Four Treasures of the Sky: The compelling debut about identity and belonging in the 1880s American West

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Jenny Tinghui Zhang is a sorcerer of words, weaving adventure, a fully realized history, and a story that lingers long after its final images. At the end of this novel, is a very informative and interesting author’s note about how the story is based on a real life unexplained event. Fierce and moving…Zhang delves into the history of violence and prejudice against Chinese people in the U. Something about the man’s hand on my shoulder, the calm heat of it, tells me that if I do, we will never leave this place. Daiyu never wanted to be like the tragic heroine for whom she was named, revered for her beauty and cursed with heartbreak.

Incredibly good writing which kept me so interested, I barely slept for the 2-3 days it took me to finish it. The story definitely doesn't shy away from violence and sensitive topics, including sexual assault, so if you are triggered and/or would prefer not to read about these topics, you should take that into consideration. Her personal struggles are shadowed by sexual violence and the ongoing threat of sexual assault for much of the book, as well as the specter of the Chinese exclusion act and increasing anti-Chinese sentiment and violence. Daiyu is sure to take her place in the canon of great Western heroines next to True Grit's Mattie Ross.Zhang’s transporting story of perseverance in the face of shocking injustice resonates across cultures, and also feels sadly relevant to today’s world. The author does a brilliant job in depicting Daiyu’s emotional growth through the years - from a trafficked child of thirteen in 1883 to a young girl who while admitting that she is safer dressed as a man also struggles with her feelings about Nelson, the young violin teacher she meets in Pierce. Four Treasures of the Sky tells the story of Daiyu, who is brought to America against her will and forced to hide who she is even as she grows into her true self.

Jenny Tinghui Zhang captures the adventure, the isolation, the violence, and the glittering hope of the American West. This book is haunting , luscious and precise - it's historical fiction as we most want and need it to be . We can practice all we want, telling and retelling the same story, but the story that comes out of your mouth, from your brush, is one that only you can tell. A dazzling combination of history, unforgettable voice and Chinese mythology that promises much more to come from this bright and devastating new talent.Brilliant and devastating, Four Treasures of the Sky tells the story of Daiyu, who is brought to America against her will and forced to hide who she is even as she grows into her true self. One striking feature of “Four Treasures of the Sky,” Jenny Tinghui Zhang’s engrossing, eventful first novel, takes the form of an absence: Although much of this epic late-19th-century tale unfolds in the American West, there is not a memorable moment involving a horse. Daiyu frequently wonders throughout the story if she would succumb to the misfortune of the character she is named after, and constantly tries to run away from the destiny attached to this name. Twelve-year-old Daiyu is left with her grandmother, who, for the girl’s protection, disguises her as a boy and sends her to Zhifu, a city by the ocean. Circumstances that reflect the terrible treatment of Chinese with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banning Chinese immigrants.