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Golden Mountain: Beyond the American Dream
In Golden Mountain , Irene Kai tells a deeply personal story of how she overcame cultural bias and a difficult mother to move from China to America and become an independent woman. The child of a loveless arranged marriage, Kai was born into a culture where women were told to accept their fate and not question authority. Beginning with her great-grandmother, Wong Oi, who was humiliated by her husband's concubine, Kai traces the lives of women in her family through three generations until she reaches her own childhood. As a teen, Kai was brought to New York City by her American-born mother and began to rebel against her mother's physical and psychological abuses. In New York, she also discovered art, sexuality, and herself. Finding the strength to prosper in the "Golden Mountain," Kai made her own life and became truly independent, but she could not forget from where she came—in a poignant finale, Kai comes to terms with the family she left behind. An uplifting, unpredictable story, Golden Mountain is a book about overcoming, and coming to terms with, one's culture.
375 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 4, 2010
Okay, I admit it, I picked this up thinking it was a novel, not a memoir, or however it's classified. It was dry, lacked details or description, and just failed to get my interest. I literally forced myself to finish.
Kai tells us her great-great, great, grand and mother's stories beginning in Hong Kong, leading, eventually to her life in America, or The Golden Mountain as it's called. She's unflinchingly honest. There is a shock right at the very beginning, told in very droll, dry tones that never seemed to change. I had to go back over to make sure I actually understood what she was telling us, not only once, but often. That's how flat this was. An incident a better author could have used to bring me to tears or anger...nothing, nada, zip. My only reaction was anoyance at having to waste the time re-reading.
This felt more like a chronicle than a story. I know it's possible to relay an accurate family history in an interesting way, but Kai never seemed to try. She relayed dates and facts, relying on shock value to keep our interest. Unfortunately she didn't keep mine. I never even cared enough about the characters to sympathize, even in the midst of tragedy and gross injustice. It's a pity, because in another author's hands, it could be an engrossing story. I've always been fascinated by life in that corner of the world. What a waste.
Kai tells us her great-great, great, grand and mother's stories beginning in Hong Kong, leading, eventually to her life in America, or The Golden Mountain as it's called. She's unflinchingly honest. There is a shock right at the very beginning, told in very droll, dry tones that never seemed to change. I had to go back over to make sure I actually understood what she was telling us, not only once, but often. That's how flat this was. An incident a better author could have used to bring me to tears or anger...nothing, nada, zip. My only reaction was anoyance at having to waste the time re-reading.
This felt more like a chronicle than a story. I know it's possible to relay an accurate family history in an interesting way, but Kai never seemed to try. She relayed dates and facts, relying on shock value to keep our interest. Unfortunately she didn't keep mine. I never even cared enough about the characters to sympathize, even in the midst of tragedy and gross injustice. It's a pity, because in another author's hands, it could be an engrossing story. I've always been fascinated by life in that corner of the world. What a waste.
December 13, 2017
I just finished listening to the audio version of this book. So first I will rate the audio: I wish women readers wouldn't deepen their voice to make every male character sound like Elmer Fudd. Each time a male spoke I thought he must be dumb, backwoods and galumphy.
Writing: The book's honesty and perceptivity keep it interesting. It is a bit hard to read because there is a lack of contractions, so the dialog sounds stilted. There is a repetition of the phrase: " I never......IN MY LIFE." There are jumps in time. Better editing would have helped.
However.....
This book is quite beautiful. I was lost in it. Despite a desperately sad story, I stayed with Irene and I am glad. When I got to the end and went with her to her great grandmother's grave, I was delighted to find that she saw a strong physical resemblance to this woman she was named after. Of course her mother would have hated her! (If you read the book you will know why. If not, read the book!) Remember the phrase, "You have a face that begs for hitting..."? Well.
The book took me with Irene through her development as a loving person capable of forgiveness. She did a wonderful job depicting the various characters in all their messy humanity and I was very moved to listen to her telling her abusive mother that she loved her.
How did Irene write this memoir? Was it partially imagined? Did she have eyewitness accounts of her great grandmother announcing that her father's second family should be brought into the family house? Did she have any contact with her grandfather's second wife or their children? That woman was a hero in the book, gently tending to the woman who had demeaned her.
Thank you Irene, for a beautiful journey.
