Synopses & Reviews
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. Polly, as Lalu is later called, is sold to a brothel, sold again to a slave merchant bound for America, auctioned to a saloon keeper, and offered as a prize in a poker game. Complete with photographs and documents, this biographical novel is the extraordinary story of a legendary pioneer’s fight for independence and dignity on the American frontier.
Review
“This biographical novel has plenty of suspense and a strong story line.
Reading it is a liberal education in one phase of pioneer life in the
West.” Lucille McDonald, Seattle Times
Review
“From Shanghai to San Francisco, Lalu Nathoy’s courageous journey is an
important contribution to the history of pioneer women.” Ms. Magazine
Review
“A story of struggle and survival as a woman-and slave-in China and the
American West . . . Fast-paced and entertaining-packed with adventure,
drama, and inspiration.” Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, San Francisco Chronicle
Synopsis
The extraordinary biographical novel about a Chinese-American woman who fought for independence and dignity in the American West--"an important contribution to the history of pioneer women" (Ms. Magazine) Lalu Nathoy's father called 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. Polly, as Lalu is later called, is sold to a brothel, sold again to a slave merchant bound for America, auctioned to a saloonkeeper, and offered as a prize in a poker game.
With over a quarter of a million copies sold, Thousand Pieces of Gold is a classic of biographical historical fiction that stars an unforgettable Chinese-American heroine whose struggles put a human face on the anti-immigration policies of the past and present.