Mountain Light

Golden Mountain Chronicles #2

by Laurence Yep

Their families fought one another for generations, maintaining an age-old blood feud. But that changed when they found themselves on the same side of a new struggle against the tyrannical Manchu dynasty. By devoting himself fully to the revolution, Squeaky Lau wins Cassia's trust -- and her heart. But winning Cassia's love is not enough. Now Squeaky must prove his worth as a man -- to Cassia, to his villa village, and most importantly, to himself. And the only way he can do that is by giving up everything he has worked for and traveling to the Land of the Golden Mountain, the place foreign demons call America.

Genres: Historical Fiction, China, Asia, Childrens, Historical, Middle Grade, Young Adult

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Born June 14, 1948 in San Francisco, California, Yep was the son of Thomas Gim Yep and Franche Lee Yep. Franche Lee, her family's youngest child, was born in Ohio and raised in West Virginia where her family owned a Chinese laundry. Yep's father, Thomas, was born in China and came to America at the age of ten where he lived, not in Chinatown, but with an Irish friend in a white neighborhood. After troubling times during the Depression, he was able to open a grocery store in an African-American neighborhood. Growing up in San Francisco, Yep felt alienated. He was in his own words his neighborhood's "all-purpose Asian" and did not feel he had a culture of his own. Joanne Ryder, a children's book author, and Yep met and became friends during college while she was his editor. They later married and now live in San Francisco.

Although not living in Chinatown, Yep commuted to a parochial bilingual school there. Other students at the school, according to Yep, labeled him a "dumbbell Chinese" because he spoke only English. During high school he faced the white American culture for the first time. However, it was while attending high school that he started writing for a science fiction magazine, being paid one cent a word for his efforts. After two years at Marquette University, Yep transferred to the University of California at Santa Cruz where he graduated in 1970 with a B.A. He continued on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1975. Today as well as writing, he has taught writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara.

Reviews

[Dorothea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurence Yep's novel Dragon's Gate was one of my favorite books when I was a child. One of the pleasures of growing up has been realizing how many other books Yep has written -- including some about the same family, the Youngs, who appear in Dragon's Gate.

I didn't realize until I found Mountain Light that this book (and The Serpent's Children, which I haven't yet read) is not only about the Young family, but about the same characters who appear in Dragon's Gate.

Mountain Light happens when Otter, the protagonist of Dragon's Gate, is a baby. It explains how he came to be adopted by Cassia and Squeaky, and how Squeaky and Otter's father Tiny first went to the United States to work as gold miners.

More than half of the story happens in China, which is good because, as Yep makes clear, contemporary events in China affected the gold miners (and later railroad workers) working in the United States, both as explanations for why they went, and as context for relationships and conflicts among them.

It's also good because Cassia doesn't go with Squeaky and Tiny to the United States, and Cassia is THE BEST.

I would have loved reading about Cassia and Squeaky even without knowing what they were like as older adults (in Dragon's Gate), although that definitely adds something.

Squeaky is the kind of guy who has very little self-confidence, but he knows he can make people laugh, so that's what he does in every situation.

Cassia is Very Very Serious. She always speaks up for justice -- and when she speaks up she Makes a Speech, appealing to the better side of human nature, etc. When this doesn't work, she has a shotgun.

To make things more difficult, their families have been feuding for years. Squeaky and Cassia are only united by a common enemy, and of course at the beginning of their relationship, Squeaky is terrified of Cassia and Cassia finds Squeaky annoying.

But, of course, Cassia decides to allow Squeaky to teach her about the diplomatic uses of humor, and Squeaky lets Cassia convince him that he's allowed to express serious thoughts sometimes. (This has mixed results.)

When they fall in love, Yep keeps it pretty quiet and subtle. This is not a sweeping, passionate romance. Cassia admits her vulnerability to Squeaky. Squeaky inhales the scent of gunpowder that arises from her skin. Cassia makes plans. Squeaky appreciates her excellent, thorough planning...