Writing: The book's honesty and perceptivity keep it interesting. It is a bit hard to read because there is a lack of contractions, so the dialog sounds stilted. There is a repetition of the phrase: " I never......IN MY LIFE." There are jumps in time. Better editing would have helped.
However.....
This book is quite beautiful. I was lost in it. Despite a desperately sad story, I stayed with Irene and I am glad. When I got to the end and went with her to her great grandmother's grave, I was delighted to find that she saw a strong physical resemblance to this woman she was named after. Of course her mother would have hated her! (If you read the book you will know why. If not, read the book!) Remember the phrase, "You have a face that begs for hitting..."? Well.
The book took me with Irene through her development as a loving person capable of forgiveness. She did a wonderful job depicting the various characters in all their messy humanity and I was very moved to listen to her telling her abusive mother that she loved her.
How did Irene write this memoir? Was it partially imagined? Did she have eyewitness accounts of her great grandmother announcing that her father's second family should be brought into the family house? Did she have any contact with her grandfather's second wife or their children? That woman was a hero in the book, gently tending to the woman who had demeaned her.
Thank you Irene, for a beautiful journey.
October 24, 2007
Well I didnt realize till after I read it that it is true! Life even a hundred years ago in China was extremely different and the way they think is astonishing! It follows a family tree from great grandmother to present day with the author and its a trip with all the shit each women went through. Just try to remember each ones different experiences, my memory was bad so I had to go back and re read stuff to remember which person certain things happened to. But honestly I couldnt put it down, I took the book everywhere!
December 8, 2018
This book is like no other I have ever read! Irene Kai has skillfully written about generations of her own family, in overlapping chapters of her book. She starts with her Great Grandmother from 1877-1965, then tells the story of her grandmother from 1896 to 1974. She goes on to tell the life of her mother from 1924 to 1994, and then her own story. She shares underlying themes; from the value of Chinese girl babies, to the dream of coming to the Golden Mountain (America).
February 14, 2008
Okay so this book was very interesting however toward the end it got kind of nasty. The stories of the authors ancestors were the best part of the book however once she started talking about her own life sex, drugs, incest and infidelity came up more often. So not for the feint of heart.
June 12, 2025
This was an epic read from start to finish. Beginning in 1877 in Hong Kong with Wong Oi, Kai's great grandmother to present day America. Arranged marriages, death and poverty the Chinese people are a proud race but some of there customs were savage. This true tale tells the no-holes-barred hard lives of four generations of Chinese women in their fight to survive.
December 5, 2019
Didn’t love it. Found the writing a bit dry and the characters unlikeable. I do commend the author for telling her story, warts and all.
November 19, 2009
Irene Kai became a dear friend following my 40th reunion gathering when I met her in the company of one of my best High School pals. I bought a copy of her book and it sat on the shelf for a year before I broke it open for a read.
Twenty pages later, I was devouring it like a feast after famine.
Kai chronicles, in a fascinating and personal way, five generations of Chinese women trying to adapt themselves to a culture spanning thousands of years of tradition and unwritten rules. The experience of giving birth to a girl destined for drowning because of her sex early on is shocking, but soon a tapestry develops laced with struggle, and hopes and dreams, some smashed and others realized as each generation strives for automony and independence.
Unlike many autobiographical authors, Irene holds nothing back, even to the last generation of her own life experience. It is a journey to understanding, and one more revealing of the intricacy of the Chinese culture than might be imagined on a first read on the topic.
Each generation is affected by journies to the great Golden Mountain, a place where Chinese of modest means may come to make their fortunes and return to China to live in comfort and status. The Golden Mountain is America, as seen through the eyes of those who understood and found opportunity, and oppression in their experience.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciate human drama, as it does not disappoint. Be sure to bring the popcorn, it captivates and it becomes almost impossible to put it down. Enjoy!
Twenty pages later, I was devouring it like a feast after famine.
Kai chronicles, in a fascinating and personal way, five generations of Chinese women trying to adapt themselves to a culture spanning thousands of years of tradition and unwritten rules. The experience of giving birth to a girl destined for drowning because of her sex early on is shocking, but soon a tapestry develops laced with struggle, and hopes and dreams, some smashed and others realized as each generation strives for automony and independence.
Unlike many autobiographical authors, Irene holds nothing back, even to the last generation of her own life experience. It is a journey to understanding, and one more revealing of the intricacy of the Chinese culture than might be imagined on a first read on the topic.
