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The Fortunes: Four Chinese American Lives Across a Century – Award-Winning Literary Novel
Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
for literature that confronts racism and examines diversity
Winner of the 2017 Chautauqua Prize
Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize
A New York Times Notable Book
"Riveting and luminous...Like the best books, this one haunts the reader well after the end."—Jesmyn Ward
“[A] complex, beautiful novel . . . Stunning.”—NPR, Best Books of 2016
“Intense and dreamlike . . . filled with quiet resonances across time.”— The New Yorker
Sly, funny, intelligent, and artfully structured, The Fortunes recasts American history through the lives of Chinese Americans and reimagines the multigenerational novel through the fractures of immigrant family experience.
Inhabiting four lives—a railroad baron’s valet who unwittingly ignites an explosion in Chinese labor; Hollywood’s first Chinese movie star; a hate-crime victim whose death mobilizes the Asian American community; and a biracial writer visiting China for an adoption—this novel captures and capsizes over a century of our history, showing that even as family bonds are denied and broken, a community can survive—as much through love as blood.
“A prophetic work, with passages of surpassing beauty.”—Joyce Carol Oates, Anisfield-Wolf Book Award citation
“A poignant, cascading four-part novel . . . Outstanding.”—David Mitchell, Guardian
“The most honest, unflinching, cathartically biting novel I’ve read about the Chinese American experience.”—Celeste Ng
for literature that confronts racism and examines diversity
Winner of the 2017 Chautauqua Prize
Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize
A New York Times Notable Book
"Riveting and luminous...Like the best books, this one haunts the reader well after the end."—Jesmyn Ward
“[A] complex, beautiful novel . . . Stunning.”—NPR, Best Books of 2016
“Intense and dreamlike . . . filled with quiet resonances across time.”— The New Yorker
Sly, funny, intelligent, and artfully structured, The Fortunes recasts American history through the lives of Chinese Americans and reimagines the multigenerational novel through the fractures of immigrant family experience.
Inhabiting four lives—a railroad baron’s valet who unwittingly ignites an explosion in Chinese labor; Hollywood’s first Chinese movie star; a hate-crime victim whose death mobilizes the Asian American community; and a biracial writer visiting China for an adoption—this novel captures and capsizes over a century of our history, showing that even as family bonds are denied and broken, a community can survive—as much through love as blood.
“A prophetic work, with passages of surpassing beauty.”—Joyce Carol Oates, Anisfield-Wolf Book Award citation
“A poignant, cascading four-part novel . . . Outstanding.”—David Mitchell, Guardian
“The most honest, unflinching, cathartically biting novel I’ve read about the Chinese American experience.”—Celeste Ng
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2016
364 people are currently reading
4914 people want to read
About the author
Peter Ho Davies
23 books184 followersPeter Ho Davies is a contemporary British writer of Welsh and Chinese descent. He was born and raised in Coventry. Davies studied physics at Manchester University then English at Cambridge University.
In 1992 he moved to the United States as a professor of creative writing. He has taught at the University of Oregon and Emory University and is now on the faculty of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
He has published two collections of short fiction, The Ugliest House in the World (1998) and Equal Love (2000). His first novel, The Welsh Girl came out in 2007.
Davies is a recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown.
In 1992 he moved to the United States as a professor of creative writing. He has taught at the University of Oregon and Emory University and is now on the faculty of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
He has published two collections of short fiction, The Ugliest House in the World (1998) and Equal Love (2000). His first novel, The Welsh Girl came out in 2007.
Davies is a recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 363 reviews
August 13, 2016
Four Stories: Gold, Silver, Jade, and Pearl....
In each of the four stories told by Peter Ho Davies --[three which are inspired by
real historical characters]....challenges are examined of immigrant life.
Ling, from the first story "Gold", ( 1860's), is one of those characters that stays with you. He's an orphan from China...(Pearl River), and we follow him to Gold Mountain in California. ---He takes several jobs, ( laundry - valet), before eventually becoming an organizer - a leader- of Chinese labor.....building the transcontinental railroad. We see different moral perspectives from the choices made - success and growth on one end - but sadness and fear --questioning identity and personal power living in this county right from this first story. It's through Ling directly we feel the conflicting emotions of what's to become of historical growth of more and more immigrants. -- which, the author continues to show us through the years for Chinese Americans.
In "Silver", we meet an actress - Anna May Wong. It's Hollywood in the '30's. As a Chinese-American working actress ...'a star'...her success does not come without
hardships, and rejection.... ( loss of a major role). Plus, she tries to fill her empty spot with affairs with men. It's a sad story - in many ways... because we wish this woman 'could' be at peace with herself on and off stage.
Two more stories...
"Jade" ... set in the 80's is a horrific beating - a hate crime - of an autoworker and his stepson. It's a complicated story because nobody seems completely innocent - nobody is a Prince Charming...at the same time: violence is violence.
"Pearl" is present day.... John and Nola want to adopt a baby. They are a biracial couple. John is Chinese American. Nola is caucasian....Irish American.
They will be returning to China to 'adopt. John's mother is from China. This story - as the other looks, at identity and belonging.
These stories seem simple in itself....but it feels just the opposite. We see the imbalances and injustice --hidden yearnings--cultural complexity of human relationships--and.... we think about 'our' daily life.
I found this to be a quiet deep contemplative read. It's the type of book that makes a reader want to stand a little taller. I'm left with..."how can I contribute; what's asked of me in the Bay Area... living in 'the melting pot' of America?"
Top notch skilled writing!!!
Thank you Houghton Mifflin, Netgalley, and Peter Ho Davies
In each of the four stories told by Peter Ho Davies --[three which are inspired by
real historical characters]....challenges are examined of immigrant life.
