Scan barcode
onejordo's review against another edition
3.0
I've enjoyed nearly every book I've read by Lisa See. I had this book on my To Be Read shelf for quite a while before I finally picked up a copy. It wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped, but it was an interesting biography of a family that immigrated to America.
See's other books are fictional. I appreciate the amount of research she had to do in order to put this book together, but I think she's a much better fictional writer than a biographer. The family members she writes about are intriguing. The 100 year history sure does contain a large number of characters, as one might imagine. However, I don't feel like this story is probably all that unique. Yes, it's quite different from my family's history. But this certainly isn't the only family to come to America from China and work hard to make a home for themselves.
The history of the Chinese population coming to America was pretty interesting. The way American citizens treated the Chinese is deplorable. However, the determination of Fong See to become a wealthy, respected man in a place where he was initially unwanted was inspiring to read about. Overall, this was a good book to read, but nothing that will knock your socks off.
See's other books are fictional. I appreciate the amount of research she had to do in order to put this book together, but I think she's a much better fictional writer than a biographer. The family members she writes about are intriguing. The 100 year history sure does contain a large number of characters, as one might imagine. However, I don't feel like this story is probably all that unique. Yes, it's quite different from my family's history. But this certainly isn't the only family to come to America from China and work hard to make a home for themselves.
The history of the Chinese population coming to America was pretty interesting. The way American citizens treated the Chinese is deplorable. However, the determination of Fong See to become a wealthy, respected man in a place where he was initially unwanted was inspiring to read about. Overall, this was a good book to read, but nothing that will knock your socks off.
katebelt's review against another edition
5.0
I knew so little, now I know more. Thanks, Eileen, for telling me about this book.
309804490's review against another edition
4.0
I don't typically read memoirs but this one was pretty interesting.
I thought Lisa See did a good job of covering a huge section of American histroy through the eyes of her Asian American family. I liked that she didn't shy away from the darker side and more flawed actions of her family history to show a more realistic take on this history. I also liked the inclusion of the photos of Lisa See's family over the years and appreciated the family tree at the front to help set out this very large family.
My favourite bit of this book was actually the last section which was added after the fact and included additional information the Lisa See learned later on in her research. I thought it gave an interesting complexity to her family.
There were some parts of the book I found dragged a bit and I thought this book was a tad book. I also had some issues with how the timeline jumped around a bit, confusing me as to who was who. For instance, she would mention a family member in one chapter, then jump and time and by the time we got back to that character, I would confuse who they were.
However, this book was such an interesting perspective on U.S. history and the very details look at this one family's saga. Overall I did enjoy my time reading this book and it's made me want to pick up more memoirs going forward.
I thought Lisa See did a good job of covering a huge section of American histroy through the eyes of her Asian American family. I liked that she didn't shy away from the darker side and more flawed actions of her family history to show a more realistic take on this history. I also liked the inclusion of the photos of Lisa See's family over the years and appreciated the family tree at the front to help set out this very large family.
My favourite bit of this book was actually the last section which was added after the fact and included additional information the Lisa See learned later on in her research. I thought it gave an interesting complexity to her family.
There were some parts of the book I found dragged a bit and I thought this book was a tad book. I also had some issues with how the timeline jumped around a bit, confusing me as to who was who. For instance, she would mention a family member in one chapter, then jump and time and by the time we got back to that character, I would confuse who they were.
However, this book was such an interesting perspective on U.S. history and the very details look at this one family's saga. Overall I did enjoy my time reading this book and it's made me want to pick up more memoirs going forward.
dashausfrau's review against another edition
4.0
Very detailed, very personal account of the author's family.
hippiemoji's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
thunderbird's review against another edition
2.0
I finally gave up. While there is some historical merit in this book, ultimately, it seems that some family stories will only be interesting to members of the family. At some point, the writing reminded me of my dear daughter at six. Like many her age, she would tell stories frantically, including every obscure detail, while I listened and wondered when she'd learn to self-edit the unnecessary parts out. I began to check the percent-read counter on my Kindle with a feeling of "are we there, yet?" When you begin clock-watching your Kindle counter, it's time to quit.