Each generation is affected by journies to the great Golden Mountain, a place where Chinese of modest means may come to make their fortunes and return to China to live in comfort and status. The Golden Mountain is America, as seen through the eyes of those who understood and found opportunity, and oppression in their experience.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciate human drama, as it does not disappoint. Be sure to bring the popcorn, it captivates and it becomes almost impossible to put it down. Enjoy!
February 24, 2012
The first part of the book is almost boring and seems like a newscaster relating details more than a story or an autobiography. There is no character development and the story line skips vast time frames, one paragraph moving from the birth of a child to being a teenager in just a few sentences. This happens too frequently. Somewhere after the middle of the book the author begins telling her own story. That is more interesting, but how one could remember such details and even survive such a nasty, mean, horrible family life is amazing! As the author goes into her story as an adult it is riddled with sex, drugs, mistakes and a complete inability to see or deal with the miserable mess her life is! Finally, after she is 50 her life is better. Her rotten mother dies (and is forgiven...I guess kids who are abused just never let go and steadfastly excuse their parent), she finds true love and even learns to love her children. I don't know that I would recommend this to anyone...it is so depressing that even the good ending does not make up for all the misery. The woman in this story was so mistreated and unloved and all the women before her were too and her father and grandfather died from heroin and only 2 men had any positive qualities....her lover at the end of the book and her son. Instead of learning about Chinese life, I learned about how miserable and hopeless you life can be if you aren't strong enough too get out of it and change it!
June 13, 2017
Phascinating
The book is written so well, it captured me from the first lines on. I especially enjoyed the writing style, telling the stories of her ancestors while the reader meets family members of the guter and her story. The ending is encouraging....everything can change if you want to.
The book is written so well, it captured me from the first lines on. I especially enjoyed the writing style, telling the stories of her ancestors while the reader meets family members of the guter and her story. The ending is encouraging....everything can change if you want to.
April 15, 2011
I met Irene Kai at her booksigning over a decade ago in California. She was graceful, sweet, intense, powerful and engaging. She was brutally honest about what is was like to be an Asian woman who arrived in LA where the values about women are beyond different. Golden Mountain will take you to China to live among the women in her family, their values, their culture and their dreams for their daughters. Golden Mountain is a delightful, powerful and educational read. It made me count my blessings, review my values and become endeared to Irene as a self-made woman.
November 21, 2011
Found this book at the library by chance. I love it when that happens. I loved the writing style of telling the story from one person's perspective and then by a relative's perspective and so on. It really makes you see how inaccurate it can be to make assumptions about others. This book emphasizes the value of girls and women in China, and therefore can be very sad at times. Really held my interest.
April 25, 2008
What I specifically like about this is it is a story about Chinese generations with no sentimentality whatsoever. Many of the Chinese fiction books I read have a LOT of sentimentality, and I don't mind that, but I like how this book did NOT. But it was full of love and family, and seemed very realistic.
August 19, 2016
I was rather disappointed with this memoir. In part, I was comparing it to Lisa See's On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family even though; there is no comparison upon completing this book.
December 14, 2009
This book grabbed me right out the gate and did not let go ! Anyone who wants to read REAL feelings and make a spiritual connection with the author ought not to miss this wonderful read. Gender is no barrier for the connect if your honest with your feelings.
April 30, 2012
A story of 5 generations of Chinese women and as they struggle to find their identities and marks in the world over decades. An interesting perspective and insight into Chinese social history. It was a simply written story.
November 14, 2012
When I first started listening to this audio book, I thought it was fiction. Then I discovered - to my joy - that it is a memoir! Irene Kai is a unique individual, with a tough, but unique, and ultimately successful path in live. Very well done.
October 5, 2007
Talk about depressing. More power to the author for surviving. It was clearly a tough life. I could have gone without reading about it.
November 27, 2007
at the beginning, i didn't like it. The writing is really basic and uninteresting. The story line and setup gives it some interest though.
November 6, 2008
I really enjoyed this book.
March 28, 2012
It was just ok for me.
It was a very pretty depiction of twentieth-century China. The first few chapters were good but it trailed off in the end.
It was a very pretty depiction of twentieth-century China. The first few chapters were good but it trailed off in the end.
July 1, 2013
Oops! This was the book I actually read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews