Daiyu to Feng to Peony to Jacob Li. When will I be me again? And if I become me again, will I know who she is?" When I am kidnapped, it does not happen in an alleyway. It does not happen in the middle of the night. It does not happen when I am alone. Inspired by the brutal true event in America in 1885 when five Chinese immigrants were hanged by vigilantes for the alleged murder of a local white shop owner, the novel is told through the voice of Daiyu, who is kidnapped from a fish market in China in 1883 and smuggled to a brothel in San Francisco. The novel charts Daiyu’s fight for survival in America. 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.

It was easy to appreciate certain nuances about the tales and symbolism from calligraphy….and horrific to reflect on the tragedies of the realities.The protagonists of all the books that I read going forward are at a disadvantage: I will be comparing them to Lin Daiyu and her indelible spirit for years to come." In a sweeping adventure that spans China and the American West, Jenny Tinghui Zhang has crafted a thoughtful story of identity, love, and belonging.” First off, as a reader of Chinese descent, I am so happy to support an author of Chinese descent. The best historical fiction novels uncover a forgotten part of history, and this book definitely did that for me. Although I had previously learned about the Chinese Exclusion Act and the influx of Chinese immigration to America during that time, I had mistakenly believed that laws at the time prevented Chinese women from leaving China. I had not known about the plight of girls and women who were kidnapped and sent to America to work in brothels. Thank you to the author for teaching me about this neglected part of history! He laughs. The sunlight reflects two yellow teeth. I think of tales where men have yellow teeth, how those teeth grew from pieces of gold. That I knew, he says, but being a boy worked out better for us both, in this case.

A] remarkably assured and executed debut...Zhang moves the story forward with an impressive command of tone, detail and emotional register...Even injustice cannot extinguish Daiyu’s spirit, which is what makes Four Treasures of the Sky a rich reading experience. Faced with racism, hatred and fear, Daiyu stands on her own character, as bold and indomitable as one of Master Wang’s perfectly drawn lines.” FOUR TREASURES OF THE SKY, Jenny Tinghui Zhang’s debut novel, is a propulsive, luscious work of historical fiction and mythology, told in the unforgettable voice of Lin Daiyu, a young Chinese girl who assumes various identities to escape, survive and thrive.Historical fiction at its most compelling and memorable…Generous, brutal, and heartbreaking…As a reader, you are in the hands of a gifted storyteller.” To say Four Treasures of the Sky is unflinching doesn’t do justice to the miraculous way in which Jenny Tinghui Zhang paints a neglected chapter in American history with sharp and devastating brushstrokes. This book is haunting, luscious, and precise—it’s historical fiction as we most want and need it to be.” The fishmongers around us groan and begin to disperse, returning to their unmanned fish. There would be no excitement today. Red snapper, red snapper, the first voice offers again.

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. Weaving together myth and history, Zhang’s work is both timeless and utterly necessary right now.” Discuss William’s and Nelson’s different approaches to resisting the racism and discrimination around them. When Nelson asks Daiyu to join their efforts, she tells him, “I came here against my will . . . This is not my country. These are not my people. This is not my problem.” Do you sympathize with Daiyu, or do you agree with Nelson that this is a selfish perspective?

forced to do hard labor work, forced to learn English, forced into sexual coercion > all these really awful things…. Daiyu was convinced that her namesake, a heroine who died an untimely death, was the cause of her troubles. Despite these misgivings, Daiyu's ghost becomes her sounding board and confidant. "In calligraphy, as in life, we do not retouch strokes, we must accept that what is done is done." "Lightning splits the sky into pieces and I think, this is what I look like inside, not a whole, but a many, separated by something I cannot control...could I ever be whole...ever call myself unified?" First Daiyu, then Feng, followed by Peony, and now Jacob Li working in the Old West in the mining town of Pierce, Idaho. When Daiyu transforms herself into Jacob in Idaho, she reflects, “What does it mean to be a man? My experiences then told me everything: it was a matter of believing oneself invincible and strong, and owed everything.” How does her gender shape her life? What opportunities does she have as Feng and Jacob that she doesn’t have as Daiyu and Peony?