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On Gold Mountain
On Gold Mountain | Lisa See
5 posts | 8 read | 20 to read
When she was a girl, Lisa See spent summers in the cool, dark recesses of her familys antiques store in Los Angeles Chinatown. There, her grandmother and great-aunt told her intriguing, colorful stories about their familys past--stories of missionaries, concubines, long wars, glamorous nightclubs, and the determined struggle to triumph over racist laws and discrimination. They spoke of how Lisas great-great-grandfather emigrated from his Chinese village to the United States to work on the building of the transcontinental railroad as an herbalist; how his son followed him, married a Caucasian woman, and despite great odds, went on to become one of the most prominent Chinese on Gold Mountain (the Chinese name for the United States). s an adult, See spent five years collecting the details of her familys remarkable history. She interviewed nearly one hundred relatives--both Chinese and Caucasian, rich and poor--and pored over documents at the National Archives and several historical societies, searching in countless attics, basements, and closets for the intimate nuances of her ancestors lives. The result is a vivid, sweeping family portrait in the tradition of Alex Haleys Roots that is at once particular and universal, telling the story not only of one family, but of the Chinese people in America itself, a country that both welcomes and reviles immigrants like no other culture in the world.
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squirrelbrain
On Gold Mountain | Lisa See
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Pickpick

#authoramonth

This was a NF book about See‘s family, dating right back to the 1870s when her great-grandfather immigrated to the US from China

The earlier parts were fascinating but the book is very long and the later parts became a bit same-y. I also felt quite a distance from all of the characters, which is odd when it is her family. Still a good pick though.

This is partly #setinchina so I‘m using this for #booked2022 too.

Cinfhen Woohoo!! I‘ve tried a few books by this author and I agree, they are missing something 2y
Cinfhen And they all seem to drag 😳 2y
77 likes2 comments
blurb
erzascarletbookgasm
On Gold Mountain | Lisa See
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This memoir centers on Lisa See‘s great grandfather, one of the few who realized the dream of coming to the U.S. and finding "Gold Mountain" (nickname for San Francisco, California, & used broadly by Chinese to refer to western regions of North America). After gold was found in the Sierra Nevada in 1848, thousands of Chinese from Guangdong travelled to the West in search of gold and riches during the California Gold Rush.
#HeatofJuly #rushrush

Cinfhen This sounds really fascinating! I love memoirs and I‘m sure Lisa See writes it beautifully! I‘ve already see I‘ve stacked it 😉 6y
BarbaraBB Great association, the Gold Rush! Smart 😉 6y
85 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
LeahBergen
On Gold Mountain | Lisa See
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#Mountains

Lisa See relates her own rich family history in this memoir, beginning with her great-great-grandfather‘s arrival in America (or “Gold Mountain”) in 1866.

#NoteworthyNovember

rubyslippersreads Great photo! 😍 6y
jbhops Love this one! 6y
erzascarletbookgasm This is a lovely edition. I have yet to read it. 6y
See All 7 Comments
LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads Thanks! 😘😘 6y
LeahBergen @jbhops It‘s still TBR and I‘ve had it for years. 😬 6y
LeahBergen @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks! It‘s still TBR for me, too. 6y
Reviewsbylola That cover is great. Sounds like a good read. 6y
112 likes5 stack adds7 comments
blurb
erzascarletbookgasm
On Gold Mountain | Lisa See
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'Gold Mountain', literally translated, is the Chinese name given to the promised land of America. This is the story of Lisa See‘s family, centering on the story of her great-grandparents who first came to the US from China in 1867 in search of riches and new opportunities. A vivid family portrait with insight into the clash of culture and expectations, acceptance and discrimination.
I will get to this one day.. #gold #junetunz @Cinfhen

Cinfhen Sounds fascinating! Stacked' 7y
christineandbooks Stacked also! I love her fiction and have always been curious about her heritage. Had no idea she had an autobiographical work published! 7y
LeahBergen I thought of this one for today, too! 👏🏻 7y
Wife I really enjoyed this one!🌹 7y
58 likes5 stack adds4 comments
blurb
mydearwatson
On Gold Mountain | Lisa See
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I don't read a whole lot of nonfiction, but I enjoyed reading this history of See's family. I paired it with *Shanghai Girls* because that's my favorite of See's books (so far).
#seasonsreadings2016 #fictionnonfictionpairings @RealLifeReading

12 likes1 stack add1 comment