- Hardcover: 394 pages
- Publisher: Vhps Hardcover (Jun 15 1995)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312119976
- ISBN-13: 978-0312119973
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.2 x 3.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 612 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#609,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in Books > Reference > Genealogy > United States > California
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Lisa See, daughter of novelist Carolyn See, brings a novelist's skill to this sprawling ancestral history. Books tracing the roots of overseas Chinese writers are not uncommon these days, but See uncovered in her family tree a capsule history of the Sino-American diaspora: her great-grandfather, Fong See, founded a California business, married a Caucasian woman and fathered many offspring, and returned periodically to China to redistribute some of his wealth and launch another family. 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.
From Publishers Weekly
The See family history is becoming public property. First mother Carolyn with Dreaming (Nonfiction Forecasts, Jan. 2) and now daughter Lisa?but with something far different in mind. Always aware of her part-Chinese roots, she set out five years ago to learn about her far-flung and, as it turns out, famous paternal family. Her great-grandfather Fong See was an extraordinary figure. He established a business in Sacramento, Calif., and later in Los Angeles, when it was an unheard-of thing for a Chinese to do; married a Caucasian and fathered a large brood; returned to China on and off, spreading his wealth around in his tiny native village and creating another extensive family there too. Drawing on family legends and dredging up intimate history through countless interviews with uncles, aunts and cousins both in California and in China, See, PW's West Coast correspondent, has created a matchless portrait not only of a remarkable family but of a century's changing attitudes. The early anti-Chinese racism was horrific, and even 40 years ago it was hard for a Chinese to emigrate here, let alone become a citizen. The ambitions, fears, loves and sorrows of See's huge cast are set forth with the storytelling skills of a novelist?and a great, sprawling novel is what her book often resembles. There are times when it flags and the constant new names become tiresome, and a heartfelt but superfluous chapter on actress Anna May Wong disrupts the flow; but the book is a striking piece of social history made immediate and gripping. Photos. 60,000 first printing; Literary Guild alternate.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, well written book,
By A Customer
This review is from: On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family (Paperback)
I had to read this for a history class, and I was surprised that it was quite enjoyable. Usually the novels that are picked for a history class are slow, monotonous and dull. I could relate to the feelings of the more recent generation of children where they have a traditional asian background but grew up in American society. This book makes me want to go out and research my own family and put it all together in a book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling family history of the See family,
By
This review is from: On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family (Paperback)
Born into a predominately Cantonese family, Lisa See is surprised when as a young girl, her chinese uncles point at her and describe "white ghosts, like you". Surprised, she realized she appeared white, but felt chinese. Surrounded by her older relatives, she listened to their stories and became determined to capture their memories. Approached by her elder female aunties, they expressed a desire to document the family history. As the primary family members became aged, Lisa took up the rewarding challenge to pen the history of the incredible See family.This is truly a beautiful book. Ms. See has an obvious talent for research and her efforts were rather astonishing when one reads the history of her ancestors. Not only does she historically account for chinese immigration to the states, but details the events and cultures of life in China. Tracing back to the time of her grandfather See-Bok's early years, Ms See writes about her family that turns out to be more than a page turner. The family is entertaining, intelligent, strong and industrious. Her grandmother is the star of the novel. A pioneer white christian woman, she is abused by her own family and escapes a life of servitude forced on her by them. In a central californian town, she talks herself into a job at a chinese underwear factory that caters to prostitutes. The chinese owner eventually proposes to her despite significant social complications. This is the beginning of one of the most important chinese families in America and their contributions to the art world and their personal tales of challenge and love in the early Los Angeles years.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps overrated,
By tide220@hotmail.com (Maryland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family (Paperback)
The story is fascinating, but the writing was not. Contantly intertwining facts with the story, it was hard to focus on the primary elements. Too much of the feelings and thoughts were imagined, and not "real", even with all of the research that was done. The end got long-winded with all of the names that were before secondary. As this review is coming from a high schol senior, many would not trust the judgment here, but in defense of that, read it for yourself. This is a good story that could have been handled differently, and than gotten more literary attention, as it deserves.
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