I've actually been wanting to read this book since it came out last year, but hadn't gotten around to it until recently, when one of my book clubs chose it as a monthly read. Going into this one, I will admit that I was a bit wary, as I'm not a fan of westerns (which is what this was billed as), but I was attracted to the premise of a story about a Chinese immigrant family in the American West during the gold rush era, which, of course, is not often seen in mainstream fiction. Now after having finished this, I would say that it was definitely different from what I expected, both in its bold, lyrical writing as well as in the way the story technically defied categorization in terms of genre and theme — there were elements of a western, yes, but there were also historical elements as well as magical realism that drove aspects of the story.
Majority of the story is told from the perspective of Lucy, who is twelve when we first meet her. Her Pa has just passed away and with her Ma gone for 3 years already, she and her eleven year old sister Sam are now left to fend for themselves in the mountains of the West. As they set off to bury their Pa, Lucy and Sam encounter situations that test the strength of their bond as siblings, as well as their ability to overcome their family's past. The narrative later moves further back to the past and explains the backstory to this family, giving us insight into how a Chinese family such as theirs ended up in a community where few others looked like them. Initially lured to the "golden mountains" by the promise of gold and riches, the reality couldn't be more different — weighted down by a secret in their past as well as the instability of prospecting, they switch to a grueling living by coal mining, which unfortunately does little to improve the family's situation. A third narrative moves the story 5 years after Pa's death, with Lucy and Sam reuniting again after having gone their separate ways — both siblings have changed in some ways, but underneath, they are also still the same. They decide to set off again, together this time, in pursuit of a better life in a place they can truly call their own.
This was an emotional read and one that was so beautifully written — lyrical, poetic, and so full of imagery. With that said though, as much as I loved the style of writing, I felt like the beauty of it transcended the story a bit — I'm not sure how to explain it, but I felt like, at times, I got so caught up in the depiction of a scene that I actually forgot where I was in the story and had to go back and reread. There was also an abstract quality to the writing that sometimes overshadowed the plot itself. From a historical perspective, as a few other reviewers already pointed out, there were some inaccuracies that those familiar with the time period and the history of the Chinese workers in the U.S. during that time may not be able to overlook, though for me personally, it didn't bother me too much.
In terms of character development — Lucy and Sam were characters I couldn't help but love, regardless of whatever flaws they may have had. I connected deeply with both characters, to the point that I didn't want the journey with either one of them to end. Perhaps it is because of my affinity for both of them that I didn't take to the ending too well (and that's all I'm going to say about it so as not to give anything away).
Overall, this was a worthwhile read that I definitely recommend, one that I'm also glad I finally got around to reading, however belatedly. This was a strong debut from C. Pam Zhang and I definitely look forward to the next work from her.
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