The Celestials: A Novel by Karen Shepard

by Karen Shepard

In June of 1870, seventy-five Chinese laborers arrived in North Adams, Massachusetts, to work for Calvin Sampson, one of the biggest industrialists in that busy factory town. Except for the foreman, the Chinese didn't speak English. They didn't know they were strikebreakers. The eldest of them was twenty-two.Combining historical and fictional elements, The Celestials beautifully reimagines the story of Sampson's "Chinese experiment" and the effect of the newcomers' threatening and exotic presence on the New England locals. When Sampson's wife, Julia, gives birth to a mixed-race baby, the infant becomes a lightning rod for the novel's conflicts concerning identity, alienation, and exile.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, China, Book Club, 19th Century

Paperback

First published April 22, 2013

About the author

Karen Shepard is a Chinese-American born and raised in New York City. She is the author of three novels, An Empire of Women, The Bad Boy's Wife, and, most recently, Don't I Know You? Her short fiction has been published in The Atlantic Monthly, Bomb, Failbetter, Glimmertrain, Mississippi Review, and Southwest Review, among others. Her nonfiction has appeared in Self, USA Today, and The Columbia Companion to the 20th Century American Short Story, as well as other anthologies. She has received the William Goyen-Doris Roberts Fellowship for Fiction from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, won Honorable Mentions in Best American Short Stories 1995, 2002 and 2004, was a National Magazine Award Finalist in 2002, and was a recipient of a Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Grant in 2002. She teaches writing and literature at Williams College in Williamstown, MA, where she lives with her husband, novelist Jim Shepard, their three children and their one very strange dog.

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not even a summer day and a margarita could save this book. Meandering through late 19th century America, The Celestials doesn't know what it wants to be. There are long passages focused on immigrant labor (nothing new there) and unions; other passages that deal with the trajectory of a marriage, a childless one. I tried to keep an open mind but found my interest waning nonetheless. There's just so much telling here, so little dialogue, sparse character development. I'm not surprised Shepard had a difficult time finding a publisher for this one.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been on my list to read since before I even had a Goodreads "to read" list. I finally ran across a copy and jumped at the chance to own this book and read it. I even skipped it ahead of MANY other books in the queue. But... After all that anticipation the book just simply could not perform. I'm so let down! The story while interesting simply went no place special. I felt like it kept kicking a dead horse. I even said it aloud at one instance when the author told me she was going to tell me something, then told me, then told me she had just told me something --which was her writing style. Also within paragraphs she consistently would state the end result then backfill. I found it distracting and irritating to read over 300 pages of it!!
So now why did I give it three stars since the writing style and story development alone probably only warranted what would have been a very generous 2 stars? Because, if I picked through the unneeded blather there were some kernels of a great story. I also loved the setting since I have a soft spot for North Adams, Massachusetts.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

(See my full review, and interview with Karen Shepard, at Bookkaholic.) A photographically precise image of small-town America shaken by the arrival of a group of outsiders. Shepard powerfully evokes a time when assimilation was nearly impossible but genuine traditions were also difficult to sustain. Readers may be reminded of The Light Between Oceans, Ann Hood’s The Red Thread, and perhaps even Alice Sebold’s Lucky when reading this beautiful, accomplished novel about ostracism and the search for true family and intimacy across cultural boundaries.

[Hendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first half of this book. The descriptions of place were beautifully written, and the setup was fascinating both in terms of characters, and in how Shepard utilizes real historical information to ground her story. Since it takes place in North Adams, a town I know very well, it was especially fascinating to read. She lost me in the second half though, as the love story develops and then falls apart, and the story felt less and less believable.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It gets so many points for taking place in N. Adams, but the last half or so was pretty slow & felt like nothing of much importance happened after various big buildups of tension. It’s an interesting take on an important part of local & national history, but became a tough one to make it through.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comments based on advanced reader's copy. Evaluation is actually three and a half stars. This book strike me a the sort of book that would make a good "Ophra" book. There are excellent historical multicultural connections based on actual events in which Chinese laborers were used as a source of inexpensive labor/strike breakers in the late 19th century in shoe manufacturing in Western Massachusetts. A key contextual element of the story is the relation of the Chinese workers to the Caucasian population and the results and effects of the relationships. The author also brings in elements of complex love stories too. My subjective sense is that the book may have started out as nonfiction, but evolved into a solid piece of literary historical fiction. Two additional comments, it is a shame that major publishes do not value quality works like this and I'm glad there are imprints like Tin House, that support quality writing and writers. Further, special thanks to our Publishers Group West Account Manager Peg O'Donnell who does an exceptional job promoting works like this and quality independent imprints.

[Laurie Hewett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading. Precise, sensitive writing style. Historical fiction at its best

[Brigid Keely · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Celestials," by Karen Shepard, is the fictionalized account of a very real historical event: the hiring by a East Coast factory owner of a large group of Chinese workers to break up a strike of white employees. Working within the actual events and lives of real people, Shepard provides a fairly solid narration of the unusual events... and does a pretty good job handling the racial tensions and issues of the time, which are different from the racial tensions and issues of our time.