Ling, from the first story "Gold", ( 1860's), is one of those characters that stays with you. He's an orphan from China...(Pearl River), and we follow him to Gold Mountain in California. ---He takes several jobs, ( laundry - valet), before eventually becoming an organizer - a leader- of Chinese labor.....building the transcontinental railroad. We see different moral perspectives from the choices made - success and growth on one end - but sadness and fear --questioning identity and personal power living in this county right from this first story. It's through Ling directly we feel the conflicting emotions of what's to become of historical growth of more and more immigrants. -- which, the author continues to show us through the years for Chinese Americans.
In "Silver", we meet an actress - Anna May Wong. It's Hollywood in the '30's. As a Chinese-American working actress ...'a star'...her success does not come without
hardships, and rejection.... ( loss of a major role). Plus, she tries to fill her empty spot with affairs with men. It's a sad story - in many ways... because we wish this woman 'could' be at peace with herself on and off stage.
Two more stories...
"Jade" ... set in the 80's is a horrific beating - a hate crime - of an autoworker and his stepson. It's a complicated story because nobody seems completely innocent - nobody is a Prince Charming...at the same time: violence is violence.
"Pearl" is present day.... John and Nola want to adopt a baby. They are a biracial couple. John is Chinese American. Nola is caucasian....Irish American.
They will be returning to China to 'adopt. John's mother is from China. This story - as the other looks, at identity and belonging.
These stories seem simple in itself....but it feels just the opposite. We see the imbalances and injustice --hidden yearnings--cultural complexity of human relationships--and.... we think about 'our' daily life.
I found this to be a quiet deep contemplative read. It's the type of book that makes a reader want to stand a little taller. I'm left with..."how can I contribute; what's asked of me in the Bay Area... living in 'the melting pot' of America?"
Top notch skilled writing!!!
Thank you Houghton Mifflin, Netgalley, and Peter Ho Davies
September 10, 2016
3.75 stars. The Fortunes was a great concept by a talented writer that worked better in some parts than others. It's divided into four stories that are only marginally related in a way that becomes clear at the end. Each deals with different experiences of Chinese Americans at different points in history. The first and last stories were by far my favourites. The first focused on Ling who came to the US in the late 19th century amongst many people who came from China to help build the railroad. And the last one focuses on John -- whose father is American and mother is Chinese -- who travels to China from the US with his wife to adopt a baby girl. These are not straightforward stories. They aren't told in a linear fashion. They are contemplative -- often feeling like a complex kaleidoscope of thoughts and feelings about race and identity. Over and over -- but with nuanced and sometimes brilliant shifts -- the narrators dwell on living in a world that sees them through stereotypes and pat expectations, and how those expectations impact on their own sense of who they are and their place in the world. I really liked how this approach played out in the first and last stories -- not so much in the two middle stories where I felt that the narrative approach ended up overwhelming the story. Having said that, Ho Davies is a really talented insightful writer. I would definitely read other books by him. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
September 8, 2016
3.5 Ling and the section Gold was by far my favorite and if the others were as good as this one I would have given it an unequivocal four star rating. Did like the structure of this novel, the different sections that tied to the others, though sometimes it was hard to find the connection. The second section about the first Chinese actress I did not like the way it was written and did not care for the character. The third and fourth sections were just okay for me. Overall the book did a good job relating the Chinese American experience, and I found that interesting.
The first though, Ling is a fantastic character, and he changes as does his viewpoint as the story progresses. The hard life he led and the realizations he comes to, the building by the Chinese of the railroad and the conditions they worked under. How the Chinese like other immigrant groups were exploited. Beautifully written, this author does have talent. So a mixed reception from me, but the first story is well worth reading.
ARC from Netgalley.
The first though, Ling is a fantastic character, and he changes as does his viewpoint as the story progresses. The hard life he led and the realizations he comes to, the building by the Chinese of the railroad and the conditions they worked under. How the Chinese like other immigrant groups were exploited. Beautifully written, this author does have talent. So a mixed reception from me, but the first story is well worth reading.
ARC from Netgalley.
July 30, 2016
When I began The Fortunes, I knew almost immediately I was in the hands of a master writer. I was caught up in the story right away. The stories held my attention through to the end, the beautiful prose helping me face the sometimes challenging questions contained in the stories.
The Fortunes is a collection of four novellas, each of which examines a different experience of what it means to be a Chinese-American. The first story “Gold,” takes place in the 19th century. Ling comes from China to Gold Mountain, California hoping to become rich., He begins his American life working in a laundry where he falls in love with a prostitute and is taunted by the white people whenever he has to leave his community. He makes what he feels is an upward trade working as a valet for a magnate who is building a railway. He feels honored by the man’s acceptance of him as somehow better than other Chinese. The railroad tycoon credits Ling for bringing in thousands of Chinese workers to build his railroad. Although Ling takes pride in this at first, he comes to see it-and himself-very differently.
The second story, “Silver,” explores the life of the 1930s “silver screen” actress Anna May Wong. Wong was Hollywood’s first Chinese-American star, who longed for fame despite her father’s disapproval. Despite her success, she loses the role of the Chinese wife in film version of The Good Earth (despite the author, Pearl Buck, reportedly saying she would be perfect for the part) to a white woman. Wong is “too Chinese” for the role: by the Hays moral code of the 30s, an Asian woman cannot kiss a white man. Wong laughs off her repeated rejections (despite her fame) with clever quips but turns to drink and men to forget her loneliness.
In “Jade,” we are told the story of the hate crime slaughter of a Chinese-American believed to be Japanese by racist whites who blame the Japanese for the failing of the auto industry ion the 1980s (and the loss of one of their jobs). The story is told by the victim’s friend, who was there but ran. He has complicated feelings about the victim, Vincent, who is not the saint he has become to a movement fighting the acquittal of the killers. Vincent was a complex human being and here as he does throughout these stories, Davies challenges the reader from resting in easy assumptions.
