interesting about the book was learning of the struggles of Chinese immigrants to make a life in America while supporting family back in China as told through the See family history. What strengths or values do the women embody? GOOD read!!!! It also had general merchandise emporiums, wallpaper stores, a furniture manufacturer, a watchmaker, two blacksmiths, and a musical instrument maker. When an author can tell me what side off a street someone was walking on while he looked at a blue sky through whatever color green leaves and what he was thinking while doing so, or give detailed thoughts running a page or two of what was running through someone's mind while they are dying both examples of which took place in the s ,that is not nonfiction. She was pretty big now, so she could go anywhere by herself. Also, See has written much too much about the original character, especially his early years, providing her rationale for practically everything he does. Customers who bought this item also bought. He has lived since From the publisher.