I wanted to like this book, but had a hard time identifying with the characters. Although outlined in broad strokes, they didn't seem to have much depth to them. The Chinese workers are for the most part interchangeable with each other, with Shepard focusing only on Charlie Sing, the foreman, and the man who opposes him. They are also described by both the narrator and white residents as "feminine," "child like," compared to babies and to cows. The Chinese men are frequently described in feminized, emasculating ways. It's true that Asian men, then and now, are often described in such ways (it's a way of rendering them sexless and "safe" while Asian women are fetishized) but it would work better in the text if this attitude/stereotype were remarked upon or shown as wrong/hateful/etc.

Shepherd drops facts about the world outside of the community into the narration in an attempt to ground the book in larger historical context, but they don't really blend with the narration. I wish she'd discussed the Chinese Exclusion Act and its effects more, and the changing ways that white Americans viewed Chinese (and possibly Japanese) immigrants. I also wish she'd gone further into discussing how Alice May Sampson and Charlie Sing related to each other, how the world at large reacted to Charlie Sing's marriage to a white woman, and how their mixed-race children navigated the world. Perhaps that would be outside of the scope of the book?

It also would have been interesting if Shepard had drawn stronger parallels between the efforts of unions, and union busting, then and now. There's a direct line between the way employers treated workers then and now that I wish more writers dealing with the history of labor would delve into.

Interspersed through the text are vintage photographs of Chinese men, both in Chinese and Western dress. It would be nice if the book included an index of the photos (it's hard to flip through the pages and find them, because of the deckled edges of the paper. Nice to look at, difficult to flip through) and especially if there were any kind of biographic or geographic information associated with the photos (although that's often impossible with old photos). There's a pretty long bibliography at the end of the book and several of the sources look really interesting.

"The Celestials" is competently written, but could have used a stronger editor to tighten things up and better integrate the historic factoids. The book left me curious about the personal lives of several people involved in the book. I regret that it didn't "click" for me. This would be a good text for a history class touching on the history of Asians, particularly Chinese, in the USA... a nice counter to the misconception that all AAPI folks are recent immigrants, to the dominant narrative of AAPI life in the USA as recent arrivals. I think this book would work best paired with other books exploring the same themes, though.

[Alida Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sensitive, compelling historical fiction set in North Adams, MA right after the Civil War, when the shoe factories are at their height. Workers are striking for more pay and the shoe factory owner imports Chinese workers to work as scabs. The Chinese men are quickly adopted by the women in town who tutor and befriend them. When the wife of the shoe factory owner gives birth to a baby who is part Chinese, her family, the town, and the Chinese workers are all deeply affected.

This novel is about class, sex and race. I wish it were a touch less subtly, artfully written because I can’t envision the teen who would willingly read this from beginning to end. Throughout the novel we are asked to consider some mature feelings and thoughts that most teens won’t be able to access—especially around marriage.

[Jen Hyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well-researched gem of a novel reveals a rather unknown aspect of North Adams, MA history in the late 1800’s, when a large group of unwitting, strikebreaking Chinese men were summoned from San Francisco to work in a shoe factory. The complicated race relations that ensue in the moralistic small town are fascinating. Most moving to me was the story of Charlie Sing, who falls in love with the wife of the factory owner and fathers her illegitimate child, a child he cannot claim as his own. His lonely struggle to assimilate, connect, and maintain his sense of identity and dignity despite all odds, is quite remarkable.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of a group of Chinese workers who were brought to North Adams, MA to replace striking workers. I purchased this book because my daughter is currently living in that area and I wanted to learn some of its history. However, the author failed to interest me much in the characters. I found it difficult to believe that Julia would be able to remain in North Adams, much less in her marriage, after her actions. Some of the chapters started with a recount of events that were happening in the world at the time of the story but I didn't feel this added anything to the book.

[Donia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yes, sadly I gave this a one star because it was so poorly written. I adore historical novels; historical fiction and the work that goes into them. I cut a lot of slack for "somewhat poorly written books" if they have merit of some sort which this book did not. I lived in New England much of my life. It is beautiful and its history is rich. What could have been a delightful historical novel/story was turned into the driest, dullest lecture that I've ever been party to. I hate to say this about an author's work but author's should ask themselves, who is your audience? Sure wasn't me.

[Tinky Weisblat · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Celestials” is sometimes unclear about the motives of its characters—in part because they don’t always understand those motives themselves. It is never unclear about the power of love and forgiveness or the ways in which meeting someone from another culture can begin to liberate a person. And the subject matter is fascinating.

[Eavan Hooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject of this book is intriguing, Young Chinese workers brought to North Adams Massachusetts to break a strike. The author examines the towns reaction, the striking unions shut out actions and the Chinese reactions. Love of course comes into play and that thickens the plot.
It’s a revealing story. I found it to be too wordy at times and it dragged on with something already revealed.

[Raphaelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was sometimes quite lovely but the story was distancing and up satisfying. I wonder if that was the author's intent.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting local historical based about Chinese workers in North Adams in late 1800's. The story is captivating by itself but add in the local history made this a fantastic book!

[Kim Armstrong Silcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

in 1870, 75 Chinese laborers arrived in North Adams, MA, to work in one of the largest factories in town. White women in town offered English lessons to the immigrants. one of the teachers was Julia Sampson, the wife of the factory owner, who had lost 15 children by miscarriage over her 24-year marriage. Julia has an affair with the Chinese foreman and becomes pregnant, this time successfully carrying the child to term. the prejudices of the whites in town, combined with Julia's decision to stay in her marriage, create conflict and unhappiness. I enjoyed reading about N. Adams in its heyday, but thought the story was slow.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meticulously researched and such an interesting time that is still so relevant. Chinese immigrants are brought to a shoe factory in Massachusetts, to break a union strike. The towns people react in different ways including starting an English tutoring program as well as a surprise birth of a bi racial baby. This speaks so much to the how Chinese are viewed as others with their "foreign" features, and as much as time goes on, so much remains the same.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a book club, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise. It kept my interest, although the story certainly didn’t blow me away. Such an interesting premise and cast of characters - I wish the author had gone much deeper.

[Jenna Hendrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the straight forward prose- despite being very "telling", she still manages to get so much across emotionally.

One publishing note: my copy was straight up missing pages 269-276, as in just not printed and bound into the book at all, so that part was weird 🤷‍♀️

[Asuka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4

[In · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful and informative about historical events.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully documented historical fiction. Shepard’s ability to take us back in time is phenomenal. Her novel is chiseled with the finest tool, displaying tremendous sensibility and depth.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dislike reading about the mistreatment of entire classes of people due to the actions of a few.

[Katherine Hebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially too disjointed---the author had a hard time incorporating all of her in-depth historical research into a work of fiction, making for rough reading. But in the end, it's worth the read. The eye-opening, historical story based on Chinese boys imported from San Francisco to act as strike-breakers in a shoe factory. In North Adams, MA, of all places.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Julia did not turn out to be worth the love people had for her.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. I was hoping that it would explore the labor issues more than it did. It focused a lot on the relationships between the three main characters, and that made it feel more like fiction than the historical fiction that I was hoping for. There were historical facts thrown in at random, unrelated to the story. I think tthat they were put in to set the mood of the time, give a feeling for what was going on in the area at the time. They were interesting, but felt disjointed. So that's really my own bias.

Also, I didn't like the writing style very much. There was a lot of negative usage. To indicate a negative, she would negate a positive, and to indicate a positive, she would negate a negative. She felt not unhappy... and such, which can make for interesting reading, but it was used so much. Foreshadowing was used a lot as well. She would later ask him about... and I felt it broke up the train of thought or flow of the story.

[Megan Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

"People deserved to live the delights and burdens of their lives in private." (251)

This is the type of book where I found myself crinkling and bending pages and downright abusing the binding because my worry for these very real characters required externalization of some sort. At first I tried to read it slowly, and I accomplished that for the first 150 pages or so, but then read the remainder in an afternoon. Karen Shepard is a complete world builder, and she manages to work within the constraints of 19th century New England in such a convincing way. Her characters' hearts, hopes, and delusions are out on every single page. Every so often, her writing takes breathless leaps forward reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Read it if you love historical fiction, but read even if you don't.

[Celeste Ng]

In a lot of ways this book really reminded me of THE KNOWN WORLD, by Edgar P. Jones, in the way it interwove (fictitious) personal lives with history, giving context to personal stories and imagining its way into a historical millieu. With that said, though, Jones has said he made up virtually everything in THE KNOWN WORLD, while Karen Shepard appears to have meticulously researched THE CELESTIALS.

I can see why some readers might find that the history slows down the novel, but for me, it added richness: what most might see as a historical footnote--Chinese workers brought into small Massachusetts town as strikebreakers--becomes a rich vein for Shepard to mine. She nails the omniscient voice here and allows it to add commentary on the story of the strikebreakers, the mill owner and his wife (who gives birth to a half-Chinese child), and the town itself.

[Matt Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Celestials provides a vivid and worthwhile glimpse into the time and place surrounding Calvin Sampson's Chinese Experiment and just some of the effect it had on the community in North Adams, Massachusetts in the late 19th century. The story is more about Sampson, his wife, a couple of members of the community and the foreman of the Chinese workers than about the events. I wish there was more of a glimpse into the lives of the titular characters, but even with that disappointment Charlie Sing and the other characters provide plenty of fodder for discussion. This is a book about disappointment, after all, so I shouldn't have expected to escape completely unscathed. That minor quibble aside, this is a well-written, engaging and heartfelt read. I recommend it to someone who, like me, ponders some of the harder questions of labor, immigration and assimilation.