The last story, “Pearl,” takes place now. A Chinese-American writer has come to China with his white wife to adopt a baby. The writer is, as all these characters are, confused about his identity, belonging neither to the Chinese culture from which he came nor fully to the American (white) culture in which he lives. This story links up many of the themes (and even characters) from the earlier stories.
The stories are fascinating looks at the difficulty of creating an identity when a person is caught between two cultures, not feeling a sense of belonging with either.
My thanks to NetGalley, publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and author Peter Ho Davies for the opportunity to read this outstanding work in exchange for an honest review. It is something that I continue to think about even after finishing the last page. That is something I look for in fiction and greatly appreciate when I find it.
The Fortunes is a collection of four novellas, each of which examines a different experience of what it means to be a Chinese-American. The first story “Gold,” takes place in the 19th century. Ling comes from China to Gold Mountain, California hoping to become rich., He begins his American life working in a laundry where he falls in love with a prostitute and is taunted by the white people whenever he has to leave his community. He makes what he feels is an upward trade working as a valet for a magnate who is building a railway. He feels honored by the man’s acceptance of him as somehow better than other Chinese. The railroad tycoon credits Ling for bringing in thousands of Chinese workers to build his railroad. Although Ling takes pride in this at first, he comes to see it-and himself-very differently.
The second story, “Silver,” explores the life of the 1930s “silver screen” actress Anna May Wong. Wong was Hollywood’s first Chinese-American star, who longed for fame despite her father’s disapproval. Despite her success, she loses the role of the Chinese wife in film version of The Good Earth (despite the author, Pearl Buck, reportedly saying she would be perfect for the part) to a white woman. Wong is “too Chinese” for the role: by the Hays moral code of the 30s, an Asian woman cannot kiss a white man. Wong laughs off her repeated rejections (despite her fame) with clever quips but turns to drink and men to forget her loneliness.
In “Jade,” we are told the story of the hate crime slaughter of a Chinese-American believed to be Japanese by racist whites who blame the Japanese for the failing of the auto industry ion the 1980s (and the loss of one of their jobs). The story is told by the victim’s friend, who was there but ran. He has complicated feelings about the victim, Vincent, who is not the saint he has become to a movement fighting the acquittal of the killers. Vincent was a complex human being and here as he does throughout these stories, Davies challenges the reader from resting in easy assumptions.
The last story, “Pearl,” takes place now. A Chinese-American writer has come to China with his white wife to adopt a baby. The writer is, as all these characters are, confused about his identity, belonging neither to the Chinese culture from which he came nor fully to the American (white) culture in which he lives. This story links up many of the themes (and even characters) from the earlier stories.
The stories are fascinating looks at the difficulty of creating an identity when a person is caught between two cultures, not feeling a sense of belonging with either.
My thanks to NetGalley, publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and author Peter Ho Davies for the opportunity to read this outstanding work in exchange for an honest review. It is something that I continue to think about even after finishing the last page. That is something I look for in fiction and greatly appreciate when I find it.
October 12, 2016
This richly varied book, composed of four subtly linked novellas, illuminates the Chinese-American experience from the 1860s through the present day. I appreciated the title’s connotations of fate and luck, and the way the sections are based around metaphors of precious materials. However, I expected some direct links between the novellas, whether ancestral or otherwise. Even though the stylistic variety throughout the book is welcome, it creates some dissonance. Also, “Gold” makes for a pretty slow start and takes up a good forty percent of the book. I knew three more stories were to come, and kept waiting to move on. All the same, The Fortunes as a whole gives a memorable composite picture of the challenges life has posed for generations of Chinese-Americans.
July 29, 2017
3.5 stars
September 7, 2016
I've been in a bit of a slump lately when it comes to reading, and even more so when it comes to reviewing. At times like these, I need an author to surprise me, to show me something I haven't seen before. Something I can be excited about. A lifeline to pull me out of the reading doldrums.
Enter Peter Ho Davies' new novel, The Fortunes, stage right. Here's what's so cool about it: the book reads more like a set of interconnected novellas than a straightforward novel. There are four discrete storylines, told in separate sections one after another. It's mainly the themes that overlap—immigration, identity, belonging—while the characters and their situations are all very different. Taken together, like a collage, they tell what it has been like to be Chinese-American at various times in history.
My favorite part of the book was how powerfully Davies demonstrates the inherent conflict of being a part of two distinct cultures. His characters do not fit perfectly into either their Chinese or American worlds, seemingly no matter what they do. Thus each one has to define their own identity on their own terms, which was both interesting and gratifying to watch from my readerly perch. I also loved the historical aspect of the novel, as it made real to me some parts of history I was only vaguely aware of, like the construction of transcontinental railroads and the California gold rush.
Here's to authors doing new things and the blessed approach of sweater weather. I'm hopeful the combination of the two will be enough to bust me out of my recent slump.
With sincere regards to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the advance copy. On sale today, September 6!
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Enter Peter Ho Davies' new novel, The Fortunes, stage right. Here's what's so cool about it: the book reads more like a set of interconnected novellas than a straightforward novel. There are four discrete storylines, told in separate sections one after another. It's mainly the themes that overlap—immigration, identity, belonging—while the characters and their situations are all very different. Taken together, like a collage, they tell what it has been like to be Chinese-American at various times in history.
My favorite part of the book was how powerfully Davies demonstrates the inherent conflict of being a part of two distinct cultures. His characters do not fit perfectly into either their Chinese or American worlds, seemingly no matter what they do. Thus each one has to define their own identity on their own terms, which was both interesting and gratifying to watch from my readerly perch. I also loved the historical aspect of the novel, as it made real to me some parts of history I was only vaguely aware of, like the construction of transcontinental railroads and the California gold rush.
Here's to authors doing new things and the blessed approach of sweater weather. I'm hopeful the combination of the two will be enough to bust me out of my recent slump.
With sincere regards to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for the advance copy. On sale today, September 6!
