Genre Fiction
![Jenny Tinghui Zhang - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B097NRD5RS.jpg)
Four Treasures of the Sky
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK · A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITOR'S CHOICE · REVIEWED ON THE FRONT COVER · INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
"Zhang's blend of history and magical realism will appeal to fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates' The Water Dancer as well as Amy Tan's The Valley of Amazement." ―Booklist (starred review)
"Engrossing...Epic" (The New York Times Book Review) · "Transporting" (Washington Post) · "Propulsive" (Oprah Daily) · "Surreal and sprawling" (NPR) · "An absolute must-read" (BuzzFeed) · "Radiant" (BookPage)
A dazzling debut novel set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act, about a Chinese girl fighting to claim her place in the 1880s American West
Daiyu never wanted to be like the tragic heroine for whom she was named, revered for her beauty and cursed with heartbreak. But when she is kidnapped and smuggled across an ocean from China to America, Daiyu must relinquish the home and future she imagined for herself. Over the years that follow, she is forced to keep reinventing herself to survive. From a calligraphy school, to a San Francisco brothel, to a shop tucked into the Idaho mountains, we follow Daiyu on a desperate quest to outrun the tragedy that chases her. As anti-Chinese sentiment sweeps across the country in a wave of unimaginable violence, Daiyu must draw on each of the selves she has been―including the ones she most wants to leave behind―in order to finally claim her own name and story.
At once a literary tour de force and a groundbreaking work of historical fiction, Four Treasures of the Sky announces Jenny Tinghui Zhang as an indelible new voice. Steeped in untold history and Chinese folklore, this novel is a spellbinding feat.
"Zhang's blend of history and magical realism will appeal to fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates' The Water Dancer as well as Amy Tan's The Valley of Amazement." ―Booklist (starred review)
"Engrossing...Epic" (The New York Times Book Review) · "Transporting" (Washington Post) · "Propulsive" (Oprah Daily) · "Surreal and sprawling" (NPR) · "An absolute must-read" (BuzzFeed) · "Radiant" (BookPage)
A dazzling debut novel set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act, about a Chinese girl fighting to claim her place in the 1880s American West
Daiyu never wanted to be like the tragic heroine for whom she was named, revered for her beauty and cursed with heartbreak. But when she is kidnapped and smuggled across an ocean from China to America, Daiyu must relinquish the home and future she imagined for herself. Over the years that follow, she is forced to keep reinventing herself to survive. From a calligraphy school, to a San Francisco brothel, to a shop tucked into the Idaho mountains, we follow Daiyu on a desperate quest to outrun the tragedy that chases her. As anti-Chinese sentiment sweeps across the country in a wave of unimaginable violence, Daiyu must draw on each of the selves she has been―including the ones she most wants to leave behind―in order to finally claim her own name and story.
At once a literary tour de force and a groundbreaking work of historical fiction, Four Treasures of the Sky announces Jenny Tinghui Zhang as an indelible new voice. Steeped in untold history and Chinese folklore, this novel is a spellbinding feat.
Editorial Reviews
A New York Times Notable Book
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Shortlisted for the Chautauqua Prize
Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
Longlisted for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award
A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee
A Good Morning America Book Club Buzz Pick
An IndieNext Pick
A Best Book of the Year (The New York Times, TODAY, BookRiot, SheReads, Paste Magazine, Library Journal, Shelf Awareness)
A Most Anticipated Book (TheNew York Times Book Review, Washington Post, Oprah Daily, BuzzFeed, BookRiot, LitHub, Goodreads, The Millions, Bustle, Business Insider, Ms. Magazine, She Reads)
"Engrossing…Epic…Zhang's descriptive prose is an arresting combination of earthy and lyric...The resonance and immediacy of these barbarous 19th-century events are testament to Zhang's storytelling powers, and should stand as a warning to all of us."
―Jennifer Egan, The New York Times Book Review (cover review)
"A surreal and sprawling story…Historical fiction that lays bare the human tragedy behind the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act."
―Ayesha Rascoe, NPR Morning Edition
"Zhang's transporting story of perseverance in the face of shocking injustice resonates across cultures, and also feels sadly relevant to today's world."
―Washington Post
"The prides and prejudices of the Old West blaze to life in Zhang's propulsive, fable-like novel…Zhang skillfully embellishes her novel with Chinese characters, suggesting that language is our most potent weapon against oppression."
―Oprah Daily
"I love this book so much...A wonderful, important historical fiction book about the Chinese Exclusion Act."
―Good Morning America (Buzz Pick)
"Compelling, tragic, and poetic, this debut is an ...
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Shortlisted for the Chautauqua Prize
Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction
Longlisted for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award
A Goodreads Choice Award Nominee
A Good Morning America Book Club Buzz Pick
An IndieNext Pick
A Best Book of the Year (The New York Times, TODAY, BookRiot, SheReads, Paste Magazine, Library Journal, Shelf Awareness)
A Most Anticipated Book (TheNew York Times Book Review, Washington Post, Oprah Daily, BuzzFeed, BookRiot, LitHub, Goodreads, The Millions, Bustle, Business Insider, Ms. Magazine, She Reads)
"Engrossing…Epic…Zhang's descriptive prose is an arresting combination of earthy and lyric...The resonance and immediacy of these barbarous 19th-century events are testament to Zhang's storytelling powers, and should stand as a warning to all of us."
―Jennifer Egan, The New York Times Book Review (cover review)
"A surreal and sprawling story…Historical fiction that lays bare the human tragedy behind the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act."
―Ayesha Rascoe, NPR Morning Edition
"Zhang's transporting story of perseverance in the face of shocking injustice resonates across cultures, and also feels sadly relevant to today's world."
―Washington Post
"The prides and prejudices of the Old West blaze to life in Zhang's propulsive, fable-like novel…Zhang skillfully embellishes her novel with Chinese characters, suggesting that language is our most potent weapon against oppression."
―Oprah Daily
"I love this book so much...A wonderful, important historical fiction book about the Chinese Exclusion Act."
―Good Morning America (Buzz Pick)
"Compelling, tragic, and poetic, this debut is an ...
Readers Top Reviews
C S Christine HoJ
A very sad ending but a true version of oriental life in the United States back when. Excellent read.
Katherine DevineC
If you have been looking for a book you will not be able to put down, that will make you gasp and cry and want to tell everyone you know when you're finished that they must read it too--this might be your book. Set in the American West in the 1880s (a San Francisco brothel and a small town in Idaho), this debut novel tells the story of Daiyu, one of the most captivating protagonists in recently memory, smuggled to the US at age 13, forced to hide and reinvent herself in order to survive, made even more difficult as the Chinese Exclusion Act comes into being. No spoilers, just a rave that this book is so special and I feel lucky to have read it.
Noel SantosKather
I will start by saying this book is absolutely phenomenal. However, it is not for the feint of heart. It is painful, sickening, and tragic as it reflects the times of the Chinese Exclusionary Act and how horrifically Chinese Americans were treated. I can’t recommend this book highly enough to readers who are fully prepared to feel sick to their stomach with heartbreak. This book does not pull punches or sugar coat this monstrous and appalling time in history. This is what it was like and I think it’s important for these stories to be told. It is an incredible read. I will be looking out for more from this author.
Kindle Noel Sant
This was unlike any other novel I've encountered. Unspeakable cruelty is endemic in many cultures and I fear forever more. But many small feats of courage will carry you along.
JacksangelKindle
First book I’ve read from this author. Beautifully written ! I couldn’t wait to pick the book up to read .
