Gold Mountain
Gold Mountain by Betty G. Yee, published by Lerner Publishing Group on August 1, 2023, is a young adult fiction novel that explores the challenges faced by Chinese immigrants in 19th century America. The story follows Tam Ling Fan, who, after the death of her brother and her father’s wrongful imprisonment, disguises herself as a boy to work on the Transcontinental Railroad. This journey takes her to “the Gold Mountain,” where she confronts the harsh realities of labor, danger, and prejudice while striving to secure her family’s future.
Readers will find a narrative that delves into social themes such as emigration, immigration, and the struggles against prejudice and racism. As Ling Fan navigates the treacherous conditions of railroad construction, she faces not only physical dangers like cave-ins and blizzards but also the threat of exposure that could jeopardize her family’s safety. This edition, comprising 288 pages, presents a vivid portrayal of resilience and determination amid historical challenges in the United States.
Official synopsis Publisher
Working on the Transcontinental Railroad promises a fortune—for those who survive.
Growing up in 1860s China, Tam Ling Fan has lived a life of comfort. Her father is wealthy enough to provide for his family but unconventional enough to spare Ling Fan from the debilitating foot-binding required of most well-off girls. But Ling Fan’s life is upended when her brother dies of influenza and their father is imprisoned under false accusations. Hoping to earn the money that will secure her father’s release, Ling Fan disguises herself as a boy and takes her brother’s contract to work for the Central Pacific Railroad Company in America.
Life on “the Gold Mountain” is grueling and dangerous. To build the railroad that will connect the west coast to the east, Ling Fan and other Chinese laborers lay track and blast tunnels through the treacherous peaks of the Sierra Nevada, facing cave-ins, avalanches, and blizzards—along with hostility from white Americans.
When someone threatens to expose Ling Fan’s secret, she must take an even greater risk to save what’s left of her family . . . and to escape the Gold Mountain alive.
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