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
July 20, 2016
'The Fortunes' by Peter Ho Davies
4 stars
I read Peter Ho Davies' first novel The Welsh Girl several years ago, so I was interested to read his new novel 'The Fortunes'.
The novel has 4 sections, all relating in some way to Chinese Americans. There are some historical characters included, although Ho Davies makes it clear that he has fictionalised many things relating to them.
My favourite section was the first one, 'Gold'. This was about Chinese Americans and their involvement in the development of the railways in the USA. I knew a little bit about this already, so was interested to see how Ho Davies would develop this in a novel. A real bonus for me in this section was the 'back story' about Ling, and his time, firstly in China and then in the US, prior to becoming involved with the railways. This was well researched and Ho Davies certainly made it come to life.
As in his first novel, Ho Davies uses a structure that establishes both individual stories, and links, some more perceptible than others, between the various individuals and their stories. His writing style has matured in the intervening years, and I thought these links were especially effective here in 'The Fortunes'.
From this novel I learnt a lot about both China and America, and there was much food for thought concerning identity, assimilation, intergenerational relationships etc.
Peter Ho Davies can be well pleased with this, his second novel.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to NetGalley for an ARC.
4 stars
I read Peter Ho Davies' first novel The Welsh Girl several years ago, so I was interested to read his new novel 'The Fortunes'.
The novel has 4 sections, all relating in some way to Chinese Americans. There are some historical characters included, although Ho Davies makes it clear that he has fictionalised many things relating to them.
My favourite section was the first one, 'Gold'. This was about Chinese Americans and their involvement in the development of the railways in the USA. I knew a little bit about this already, so was interested to see how Ho Davies would develop this in a novel. A real bonus for me in this section was the 'back story' about Ling, and his time, firstly in China and then in the US, prior to becoming involved with the railways. This was well researched and Ho Davies certainly made it come to life.
As in his first novel, Ho Davies uses a structure that establishes both individual stories, and links, some more perceptible than others, between the various individuals and their stories. His writing style has matured in the intervening years, and I thought these links were especially effective here in 'The Fortunes'.
From this novel I learnt a lot about both China and America, and there was much food for thought concerning identity, assimilation, intergenerational relationships etc.
Peter Ho Davies can be well pleased with this, his second novel.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and to NetGalley for an ARC.
September 10, 2016
This sprawling novel about the Chinese American experience spans from the building of the transcontinental railroad in the 1800s to present-day, each of the four sections dedicated to a different individual (three of whom are real historical figures) navigating life, hardship and identity in America.
Ling is an indentured servant who inadvertently initiates an explosion in Chinese labor in the 1860s. Anna May Wong is the first Chinese American actress, loved for her exotic beauty yet excluded from starring roles reserved for white women. Vincent, mistaken for being Japanese, is beaten to death by two white automakers in the 1980s during a time when Japanese manufacturers were blamed for the collapse of U.S. auto companies. And finally, John Ling Smith, a half-Chinese man, confronts his history on a visit to China to adopt a baby girl.
Davies’ storytelling is exceptional. Rather than presenting each story in linear fashion — the easy choice — he jumps around, placing the focus on the characters and their emotions and reflections throughout key points in their lives. He’s the kind of writer who weaves in little things that don’t seem meaningful at first until he circles back and the true poignancy is revealed.
Unfortunately, I found the first story — also the longest — the least interesting and most difficult to connect with, which made it hard for me to get into the book at first. Thankfully, the stories that followed were captivating, the beauty and poignancy building to a powerful and heartbreaking finale. It was fascinating learning about aspects of Chinese American history that I didn’t previously know a whole lot about.
Perhaps the most interesting and important theme in this collection is that of identity. The characters struggle to reconcile fitting in as Americans versus distinguishing themselves as Chinese, and there’s this overarching feeling that they’re damned either way.
Ling is an indentured servant who inadvertently initiates an explosion in Chinese labor in the 1860s. Anna May Wong is the first Chinese American actress, loved for her exotic beauty yet excluded from starring roles reserved for white women. Vincent, mistaken for being Japanese, is beaten to death by two white automakers in the 1980s during a time when Japanese manufacturers were blamed for the collapse of U.S. auto companies. And finally, John Ling Smith, a half-Chinese man, confronts his history on a visit to China to adopt a baby girl.
Davies’ storytelling is exceptional. Rather than presenting each story in linear fashion — the easy choice — he jumps around, placing the focus on the characters and their emotions and reflections throughout key points in their lives. He’s the kind of writer who weaves in little things that don’t seem meaningful at first until he circles back and the true poignancy is revealed.
Unfortunately, I found the first story — also the longest — the least interesting and most difficult to connect with, which made it hard for me to get into the book at first. Thankfully, the stories that followed were captivating, the beauty and poignancy building to a powerful and heartbreaking finale. It was fascinating learning about aspects of Chinese American history that I didn’t previously know a whole lot about.
Perhaps the most interesting and important theme in this collection is that of identity. The characters struggle to reconcile fitting in as Americans versus distinguishing themselves as Chinese, and there’s this overarching feeling that they’re damned either way.
November 27, 2017
this book is based over a 150 year period around 4 stories involving Chinese (Chinese Americans) where there is subtle and overt racism towards the characters but liked the novel as it showed how it could be to be an immigrant or child of an immigrant in a very difficult environment but at the same time trying to blend both cultures.
August 12, 2016
The Fortunes by Peter Ho Davies is a collection of Four Novellas, all of which depict different stories about the life of Chinese Americans in different time periods. The novellas are vastly different, and almost seems as though they are written by a completely different author.
The first novella, Gold, is about the character of Ling who emigrates to the California from China in the 19th Century in hopes of making it rich. He works in a myriad of low paying, labor positions all the while being discriminated against by white people, simply because of his race. He does his best to try and overcome this and seeks out what he feels is his destiny. He strives to find fortune and love and meets Little Sister, a young prostitute, whose position is also not chosen, but is a factor of her race, her upbringing and her father’s station in life.
