Precious Gold, Precious Jade

by Sharon E. Heisel

Angelena is eager to make friends with Leeana, the new girl in her class. But Angelena has always lived in Oregon, and Leeana has just moved there from China. Soon the two girls find they have a lot in common. But other members of their small Oregon mining town do not adjust as easily to newcomers. In spite of the tension and violence surrounding them, the girls establish a special friendship.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

Heisel was born and raised in Minnesota. After receiving a master's degree in invertebrate zoology from Portland State University, she taught seventh and eighth grade for 8 years, then went on to work as a weight-management counselor.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the course of her literary career (1991-2000), Sharon E. Heisel never strayed from what she knew. All four of her books take place in Oregon mining towns, but Precious Gold, Precious Jade was her first attempt at historical fiction. Fourteen-year-old Angelena Stuart lives by the Rogue River valley in Bounty, Oregon with her family. She and her sister Evangeline, who's in second grade, attend school while their father and older brother Tom mine for gold. The best mining claims ran dry years ago, but there's enough gold left to keep Bounty afloat, including a small, persistent community of Chinese immigrant miners. As the gold dwindled, so has the patience of some white Americans for Chinese laborers they perceive as a threat to their own livelihoods. How can a man earn enough to feed his family with these "Celestials" competing for what little gold remains? That's the perspective of Angelena's uncle Jasper, who speaks harshly against those who live in the China Shacks neighborhood. He doesn't appreciate foreigners settling down and changing America's demography.

Angelena is uncomfortable with Jasper's vitriol, but her brother Tom thinks he makes sense. Many Chinese do funnel the money they make back to Asia, rather than committing to a future as U.S. citizens. They do it to help their extended families, but should it be so easy to appropriate American natural resources for another country? Angelena finds herself pulled into the controversy when a new girl joins her class at school. The only teen in the China Shacks, An Li lives with her mother (Mrs. Lee), elderly uncle Shoon, and a cheerful older relative known as China Joe. Angelena's teacher, Miss Jensen, suggests An Li adopt the name Leeana to fit in better with her peers, and the quiet girl accepts the change without comment. Angelena's best friend, Liza McCutcheon, already resents Leeana: does she even speak English? How does she expect to keep up in a class of kids who have received a Western education since birth? But Angelena suspects the new girl is smarter than Liza thinks. Leeana appears to read and write English with no trouble, and her eyes sparkle with wit. Angelena and her sister Evangeline extend their friendship, which Leeana hesitantly accepts, gradually allowing her true personality to come out. She takes Angelena and Evangeline to the China Shacks and introduces them to Mrs. Lee, Uncle Shoon, and China Joe. Leeana's family is pleasant company, but Angelena worries how her own parents will react to the friendship.

Jasper takes umbrage to Angelena's spending time with a Chinese girl. The "heathens" are a corrupting influence, he warns, and lobbies Angelena's parents to forbid her from seeing Leeana. Mama and Pa are more reasonable than Jasper, but have reservations about Angelena's new friendship. The Chinese worship a pantheon of gods, considering the Christian deity one among many; Angelena and Evangeline could be tempted to stray from biblical doctrine. Also, many of the townsfolk agree with Jasper's assessment of the Celestials, and Angelena's parents don't want strife with the neighbors. Anger toward the residents of China Shacks could bloom into violence, and Angelena's mother doesn't want her daughters to be collateral damage. By now Angelena and Leeana are close friends; she doesn't want to abandon her, especially since Leeana has no one else her age to interact with. But as the temperature of Jasper's rhetoric rises and a race war looms, tragedy shakes up Leeana's world and brings members of Angelena's family into sharp, unflattering focus. Is it time for Angelena to buck social expectations for a girl her age and confront racism among her own kin? Leanna's future hangs in the balance.

"Jade-colored beetles crawl
Among petals of gold chrysanthemum.
No danger here,
For jade can't tarnish gold."

—Translation of a Chinese poem, quoted on P. 91 of Precious Gold, Precious Jade

What is an American? Is the United States merely a manifestation of European heritage, designed by and for white-skinned people? Not according to the founders. They described it as a land of shared values rooted in the Judeo-Christian worldview. Do you want to work hard and establish a legacy of wisdom and honest living for your children's children? Do you believe in individual liberty, responsibility, and equality under the law, rejecting government as either a benevolent caretaker or tyrannical overlord? Then you deserve a chance to settle and thrive in America regardless how your skin is tinted or eyes are shaped. Values, not ethnicity, define Americanism, and it stirs one's emotions to watch Angelena's awareness of that truth deepen as she befriends Leanna. There is, however, merit to the concerns that Angelena's parents have about Leeana's influence on their daughters. Exposure to new cultures can be rewarding, but Evangeline proves too young and impressionable to be around Leeana's religious community without it compromising her Christian faith. It isn't easy for Angelena either, but her mother recognizes she has to trust her to interact with the world without losing her identity. Participating in a multicultural, multiethnic society is challenging, but America is stronger when people of every background unite to forward the nation's first principles. Angelena is already doing her part at the tender age of fourteen.

Precious Gold, Precious Jade was Sharon E. Heisel's fourth novel, and easily her best. It could have signaled a rebirth to her career, but sadly this was the final book she published. Its depth and nuance lend credibility to her entire library of works: from the wistful setting, to the crisp dialogue; from the story's emotional resonance, to Nicolas Debon's expressive cover art for the original hardcover release, Precious Gold, Precious Jade is worthy of praise. The narrative could be more gripping, and a few minor loose ends remain untied, but the story offers a lot to reflect on. I'd rate it at least two and a half stars, rounding to three, and might consider the full three. I wish Sharon E. Heisel's books would find their way into the hands of more young readers. Getting to know her through her writing is a blessing.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

She did a really good job with this book...am glad we found this author. It was a painful book for me to read...but we need to know these things.

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

pleasant writing style, interesting topic, realistic look at cultural conflict