Jenny Tinghui Zhang

A propulsive and 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 forced 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.

Four Treasures of the Sky

"Engulfing, bighearted, and heartbreaking.” —Ann Patchett A propulsive and 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.

A Novel

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.

Een literair meesterwerk gebaseerd op een waargebeurd verhaal, voor lezers van Pachinko en Het achtste leven (voor Brilka). China, 1880. Wanneer haar ouders opgepakt worden door het heersende regime, slaat de jonge vrouw Daiyu op de vlucht. Om te ontsnappen aan de tragedie die haar achtervolgt, doet ze zich telkens voor als iemand anders. Als Feng, een weesjongen, wordt ze opgepakt en naar Amerika ontvoerd. Als Peony belandt ze in de gedwongen prostitutie in San Francisco. En als Jacob Lee, een winkelbediende in een slaperig stadje in Idaho, lijkt ze uiteindelijk haar plek te hebben gevonden. Maar net op dat moment ontketent zich daar een golf van geweld tegen Chinese migranten. Daiyu moet al haar krachten en de rollen die ze heeft gespeeld aanwenden om haar eigen naam en geschiedenis terug te krijgen. ‘Vijf levens is een meeslepende, grootmoedige en hartverscheurende roman.’ Ann Patchett, auteur van Het Hollandse huis ‘Jenny Tinghui Zhang weet het avontuur, de isolatie, het geweld en de hoop van het Amerikaanse Westen te vangen. Haar subtiele aandacht voor historische en menselijke details brengen een onvergetelijke heldin tot leven. Daiyu gaat zeker weten haar plaats innemen in de canon van grote westerse heldinnen.’ Juliet Grames, auteur van De acht of negen levens van Stella Fortuna

Jenny Tinghui Zhang

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