The second novella, Silver, is about the life of an actress, Anna May Wong. While she has much success as a “Chinese” actress in America, her success is limited by her race and there are several barriers that she will never be able to overcome because of it. Further, her family fails to accept her for who she is because of her chosen career and she lives an extremely lonely life because of it.
The third novella, Jade, is about a hate crime due to racial discrimination in the 1980’s. A Chinese man named Vincent is mistaken as Japanese and is beaten to death. The story is told by his best friend who witnessed the crime and for whom the ramifications are lifelong.
The last novella, Pearl, is about a mixed race couple who travel to China to adopt a girl after being unable to conceive themselves. The story, is narrated by John, the husband and soon to be father, who is confused about his own life after having been raised in America, even though he is Chinese and is about to adopt a child from a country he has never been to, until it comes time for him to adopt.
Truth be told, “Gold” is a beautifully written, captivating story. Ling is an endearing, tortured young man and Little Sister is a feisty and funny character, who you can’t help but root for. I wish that The Fortunes was solely about Ling and Little Sister and that Peter Ho Davies had not written 4 separate novellas and combined them into one book as Gold was exceptional and I would have loved for this novella to have been more fully developed into a full length book.
For me however, the rest of the novellas fell flat. Each of the chapters in “Silver” were choppy and disjointed and the character of Anna May Wong, was cold and extremely unlikeable. Though the topic written about in “Jade” was disturbing and should have drawn out a vast number of sentiments from me, the characters felt rather unemotional. It felt more like I was reading a news article than a novel. Lastly, “Pearl” didn’t have any kind of impact on me whatsoever. To be frank, I was sorely disappointed by the last 3 novellas in The Fortunes, given the reviews I’ve read. Gold is Peter Ho Davies best novella by far.
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 8/9/16.
**Will be published on Amazon on release date of 9/6/16.
The first novella, Gold, is about the character of Ling who emigrates to the California from China in the 19th Century in hopes of making it rich. He works in a myriad of low paying, labor positions all the while being discriminated against by white people, simply because of his race. He does his best to try and overcome this and seeks out what he feels is his destiny. He strives to find fortune and love and meets Little Sister, a young prostitute, whose position is also not chosen, but is a factor of her race, her upbringing and her father’s station in life.
The second novella, Silver, is about the life of an actress, Anna May Wong. While she has much success as a “Chinese” actress in America, her success is limited by her race and there are several barriers that she will never be able to overcome because of it. Further, her family fails to accept her for who she is because of her chosen career and she lives an extremely lonely life because of it.
The third novella, Jade, is about a hate crime due to racial discrimination in the 1980’s. A Chinese man named Vincent is mistaken as Japanese and is beaten to death. The story is told by his best friend who witnessed the crime and for whom the ramifications are lifelong.
The last novella, Pearl, is about a mixed race couple who travel to China to adopt a girl after being unable to conceive themselves. The story, is narrated by John, the husband and soon to be father, who is confused about his own life after having been raised in America, even though he is Chinese and is about to adopt a child from a country he has never been to, until it comes time for him to adopt.
Truth be told, “Gold” is a beautifully written, captivating story. Ling is an endearing, tortured young man and Little Sister is a feisty and funny character, who you can’t help but root for. I wish that The Fortunes was solely about Ling and Little Sister and that Peter Ho Davies had not written 4 separate novellas and combined them into one book as Gold was exceptional and I would have loved for this novella to have been more fully developed into a full length book.
For me however, the rest of the novellas fell flat. Each of the chapters in “Silver” were choppy and disjointed and the character of Anna May Wong, was cold and extremely unlikeable. Though the topic written about in “Jade” was disturbing and should have drawn out a vast number of sentiments from me, the characters felt rather unemotional. It felt more like I was reading a news article than a novel. Lastly, “Pearl” didn’t have any kind of impact on me whatsoever. To be frank, I was sorely disappointed by the last 3 novellas in The Fortunes, given the reviews I’ve read. Gold is Peter Ho Davies best novella by far.
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 8/9/16.
**Will be published on Amazon on release date of 9/6/16.
February 4, 2017
Originally posted at https://reallifereading.com/2017/01/1...
"They – all of them – are Chinese American now, not just because America has finally, begrudgingly, allowed them to be, but because China has closed to them."
I have been reading this book for a while. I borrowed it in December, read it a little, put it down and picked it up in between and amongst all those other books I read throughout these seven weeks. It’s a book that spans generations, so perhaps it is fitting that it crossed over from 2016 to 2017 with me.
The Fortunes tells the Chinese-American story. Four stories in particular. I guess you could describe it as a collection of four novellas.
The first is Ah Ling (who is a real life but little known figure, as Davies explains in an interview) a young man who arrives from China in the 1850s to seek his fortune in San Francisco, which till today is still known in Chinese as 旧金山 (jiu jin shan or old gold mountain). He works for rail magnate Charles Crocker and his strength and ability to work hard (Chinese at that time were thought to be physically weak) convinces Crocker to recruit Chinese workers to build his railway.
“unique among all immigrants, they were the ones who looked to leave, to take their wealth home with them. It offended settlers, this sojourner attitude, exemplified by the very bones Ling helped to send back to China”.
Following that is a section devoted to real life actress Anna May Wong, a laundryman’s daughter who became the first Chinese-American film star, acting in Douglas Fairbanks’ The Thief of Baghdad. Fascinatingly, at the time there was a law preventing her from sharing a kiss with an actor of a different race (even if they were in yellowface). The biggest disappointment of her career was in 1935 when German actress Luise Rainer was chosen to play O-Lan in the film version of The Good Earth. Rainer went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for that role.
