Bridge Across the Sky

by Freeman Ng

A raw and honest historical novel in verse about a Chinese teen who immigrates to the United States with his family and endures mistreatment at the Angel Island Immigration Station while trying to navigate his own course in a new world.Tai Go and his family have crossed an ocean wider than a thousand rivers, joining countless other Chinese immigrants in search of a better life in the United States. Instead, they’re met with hostility and racism. Empowered by the Chinese Exclusion Act, the government detains the immigrants on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay while evaluating their claims. Held there indefinitely, Tai Go experiences the prison-like conditions, humiliating medical exams, and interrogations designed to trick detainees into failure. Yet amid the anger and sorrow, Tai Go also finds hope—in the poems carved into the walls of the barracks by others who have been detained there, in the actions of a group of fellow detainees who are ready to fight for their rights, in the friends he makes, and in a perceived enemy whose otherness he must come to terms with. Unhappy at first with his father’s decision to come to the United States, Tai Go must overcome the racism he discovers in both others and himself and forge his own version of the American Dream.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult, Historical, Audiobook, Novel In Verse, Fiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2024

About the author

Freeman Ng is a former Google software engineer and the author of Bridge Across the Sky , a YA verse novel based on the Chinese immigration experience through Angel Island in the early 1900s (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024); Basho’s Haiku Journeys , a haiku picture book (Stone Bridge Press, 2021); The House We Sheltered In and The Masks We Wore , a pandemic picture book; Haiku Diem , a daily haiku feed; and Trumpbert , a political webcomic. He’s also the creator and illustrator of The Shape a Wing Makes , selected poems of Fran Claggett-Holland paired with Freeman’s digital art, and the co-author, with Peter Dale Scott, of Poetry and Terror: Politics and Poetics in Coming to Jakarta , a discussion of Scott’s seminal book-length poem that combined autobiography with an exposé of the 1965 Indonesian Massacre (Bloomsbury USA, 2019). Ripples, a picture book about gravitational waves and friendship written by Freeman and illustrated by Daniel Miyares, is forthcoming from Neal Porter Books in Fall 2027.

Reviews

[Kalena ୨୧]

⋆.˚✮ 1.5 stars ✮˚.⋆

⤿ Thank you to Simon Teen for a physical arc and finished copy in exchange for an honest review!

i feel really bad for rating a book about such an important topic so low, but this really just did not work for me. i think the primary thing that did not work for me was the lack of detail and descriptions really at any point in this book. i know that this is told in spoken word poetry, so that's why i tried to listen to this via audiobook, but i didn't like it. there wasn't any emotion, no descriptions (i couldn't even picture what the place they were in was like) and i knew virtually nothing about the characters beyond what was TOLD to me, as there was no showing.

it was also just so short! when i read historical fiction about such important topics i want there to be lots of detail and pieces of information that wouldn't be easy to find with a simple google search. i didn't know a lot about the historical events this book talks about, but i came out of this book not feeling like i knew any more than what i went in with. no more context given to historical events and also the ending was extremely anti-climactic, i was so disappointed in this book.

the characters felt like caricatures as well, and this didn't sit right with me. in books like this i think there needs to be a lot more nuance to them. because there was virtually no nuance, i couldn't even get behind the small pieces of romance (idk if i would even call it that) in this book. its just the main character and a girl exchanging letters in this place, but he ends up doing something and ruins that basically. the main character was complicated but not entertaining as he did sort of..a lot of bad things? or things that at least really annoyed me.

just not for me, and i wish it was becuase i really enjoy historical fiction, when done correctly.

↬ trigger warnings: racism, forced institution, violence, depiction of suicide

[Zana]

For a story about the Chinese Exclusion Act and immigration detention, this felt really superficial. I kept reading thinking that it'd go deeper, but everything was very surface level. I didn't feel emotionally invested at all.

For a Chinese immigrant kid, the MMC read like any other kid in the US. I wanted more immersion, such as words or phrases in Chinese. (I'm not sure which dialect he spoke.) Even words like "father" and "grandfather" could've been written in Chinese. (ETA: The author's note says it's Cantonese.)

And the setting didn't feel like anything special. I didn't know about Angel Island, so I'm glad that at least I learned something, but there weren't really any descriptions to help me picture it. I had to use Google.

