Name: Thousand Pieces of Gold
Rating: 4 (3 reviews)
ISBN: 9780784807996

Ruthanne Lum Mc Cunn

A sympathetic view of the Chinese-American pioneer woman.

Thousand Pieces of Gold

Ruthanne Lum McCunn

A reissue of the classic biographical novel that has sold more than 200,000 copies Lalu Nathoy’s father calls his thirteen-year-old daughter his treasure, his “thousand pieces of gold,” yet when famine strikes northern China in 1871, he is forced to sell her. She is sold first to a brothel, then to a slave merchant bound for America. In a new country, she is given the name Polly and eventually auctioned to a saloonkeeper. When admirer Charlie Bemis wins her in a poker game, he frees her from her enslavement and eventually proposes marriage. The two live out their days on a bountiful farm, a homestead called Polly’s Place in Salmon Canyon, Idaho. This masterfully told biographical novel is the true story of an extraordinary woman’s successful fight for independence and respect in the early American West. “Lalu comes to life and transfixes the reader with her story of struggle and survival . . . Lalu/Polly was a remarkable pioneer woman—a new heroine of the American West—and we can thank McCunn for bringing her to life in such a moving and inspirational way.” —Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, San Francisco Chronicle “A valuable book that gives Chinese Americans another true heroine.” —Maxine Hong Kingston “Lalu Nathoy’s courageous journey is an important contribution to the history of pioneer women.” —Ms. Magazine

Gracie Marsden

The story reminded me a lot of "The Good Earth", and it was really exciting to read about Polly Bemis' experiences, particularly in Idaho. My only complaint is the writers writing style, which included many questions in the narration.

Laura Mauler

This is a biography that reads like an action novel. I loved learning about an Asian pioneer woman's experiences because they are so different than the ones my European pioneer ancestors went through.

Thousand Pieces of Gold

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