This book covers a history that I was completely ignorant to. An incredibly important story, but TW for some really brutal violence/SA

An interesting period of history that I knew little of, I found the first third particularly compelling but found it lost its way slightly after that. However and enjoyable read.

A terribly sad novel tracing a young girls voyage through America. Brutal and thought provoking this was a good read

A beautifully written story of a young girls life being turned upside down. Starting in China, Daiyu has a happy, loving and supportive family around her - this all changes when her parents disappear one day. Daiyu is forced to leave her Grandmother in order to survive the fallout of their disapearance, after this her life is never the same. She survives living on the streets in China, being transported to the USA, working in a brother in San Francisco and then Idaho. Each time she has to re invent herself - never letting her true self be revealed even at the very end.

A hard read at times, Jenny Tinghui Zang doesnt shy away from the brutality experienced during this period.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Four Treasures of the Sky

This was a wonderful piece of historical fiction. I have read many books about immigration to America in the 19th century, but never one that focused on the experiences of the Chinese, especially women. Daiyu is basically trafficked to America to work in a brothel, but manages to escape and disguise herself to earn the money to get back home. The anti-Chinese sentiment of the time is a key part of the plot, which is tense and wide-ranging. I really enjoyed the story.

A beautiful opening had me convinced this book was going to be a great read. What a disappointment when after the compelling first third, the book really lost its way. The lacklustre ending and strange epilogue knocked off another half a star.

Daiyu is a young girl growing up in China in the early 1880s who is forced to survive the streets on her own when her parents disappear (presumably because of their political activities). Daiyu disguises herself as a boy to survive and becomes a student of calligraphy (a theme that runs beautifully through the book) but her clandestine life is abruptly disturbed when she is kidnapped at a market, held prisoner and trafficked to the US in a coal bucket to work in a brothel in San Francisco.

Circumstances offer her an escape from her frightening life in the brothel and she makes a new life in Idaho, again disguising herself as a boy (or young man). Throughout, she is accompanied by a ghost Lin Daiyu, a character from a Chinese myth after whom she was named, as she attempts to keep her past locked up to protect herself.

The period of history and the themes explored in the book are really interesting - the appalling treatment of Chinese people by white Americans in the late 19th Century. It prompted me to read more into the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the way in which women were prevented from entering the US with many ending up being trafficked illegally.

However, that’s where my praise for this book ends. While the prose is lyrical and poetic, the story never really comes together. After Daiyu moves to Idaho, I felt the book really drifted. The dialogue is superficial, the characters unknowable; the ending and epilogue are head-scratching. It reads at times like a YA book but there are graphic scenes of rape and violence. I’m glad to have learned more about this period of history, but as a novel, I found it disappointing. 2.5/5 ⭐️

Heavy themes are being brought to light in Four Treasures of the Sky: kidnapping, abuse, xenophobia, sexual abuse etc . Aspects of the Chinese migration that you not always hear about: like kidnapping Chinese to be used/sold as labour in America; the abuse and injustice suffered my Chinese migrants after(and before!) The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. But despite that the writing is so very young adult that I could really immerse myself in the story and truly enjoy it. It also comes after
How Much of These Hills Is Gold, a novel that also takes on some of the same themes. A narrative that is so visceral and almost impossible to forget, therefore the emotional story at the core of Four Treasures of the Sky pales in comparison.

That being said I think this is going to be a hit with those that don't mind young adult material and also prefer a more gentle, full of emotions story. Zhang lovingly weaves two narrative threads, bringing to life a bit of Chinese history and life in China in 1870-1880s but also the experience of Chinese migrants around the same years in America. I liked the trick of using Chinese folklore to bind the two experiences together and also(despite being a bit stereotypical) that Daiyu fulfils the faiths of her namesake.

Is your name the signpost to the story of your life? Daiyu has been given the name of a tragic heroine from an old poem but will her own life be a tragedy?
At first the story seems to be a happy one, she lives with her parents and grandmother in a fishing village. They’re not as well off as when they lived in the nearby city, but still show generosity towards the many visitors. Then her parents disappear and her grandmother fears that Daiyu may also be disappeared. So she cuts her hair and dresses her as a boy, then sends her to hide in the city. Daiyu becomes Feng, a street urchin, who eventually finds work as a servant to a teacher of calligraphy, giving her insight into another beautiful world.
But this is not to last as she is kidnapped from the streets and sent to America where she is sold to a brothel and becomes Pearl. She manages to escape and hides herself again as a boy called Jacob Li, finding a job and saving the money to pay for her passage home. But will Jacob stay in America and build a new life or will Daiyu find her way back to China?

The single viewpoint of this book makes for a vivid narrative as we suffer all of the protagonist's misfortunes with her. Everything seems to conspire against her but she manages to keep going, to find a respite and even friendship. Parts of the story seem farfetched, but I searched out some of the references afterwards and they are all based on historical scenarios. The book does throw a spotlight on the anti-Chinese prejudice from the American government and ordinary people during this time and which lingered afterwards. But the book isn’t an exposition dump, instead concentrating on how the heroine reacts to all her setbacks. It’s a very sad read even while there are moments of light and beauty.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

Great historical fiction, I look forward to reading more by this author in the future and am hoping to get my hands on a physical copy of this soon!

It feels wrong somehow to say I "enjoyed" Four Treasures of the Sky, though it is a marvellous book - some parts were so tense I could feel my heart pounding, and content warnings abound for this - there are some really quite graphic and harrowing scenes. However, if you prepare for this, you're set for some gorgeous prose and an all-around insightful read. It's also intensely moving, and beautifully written - the use of present tense felt appropriate for Daiyou's story

I love historical fiction and I really wanted to love this one. However, it is a very slow one with detail descriptions that instead of keeping me interested I got bored and I decided to DNF. This is just ny personal preference and opinion, it doesn't mean the book is bad, it means that is just nor me.

This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang is a powerful historical novel about immigration from China to America and a struggle for survival.

I so wanted to love this book. I usually enjoy books about Chinese culture but this proved just too slow for me. I enjoyed the first part but once the scene changed to America I became bored. I know that this is an important novel in that it tells a little known history of the Chinese experience in 19th century America but it just wasn’t for me.

This is a fantastic read about a period in history that I knew very little - to nothing about and it was such a powerful read. It was well written with a captivating storyline that had obviously been very well researched and well developed characters some of which i took to my heart especially Daiyu. I loved it.