"Reviewers praised her as “naturally Chinese” and “an exquisite crier, without the need for glycerine.” She was possessed of a “porcelain pulchritude.”"
Then we learn about Vincent Chin, a young man living in Detroit who in 1982 was beaten to death by two autoworkers who mistook him for Japanese, who were blamed for the layoffs in Detroit’s auto industry. The two men were arrested but because of a plea bargain were sentenced to just 3 years’ probation. A federal civil rights’ case against the men found one guilty and sentenced to 25 years, but a federal appeals court overturned the conviction in 1984. This story is told from the perspective of Vincent’s friend, who was there when the beating happened, who was also chased by the two men, but who didn’t fight back.
"The thing about racism, I always think, the worst thing, okay, is not that someone has made up their mind about you without knowing you, based on the colour of your skin, the way you look, some preconception. The worst thing is that they might be right. Stereotypes cling if they have a little truth; they sting by the same token."
The last section of the book follows a couple, the man half-Chinese, the woman white, who are in China to adopt a baby. John finds his own Chinese heritage called into question, feels ashamed that the other couples, who are not Chinese, know more about Chinese culture than he does, that he doesn’t know how to speak Chinese, although when he went to Caltech for college, he first learnt of the term banana:
"meaning yellow on the outside, white on the inside, but he’d secretly welcomed its aptness. As far as he was concerned, his skin had always been something to trip on."
It’s all rather grim. The four stories (novellas?) are filled with this air of anger, disillusionment, bitterness and irony that fills these lives, these stories. There is humour, but of a rather uncomfortable sort,
“Chinese in movies aren’t inscrutable,” she lamented drily. “They’re unscrewable.” But in life the ban on mixed marriage made her the perfect mistress, one who could never expect to wed her lovers.
And I found myself learning a lot of racist jokes too. But let’s not repeat those.
There is no doubt that this is an important book. It opens eyes to these historical figures in Chinese-American history, which perhaps many of us do not know much of, or know of at all. It’s made me want to read more about this country I now live in, about these historical figures that Davies brings to life in this book.
"This was the season of the sandlot riots, of The Chinese Must Go! The Chinese might have physically united the country by building a railroad across it, but now they were uniting it in another sense, binding the quarreling tribes of Irish and English, French and Germans, Swedes and Italians together against a common enemy.
We made them white, Ling thought."
A possible reading list
Unraveling the “Model Minority” Stereotype: Listening to Asian American Youth – Stacey J. Lee
Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White – Frank Wu
Asian American Dreams – Helen Zia
Strangers from a Different Shore – Ronald Takaki
The Making of Asian America: A History – Erika Lee
"They – all of them – are Chinese American now, not just because America has finally, begrudgingly, allowed them to be, but because China has closed to them."
I have been reading this book for a while. I borrowed it in December, read it a little, put it down and picked it up in between and amongst all those other books I read throughout these seven weeks. It’s a book that spans generations, so perhaps it is fitting that it crossed over from 2016 to 2017 with me.
The Fortunes tells the Chinese-American story. Four stories in particular. I guess you could describe it as a collection of four novellas.
The first is Ah Ling (who is a real life but little known figure, as Davies explains in an interview) a young man who arrives from China in the 1850s to seek his fortune in San Francisco, which till today is still known in Chinese as 旧金山 (jiu jin shan or old gold mountain). He works for rail magnate Charles Crocker and his strength and ability to work hard (Chinese at that time were thought to be physically weak) convinces Crocker to recruit Chinese workers to build his railway.
“unique among all immigrants, they were the ones who looked to leave, to take their wealth home with them. It offended settlers, this sojourner attitude, exemplified by the very bones Ling helped to send back to China”.
Following that is a section devoted to real life actress Anna May Wong, a laundryman’s daughter who became the first Chinese-American film star, acting in Douglas Fairbanks’ The Thief of Baghdad. Fascinatingly, at the time there was a law preventing her from sharing a kiss with an actor of a different race (even if they were in yellowface). The biggest disappointment of her career was in 1935 when German actress Luise Rainer was chosen to play O-Lan in the film version of The Good Earth. Rainer went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for that role.
"Reviewers praised her as “naturally Chinese” and “an exquisite crier, without the need for glycerine.” She was possessed of a “porcelain pulchritude.”"
Then we learn about Vincent Chin, a young man living in Detroit who in 1982 was beaten to death by two autoworkers who mistook him for Japanese, who were blamed for the layoffs in Detroit’s auto industry. The two men were arrested but because of a plea bargain were sentenced to just 3 years’ probation. A federal civil rights’ case against the men found one guilty and sentenced to 25 years, but a federal appeals court overturned the conviction in 1984. This story is told from the perspective of Vincent’s friend, who was there when the beating happened, who was also chased by the two men, but who didn’t fight back.
"The thing about racism, I always think, the worst thing, okay, is not that someone has made up their mind about you without knowing you, based on the colour of your skin, the way you look, some preconception. The worst thing is that they might be right. Stereotypes cling if they have a little truth; they sting by the same token."
The last section of the book follows a couple, the man half-Chinese, the woman white, who are in China to adopt a baby. John finds his own Chinese heritage called into question, feels ashamed that the other couples, who are not Chinese, know more about Chinese culture than he does, that he doesn’t know how to speak Chinese, although when he went to Caltech for college, he first learnt of the term banana:
"meaning yellow on the outside, white on the inside, but he’d secretly welcomed its aptness. As far as he was concerned, his skin had always been something to trip on."
It’s all rather grim. The four stories (novellas?) are filled with this air of anger, disillusionment, bitterness and irony that fills these lives, these stories. There is humour, but of a rather uncomfortable sort,
“Chinese in movies aren’t inscrutable,” she lamented drily. “They’re unscrewable.” But in life the ban on mixed marriage made her the perfect mistress, one who could never expect to wed her lovers.
And I found myself learning a lot of racist jokes too. But let’s not repeat those.
There is no doubt that this is an important book. It opens eyes to these historical figures in Chinese-American history, which perhaps many of us do not know much of, or know of at all. It’s made me want to read more about this country I now live in, about these historical figures that Davies brings to life in this book.
"This was the season of the sandlot riots, of The Chinese Must Go! The Chinese might have physically united the country by building a railroad across it, but now they were uniting it in another sense, binding the quarreling tribes of Irish and English, French and Germans, Swedes and Italians together against a common enemy.
We made them white, Ling thought."
A possible reading list
Unraveling the “Model Minority” Stereotype: Listening to Asian American Youth – Stacey J. Lee
Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White – Frank Wu
Asian American Dreams – Helen Zia
Strangers from a Different Shore – Ronald Takaki
The Making of Asian America: A History – Erika Lee
November 5, 2016
INTERESTING, ENJOYABLE, AND ENTERTAINING.
“But now I see what you want. Like other men, after all. The same thing, the one thing. Love. The only thing you can’t have, poor Chinaman, not on Gold Mountain.” (Kindle Locations 1139-1140)
The Fortunes, by Peter Ho Davies is a collection of four, rather long, short stories: Gold, Silver, Jade, Pearl—each of which stands entirely on its own. The first three, which relate tales of real people/events, are very entertaining. The last, Pearl, however, was rather dull. Overall, still a 4-star read.
Recommendation: Whatever century, whichever decade, stories about the immigrant experience are interesting. The Fortunes quite especially so.
“The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is yours. You young people, full of vigor and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning . . . The world belongs to you. China’s future belongs to you.” —Mao Zedong (Kindle Locations 2910-2912)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition. 288 pages.
“But now I see what you want. Like other men, after all. The same thing, the one thing. Love. The only thing you can’t have, poor Chinaman, not on Gold Mountain.” (Kindle Locations 1139-1140)
The Fortunes, by Peter Ho Davies is a collection of four, rather long, short stories: Gold, Silver, Jade, Pearl—each of which stands entirely on its own. The first three, which relate tales of real people/events, are very entertaining. The last, Pearl, however, was rather dull. Overall, still a 4-star read.
Recommendation: Whatever century, whichever decade, stories about the immigrant experience are interesting. The Fortunes quite especially so.
“The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is yours. You young people, full of vigor and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning . . . The world belongs to you. China’s future belongs to you.” —Mao Zedong (Kindle Locations 2910-2912)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition. 288 pages.
September 5, 2016
Comprised of four stories, a novella and three smaller pieces, The Fortunes by acclaimed writer Peter Ho Davies, was a sampler of Chinese-American fictionalized histories thematically centered on the difficulties of melding cultures together and finding one’s identity therein. In all four tales, the main character is torn between being American and being Asian. The characters wrestle with how they should walk the line between immersion in their adopted nation’s ways and their filial duty to their own Chinese culture. In better works, this is engaging and evocative. In this book, it is merely whiny and pathetic. Furthermore, this isn’t a novel as much as a collection of short stories that share the same focus.
The first and longest novella called “Celestial Railroad,” is the best despite being a fairly predictable story culled from the Chinese influx into San Francisco during the late 19th century. It follows Ah Ling from being an apprentice in a Chinese laundry through his accidental position as a Man Friday for a railroad baron. There is the requisite Chinese prostitute (Little Sister), playing the love interest as well; setting the stage for the continuance of hackneyed writing that is to follow. For a guy who seems bound and determined to avoid Asian-American clichés, his latest book overflows with them.
The second story is based on noteworthy Hollywood legend Anna May Wong and her homecoming to China. It’s a choppy read and somewhat disingenuous because the author chose to fictionalize cherry-picked encounters and conversations, rendering the piece as more salacious than necessary, while sadly playing directly into the actresses’ notorious reputation instead of trying to probe deeper. Thus, he takes a three dimensional person and reduces her to a two-dimensional tabloid caricature, the very thing, it would seem, he sought to overcome. He even tips his hand in the final piece, a blatantly veiled piece about a half-Chinese author who toys with, among other things, writing a piece on Anna May Wong, but who decides against it because he can’t find enough material. Apparently, Davies has made a career out of this kind of historical fiction, which in this case is little more than insipid fan-boy fluff.
The last two, advancing the time line forward, are quite different in tone. The third piece is about the Vincent Chin murder in Detroit, which opened the gates for prosecuting hate crimes against Asian-Americans. The author breathes stale air into one of the side characters, a – what else? – navel-gazing Asian-American who adds guilt to his platter of melting pot angst to create a disturbingly selfish take on a tragic event.
Finally, the last story involves a couple heading to China to adopt a baby. The main character, who shares far too much in common with Davies to be coincidence, wrestles with his…wait for it…Asian-ness in tiresome and boring fashion, forcing the reader to endure another fifty pages of droning self-pity before the book mercilessly comes to an end.
While his reputation is renowned and the majority of reviews already in for this new work are foaming with adulation, Davies nonetheless seems an average writer to me, often stringing together sophomoric metaphors and tired phrases, apparently unaware of the concept of less being more. His writing is self-indulgent and renders things largely boring and stuffy, thus making this book more of a chore to read than a delight. While there are some moments of trenchant insight, overall the book reeks of trying too hard and soapbox grandstanding.
In the end, there is no shortage of books that address “fitting in” for a variety of minorities in America, and it would behoove people to seek those out before this weak entry in a crowded field, unless you enjoy well meaning but ultimately dull homages to Chinese-American history.
The first and longest novella called “Celestial Railroad,” is the best despite being a fairly predictable story culled from the Chinese influx into San Francisco during the late 19th century. It follows Ah Ling from being an apprentice in a Chinese laundry through his accidental position as a Man Friday for a railroad baron. There is the requisite Chinese prostitute (Little Sister), playing the love interest as well; setting the stage for the continuance of hackneyed writing that is to follow. For a guy who seems bound and determined to avoid Asian-American clichés, his latest book overflows with them.