It's perfect. I think they're my favorite YA couple.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squeaky Lau and Cassia's families fought against each other for generations so when Cassia and her father find Squeaky hiding from the Manchus, Cassia is ready to kill him. Then passwords are exchanged, and they know that Squeaky took part in the rebellion against the Manchu Dynasty. This cause units the feuding families. The group travels back to their districts amid the chaos of fleeing refugees. Cassia dislikes Squeaky's jokes, and Squeaky feels that Cassia is too serious. Nevertheless, they become fast friends before they separate. They agree to meet often but in secret because their clans are vowed enemies. Later, when Cassia and her family are threatened, Squeaky leaves his clan and goes to her aid. In the ensuing fracas, their friend's wife is killed. Tiny and Squeaky decide to travel to America. Cassia stays behind to care for Otter, Tiny's son. With letters of introduction, the two men arrive at Foxfire's claim just as a fight between clans is brewing. Trying to prevent needless bloodshed and the possible deportation of all Chinese, Squeaky, Foxfire, and Tiny challenge the ring leader's authority.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[OHuffakker · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Mountain Light written by Laurence Yep, a young boy named Squeaky is fighting against an evil tyrannical group called the Manchu. Squeaky then falls in love with a girl named Cassia and they fight against the Manchu together. Since they are at war,Squeaky and Cassia are constantly fighting the Manchu which provides a lot of action that I find interesting. Squeaky and Cassia also fall in love which is a part of the book I don’t like as much, since I like more of the action and fighting part. I would recommend Mountain Light to teenagers age 14 and up because the fighting in the book may be a little gruesome at times and the text may be difficult to understand for a younger audience.

[Cala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravery. Danger. Love. Death. Unity. Patriotism. Culture. Change. Friendship. Honor. These are all words to describe this series and especially Mountain Light. This series is a well-researched, historical fiction, multi-generational story of Chinese American history. I am thoroughly enjoying this series and learning about Yep's version, as he calls it, of Chinese American history. It is enlightening, interesting, realistic, and heart breaking.

[Julie Akeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in this generational saga and does not disappoint. There are some character losses but still ends with strength and determination to keep going in life.

[Aaron Gaston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than 3, less than 4 Good Reads Stars - I liked it but didn't really really like it.

Squeaky Lau, the clown of his village, has come to Canton to help fight the Manchus. He has little experience and is nearly killed - by a girl! Cassia and her father, known as The Gallant, fiercely believe in freeing their home from the Manchus. Cassia doesn't know if she can trust Squeaky, an enemy from another village, especially after that his people did 6 years ago. Squeaky looks up to Cassia's father and tries to tease Cassia into being a little less belligerent. United by a common goal, to make their villagers understand that they all share one common enemy- the Manchus - and should not be fighting each other, Squeaky and Cassia become close. Times are hard and soon Strangers are suspect and mistreated. When tragedy strikes, it's up to Squeaky to become a fighter like Cassia and find his way in the world. He looks to her younger brother, Firefox, successful on the Golden Mountain (California), for inspiration, but old prejudices die hard. Can he find a home where he and Cassia can be free?

This sequel to The Serpent's Children takes place 6 years after Cassia first meets Squeaky. The story is told from Squeaky's point-of-view and is very much his coming of age story.
The only real thing I was confused about was the Strangers. I didn't remember if it ever said who they were but the book says the Strangers kept their own dialect and customs rather than assimilate, therefore, the villagers who had been there for many more centuries, saw the Strangers as people to be despised and feared.There are some really valuable lessons to be learned from this story. Sadly, much of the dialogue could be ripped from today's news. I thought the book was a little too violent for the reading level. I wasn't surprised at the deaths in the book because I had read summaries of the other books in the series. Don't do that if you don't want to be spoiled. Overall, this book has rather a sad tone.

I really liked Cassia in TSC and I liked her reappearance here. Squeaky is a good foil for her. He's young, innocent and desperately wants to be a man but doesn't know how. He feels cowardly and unprepared for battle but when the time comes, he is able to make a choice that will change his destiny. The relationship between Squeaky and Cassia is cute. I like how he teases her to get her to lighten up and how she works hard to prepare Squeaky for his future. Cassia is brave and noble but the villagers don't see her that way. Squeaky is also an outcast and that makes them very similar in some ways. I liked him a lot too and he had some excellent advice of his own to share. I liked how he used his unique talents in a way that mattered.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the Golden Mountain Chronicles, this book tells of another in a continuing line of rebellions against the Manchus and how it affects the village of Three Willows and the Young clan. It also sets the stage for the events in Dragon's Gate, the Newbery Honor Book that comes next, which details life in California building the railroad. It gives insight into the Cassia and Squeaky characters and explains more about the Work. I like this series.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked what I learned about China and the Chinese coming to America to work mining gold. I guess the only thing I didn't like was that it was written very American. It didn't seem authentic while they were in China.

I would recommend this to kids in later elementary school, and adults who want to read what their kids are reading. It wasn't juvenile to me.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun to see another perspective of the Young family. Again, it's left me thinking and that's a good sign. I was sad so many people had to die; it's probably realistic, but it's still sad.
A lot of action in this one; I think younger folks would stay engrossed because of the action.

[Chapter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle reader age group.

[Amyh]

I think this book was great it ending was ok but other than that the book was great.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a pleasant read.

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is set in China.

[Stanley X_C2]

I reviewed this book on my other account. I just got this one back.