Overall, I'm pretty disappointed with this. I saw a Facebook ad for this book and I love discovering new BIPOC authors. And as an immigrant, I love reading about other immigrant stories. But this one was disappointing. What a bummer.

[Cherlynn | cherreading]

3.5⭐

It's giving Animal Farm vibes 👀🤔

An illuminating novel in verse about the Angel Island Immigration Station and the injustice its inhabitants suffered. This was a part of history that I hadn't known about. I particularly enjoyed the book's exploration of family and social dynamics as well as power (this one really struck a chord with me).

The writing was just ok so I wasn't always the most engaged or invested, especially since none of the characters were particularly likeable. But I appreciate how the author sheds light on important issues such as racism and The American Dream through the eyes and experiences of Tai Go.

Definitely worth picking up for the insight.

What
strange creatures
we are, that harm
our own kind.

👩🏻 cherreading mood: Good company during dinner (mala yum yum).

[Kathleen Gamble]

I just finished reading a fabulous book about a Chinese teenager who arrives in the USA with his father and grandfather and is detained at Angel Island near San Francisco while waiting clearance through immigration. It is the 1920’s and Angel Island was where Asian immigrants were processed. People could be detained for a couple of weeks or a couple of years. The walls were covered in poems the detainees composed. These poems have been preserved and many are featured in this fictional book written entirely in verse. It is a fascinating book about loss, grief, hope and resilience. It is categorized as YA but I enjoyed it very much.

[Hannah]

Actual rating: 3.8

[Amber Wessies Owrey]

This verse novel sheds light on the treatment of Chinese immigrants at Angel Island in the 1920s. Ng incorporates the poems written on the walls of the facility into the novel (poems within poems). Although the idea is to show how the people were treated, the main character Tai Go also learns about his own people and himself. He makes friends, finds love, and learns more about his family dynamics.

[Nicole Austin]

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Bridge Across the Sky" by Freeman Ng is a powerful historical novel in verse that immerses you in the harrowing experiences of Chinese immigrants detained at Angel Island in the early 20th century. As someone with limited background knowledge on this topic, I was very interested in learning more through this engaging book. Through the eyes of Tai Go, a young Chinese teenager, the book paints a vivid and often painful picture of the struggles faced by those seeking a new life in the United States, only to be met with hostility and racism.

The book begins by providing crucial historical context, setting the stage for those who may be unfamiliar with the Chinese Exclusion Act and its devastating impact on immigrant communities. Ng's writing is rich in description, and his use of beautiful metaphors, especially the incorporation of poems carved into the walls of the Angel Island barracks, adds a hauntingly lyrical quality to the story. I loved reading the words from the other prisoners to learn more about their own unique experiences at the prison. The imagery is absolutely beautiful throughout the book as well as Tai Go’s own introspection.

As Tai Go endures the prison-like conditions of Angel Island, including humiliating medical exams and grueling interrogations designed to break the spirits of detainees, he also encounters moments of unexpected hope. The friendships he forms, the solidarity among fellow detainees, and even the complex relationship with a perceived enemy contribute to his growth and the book's exploration of the American Dream. You can see how Tai Go changes throughout the book with his hope for the future as well as wanting to inspire change for his other prisoners.

While the book is engaging and educational, it's important to note that it includes some unexpected elements that may make it less suitable for younger readers. There are instances of explicit language (involving male genitalia) and a described suicide. These instances may make this book less suitable to be in the classroom, though I believe the overall material and historical context within the book would make it a perfect fit in the middle/high school library or classroom. Despite these mature themes, the book's overall tone remains one of resilience and hope, making it a compelling read for those interested in historical fiction and stories of perseverance. There is also a little bit of romance, though it’s not the main focus of the story. The ending wrapped the story up nicely and instills that feeling of hope in the reader.

"Bridge Across the Sky" is a raw and honest portrayal of a dark chapter in American history, but it is also a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Freeman Ng masterfully captures the emotional complexity of Tai Go's journey, making this a memorable and moving story.

[Alisha (booksmellz)]

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, harsh living conditions, explicit content/language

Tai Go, a Chinese teen who traveled across the ocean with his father and grandfather to start a new life are met with the Chinese Exclusion Act and forced into the detainee center on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay. There, immigrants were stuck for an uncertain amount of time, subjected to humiliating medical exams and interrogations meant to confuse and trip them up, causing them to fail and be sent back to China.

Tai finds hope - in the poems carved into the walls of their prison-like buildings, in the friends he makes, and the actions of fellow detainees. Tai may have been unhappy at first with his father’s decision to make this trip, but as time goes on, he discovers he must forge his own path.

I love novel-in-verse books, so I’m always bound to pick up any that I see - but I will say the writing in this one is more for those who would like information, than your standard novel in verse writing. They read to me like short chapters, and not verses.

Though this may not be for everyone, I will say it’s a time in American history I don’t see (or haven’t seen) much about. I wasn’t aware of the fact that the San Francisco earthquake/fire destroyed all the records which then made it harder for Asian immigrants to land in America…

Overall, still a historical fiction, novel in verse book worth checking out to read a raw and honest portrayal of life on Angel Island.

*Thank you Atheneum Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Arelle Fung]

The attempted erasure of the Chinese in America is one of the more overlooked parts in America's dark history. Freeman Ng points it out by writing about a Chinese immigrant forced into the Angel Island Immigration Station, a darker, western version of Ellis Island, and the experiences he endures while trapped there. This was honestly a very emotional story to me. As a Chinese American that speaks Cantonese, it is very rare to find book characters that speak the same language as me. Because of this, I think I connected to the character better, making the story just that much more impactful. The language and metaphors expressed in the story were beautiful and moving; however, I did feel that some of it could go deeper, especially Tai Go and his feelings; his worries just seemed shallow to me. I felt all sorts of emotions through this book, especially during a conflict between John Brown and Tai Go. Not only did it touch my heart, I also recognized that in the story, no matter how cruelly the characters in the prison acted, there weren't really any bad guys because all their actions were products of their imprisonment. They really were all in it together, no matter the color of their skin. However, although I understand it was a choice, I did find it a little awkward during the parts talking about Tai Go's hard-ons and would recommend this to older, more mature readers who can understand the purpose and prose of the story well.

[Gayle Cappelluti]

This is a novel for Young Adults. I usually very much enjoy reading about cultures other than my own, the immigrant experience in the United States, and stories for young people about the hardships many teens endure to live a life of liberty and opportunity in the this nation. This one was okay but I think it was a bit dark for me.

Bridge Across the Sky tells the tale of Tai Go, a teen who travels across "an ocean wider than a thousand rivers," ( which might be my favorite line in the book,) with his father and grandfather. Along with many, many other Chinese immigrants, they are met with extreme racism and forced to remain in a detainee center because of the Chinese Exclusion Act. This prison-like environment is on Angel Island, in the San Francisco Bay. There, the detainees face an uncertain future, where they may. remain for some indetermined time, enduring humiliating medical exams and interrogations apparently construed to confuse or trip up the respondents, causing them to fail and be shipped back to China.

Tai Go does find hope, though, in new friendships, an organized group ready to fight for their rights, and the poetry carved into the walls of the barracks. He also discovers that racism and othering is a quality that just may reside in all of us.

Bridge Across the Sky wasn't my favorite but it is well written and just may be yours.

[Mary Salome]

I enjoyed this book very much. I've been to Angel Island many times and usually go to the detention center museum. The characters brought the place to life for me, and Ng's poetry is often very moving. I find it impressive that there's an entire story arc crafted with each chapter as a poem. My favorite relationship was between TG and his grandfather, but all of the characters were strong and compelling. I felt a little confused in a couple of places, but the story pulled me through. I don't have a lot of free time and have found it challenging to make time to read lately, but I really didn't want to put it down. My reading spark has been reignited!

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff)]

This sheds light on the harsh conditions that Chinese Immigrants had to deal with at Angel Island in San Francisco Bay in 1924. Told through the journal-like verse of a seventeen-year-old boy, you get the sense of confinement, anger, and despair, yet he is still a teen and that does shine through. When he reads the poems written on the walls of those who came before him and he meets others, you feel his desire for connection.

Thank you @simonteen for this gifted book and thank you @simon.audio and @librofm for the gifted audiobook.

[DaniPhantom]

Told in a poetic journal style, we see a unique side to immigration where a boy and his family are contained for months to be allowed into America, and the pain and resilience that him and their friends feel. The community shines through strong, with him befriending a black boy that works in the kitchen & a half-Japanese girl,showing that skin color and nationality doesn’t matter through the lens of friendship.