cherreadssharereads's review against another edition
3.0
I think this may be the first or one of the first non-fiction memoirs about a Chinese American family ice read. It reminds me of my dad's request to write our family's story. I have read some of See's fictional work and have always been a bit confused bc they seem to glorify the "olden days" in China prior to the Cultural Revolution (which I'm sure is worth glorifying in a political & social sense). I also did let my prejudice get ahead of me and I wondered why a white woman was so fixed on Chinese settings. Now I understand that while she has red hair and appears Caucasian, she identifies heavily as of Chinese descent given her family's rich history here in California/West Coast as well as overseas in Guangdong. I appreciate the history lesson of Chinese Americans in Sac, SF, and LA. Great glimpse into what Chinatowns were like and how society differentiated Chinese and Chinese businessmen. It also explains to me why SF Chinatown is the way it is today. I've always wondered why there were SO MANY shops selling the same mementos and culturally appropriated trinkets. Now I understand them to be really just meeting a demand that was created from back when Chinatowns were first created -- as a cultural hub for Chinese immigrants but also for folks who wanted a taste of that culture. The curios are no longer high quality as Fong See specialized in but just little trinkets to take home. All very fascinating. There's one takeaway quote I have from Mrs. Leong to her children: "'Youre more or less ambassadors. You represent all other Chinese kids. People are going to watch your conduct and the way you talk. Many of these Caucasians have never had contact with a Chinese person, so do your best...You take the best of Chinese culture, you take the best of American culture, and blend the two. You are American citizens. You were born in this country, so you have to take on American culture, too. Do not think everything has to be Chinese. You are Chinese American.'" This is how I've felt my entire life.
audreyintheheadphones's review against another edition
4.0
This book is wild. It's like Sidney Sheldon's [b:Master of the Game|43330|Master of the Game|Sidney Sheldon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1170095440s/43330.jpg|1686217] meets [b:Sons of the Profits: There's No Business Like Grow Business. The Seattle Story, 1851-1901|601277|Sons of the Profits There's No Business Like Grow Business. The Seattle Story, 1851-1901|William Speidel|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1433570602s/601277.jpg|587863]. First, to come clean, the book hits a bullseye with many of my reading interests: 19th century US history, California history (all), biographies and memoirs, culinary books.
It's all those things. And something else entirely.
What it is is it should be taught in California schools (of which I am an unfortunate graduate). There's a lot that was merrily skipped over in grades 3-12 (long story) about California and the US' racist past. And this book spares no rod for that nonsense. It looks long and hard at the Exclusion Act of 1822 and the subsequent "Driving Out" (white people enacting violence against Chinese immigrants). It looks long and hard at the anti-Chinese immigration practices and procedures in this country as filtered through San Francisco and Angel Island.
But it's also a sweet and rolicking comedy and drama, by turns, telling the story of a long romance and subsequent betrayal, a wartime caution, and of course, how during the 1970s California tried to kill its young (My PhD in progress).
Did you know that California only rescinded its laws forbidding interracial marriages in 1948? I did not know that. That is not that long ago. California, get it together, girl.
The book's sweet spot is easily the incredibly poetic 19th century section (what. stop looking at me like that.) which vividly evokes the life of a worker on the railroad, as well as the founding of what is now the hideous tourist trap of Oldtown Sacramento. It's still wildly fascinating up through WWI and WWII, plus the post-war Calinese furniture movement.
It's let down quite a bit by everything after the author's birth, including her ha-ha-cringe trip to China to connect with her family's relatives in rural Guangdong, replete with American Abroad faux-pas. I am old. I do not want this. I want better than this.
Still, as the book wound down to its inevitable conclusion (everyone you just read about is dead), I dug it. I really enjoyed it a huge amount. I skived off apple-picking to get a few extra chapters in.
Seriously, California. This would be an excellent required reading for schools.
It's all those things. And something else entirely.
What it is is it should be taught in California schools (of which I am an unfortunate graduate). There's a lot that was merrily skipped over in grades 3-12 (long story) about California and the US' racist past. And this book spares no rod for that nonsense. It looks long and hard at the Exclusion Act of 1822 and the subsequent "Driving Out" (white people enacting violence against Chinese immigrants). It looks long and hard at the anti-Chinese immigration practices and procedures in this country as filtered through San Francisco and Angel Island.
But it's also a sweet and rolicking comedy and drama, by turns, telling the story of a long romance and subsequent betrayal, a wartime caution, and of course, how during the 1970s California tried to kill its young (My PhD in progress).
Did you know that California only rescinded its laws forbidding interracial marriages in 1948? I did not know that. That is not that long ago. California, get it together, girl.
The book's sweet spot is easily the incredibly poetic 19th century section (what. stop looking at me like that.) which vividly evokes the life of a worker on the railroad, as well as the founding of what is now the hideous tourist trap of Oldtown Sacramento. It's still wildly fascinating up through WWI and WWII, plus the post-war Calinese furniture movement.
It's let down quite a bit by everything after the author's birth, including her ha-ha-cringe trip to China to connect with her family's relatives in rural Guangdong, replete with American Abroad faux-pas. I am old. I do not want this. I want better than this.
Still, as the book wound down to its inevitable conclusion (everyone you just read about is dead), I dug it. I really enjoyed it a huge amount. I skived off apple-picking to get a few extra chapters in.
Seriously, California. This would be an excellent required reading for schools.
primrosesquarps's review against another edition
2.0
I’ve been waiting to read this since I was in high school and uh....it was not what I was expecting. The weird mix of fiction and non fiction didn’t do any favors to the story. If the author had picked one genre it would have been much more cohesive.