[Amy]

I thought this would be an amazing book to explain a part of history I was unaware of. Parts of it did just that. Why I didn’t rate it higher is that the author’s quest to use “natural language” how people would talk today included quite a bit of profanity and two descriptions of erections, all of which was entirely unnecessary. Since the story was set in the 1920’s, this also made it feel way more unreal (use of the f word) than like history. Not something I’d recommend.

[Amanda]

Reps: Chinese, Black, straight
TW: suicide, imprisonment
Swearing and Sex: minimal swearing, a couple mentions of masturbation/lust

This book, like many novels-in-verse never fully fleshes out its characters leaving them as cardboard stand-ins for a historical time. It's worth reading this book for an introduction to Angel Island, but it's a mediocre narrative. The novel-in-verse format could work well for struggling readers.

Rec for MS and HS

[Heather Johnson]

A fabulous Historical Fiction for the plane ride! This novel in verse, set on Angel Island in 1924, during the height of the aftermath of the Chinese Exclusion Act, this story explores the intertwined lives of multiple generations of the same family. They cope with their internment in various ways, but the heart and hope they get from one another and the poetry carved into their bunks is a powerful reminder of the way words can inspire and lift up others.

[Ellie Gaidai]

Started off fine, as a historical fiction but I do not think this is a book fit for early Highschool I think it would be better off for older teens 16+. I personally did not like it, why put explicit words and descriptions when the book is about history. The inappropriateness ruined the book for me and I’m sorely disappointed, I hope this helps anyone who’s wondering. If you can get past the weirdness maybe itll be a good book, but not for me, dnf’ed around pg 42.

[Bethany Fisher]

DNF 15%

I feel bad rating this just 2 stars, but even though I am interested in the subject matter, I couldn't get into it. The bit after the medical exam seemed really odd to me, and I don't understand why everyone is lying about their lives and names.

Thank you to Libro FM and the publishers for the ALC

[Caitie]

So, so good. And also very important to discuss the time frame in which the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect (the book takes place in the 1920s). Angel Island off San Francisco Bay is often forgotten about in the traditional immigration story. Bridge Across the Sky is an important book for teens to read.

[Kate]

This could have been a very good book about the Chinese Exclusion Act, but instead, it was just a decent book that really didn't teach you much about what was going on. It was a quick and easy read, but it just didn't do anything for me.

[katherine]

I've never read a whole novel in verse before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it.

[Yukai Lim]

I enjoyed reading about this Asian story as it is interesting as it shed light into how these people were being treated and how they dealt with it. I love that this book is in verse so it was even more manageable to finish reading it . A solid 3.5 rating for this one .

[Meg Eden]

So much of this is told in summary, making it hard for me to stay engaged or feel viscerally there. Wish it was more in scene, and getting a better sense of the character.

[Glenda]

Read in conjunction with the NCTE Children’s Poetry Awards Committee.

[Kathleen]

A stunning expression of a little known historical event and a very important one.

[CaseyBraves]

Actually 3.2

[Anna]

Bridge Across the Sky: DNF. Writing wasn't grabbing my attention.

[Margaret Rosen]

Like the author, I grew up a quick ferry ride from Angel Island. Went there many times before I clued in on its tragic history. This book is well worth reading!

[Elin]

This was a great book! I don’t read novels in verse very often even though I usually really like them.

This book was beautifully written, and it was informative, heartbreaking, and captivating. I loved following the main character and see the relationships he formed, as well as his wishes and hopes.

Like many similar stories, however, it is as expected very heavy at times and there are themes and topics that are important, but painful.

I know this might not be a book for everyone, but I do recommend it, especially if you like poetry or novels in verse.

[Shanna - Cozy Grey Library]

I don’t usually gravitate toward poetry, but Bridge Across the Sky was something else. The way it was laid out made it feel more like a written-word story, like I was reading someone's deeply personal diary. It captured the struggles and complexities of being an Asian immigrant in Los Angeles, especially the racism and difficulties faced along the way. The rawness and honesty really hit me hard. It’s not often a book like this resonates with me so deeply, but this one did. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the book—I really appreciated it. It was a powerful read that I won’t forget anytime soon.