The second story is based on noteworthy Hollywood legend Anna May Wong and her homecoming to China. It’s a choppy read and somewhat disingenuous because the author chose to fictionalize cherry-picked encounters and conversations, rendering the piece as more salacious than necessary, while sadly playing directly into the actresses’ notorious reputation instead of trying to probe deeper. Thus, he takes a three dimensional person and reduces her to a two-dimensional tabloid caricature, the very thing, it would seem, he sought to overcome. He even tips his hand in the final piece, a blatantly veiled piece about a half-Chinese author who toys with, among other things, writing a piece on Anna May Wong, but who decides against it because he can’t find enough material. Apparently, Davies has made a career out of this kind of historical fiction, which in this case is little more than insipid fan-boy fluff.
The last two, advancing the time line forward, are quite different in tone. The third piece is about the Vincent Chin murder in Detroit, which opened the gates for prosecuting hate crimes against Asian-Americans. The author breathes stale air into one of the side characters, a – what else? – navel-gazing Asian-American who adds guilt to his platter of melting pot angst to create a disturbingly selfish take on a tragic event.
Finally, the last story involves a couple heading to China to adopt a baby. The main character, who shares far too much in common with Davies to be coincidence, wrestles with his…wait for it…Asian-ness in tiresome and boring fashion, forcing the reader to endure another fifty pages of droning self-pity before the book mercilessly comes to an end.
While his reputation is renowned and the majority of reviews already in for this new work are foaming with adulation, Davies nonetheless seems an average writer to me, often stringing together sophomoric metaphors and tired phrases, apparently unaware of the concept of less being more. His writing is self-indulgent and renders things largely boring and stuffy, thus making this book more of a chore to read than a delight. While there are some moments of trenchant insight, overall the book reeks of trying too hard and soapbox grandstanding.
In the end, there is no shortage of books that address “fitting in” for a variety of minorities in America, and it would behoove people to seek those out before this weak entry in a crowded field, unless you enjoy well meaning but ultimately dull homages to Chinese-American history.
July 28, 2016
"The Fortunes" by Peter Ho Davies is billed as a novel although it really consists of four novellas. The tome relates Mr. Davies' take on the Chinese American Experience in the melting pot of America.
In "Gold", fatherless Ling has grown up on a flower boat. Ling's specialty is preparing opium while many young girls are prostitutes. The floating shelter serves as home until Ling is sent to an arranged position in San Francisco. Working for Ng's laundry, Ling befriends Little Sister who reports that girls are brought to San Francisco so men have someone to look down on. The only job available to Chinese women is working in a brothel. By mastering English Ling secures a job as a valet working for Charley Crocker, one of the Railroad Barons of the Central Pacific Railroad. Ling is instrumental is helping Crocker amass a large Chinese work force of railroad workers. This was my favorite novella and I would have welcomed a continuation of the saga of Ling and Little Sister.
Abruptly, part two called "Silver" commences. Anna May Wong loves the theater. At the theater she can be invisible. No one stares at her or picks on her. Her father, however, beats her with a broom for her devotion to watching movies.. Her job is supposed to be cleaning!. Unfortunately, I lost interest in the storyline because the writing style changed., New characters were suddenly introduced and the events were relayed in a journalistic manner. This interrupted the flow of the story and I found the presentation to be choppy.
"Jade" is the story of two white autoworkers in Detroit who beat a Chinese bridegroom-to-be to death with a bat thinking he was Japanese. Chinese American Vincent Chin is celebrating his bachelor party. The issue at hand is the collapse of the Big Three U.S. auto companies and possible Japanese involvement.
Finally, in "Pearl", a mixed-race Chinese man named John and his Irish American wife travel to Guangzhou to adopt a baby girl. It is assumed that John was born and raised in China. John, has never set foot in China and feels that he is between two worlds.
I would have loved to give "The Fortunes" a rating of five stars. If the entire story had been about Ling, his descendants and their Chinese American experience I would have done so. My interest waned once I started "Silver", the story of the first Asian American actress. An average read.
Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Net Galley for an advance copy of "The Fortunes".
In "Gold", fatherless Ling has grown up on a flower boat. Ling's specialty is preparing opium while many young girls are prostitutes. The floating shelter serves as home until Ling is sent to an arranged position in San Francisco. Working for Ng's laundry, Ling befriends Little Sister who reports that girls are brought to San Francisco so men have someone to look down on. The only job available to Chinese women is working in a brothel. By mastering English Ling secures a job as a valet working for Charley Crocker, one of the Railroad Barons of the Central Pacific Railroad. Ling is instrumental is helping Crocker amass a large Chinese work force of railroad workers. This was my favorite novella and I would have welcomed a continuation of the saga of Ling and Little Sister.
Abruptly, part two called "Silver" commences. Anna May Wong loves the theater. At the theater she can be invisible. No one stares at her or picks on her. Her father, however, beats her with a broom for her devotion to watching movies.. Her job is supposed to be cleaning!. Unfortunately, I lost interest in the storyline because the writing style changed., New characters were suddenly introduced and the events were relayed in a journalistic manner. This interrupted the flow of the story and I found the presentation to be choppy.
"Jade" is the story of two white autoworkers in Detroit who beat a Chinese bridegroom-to-be to death with a bat thinking he was Japanese. Chinese American Vincent Chin is celebrating his bachelor party. The issue at hand is the collapse of the Big Three U.S. auto companies and possible Japanese involvement.
Finally, in "Pearl", a mixed-race Chinese man named John and his Irish American wife travel to Guangzhou to adopt a baby girl. It is assumed that John was born and raised in China. John, has never set foot in China and feels that he is between two worlds.
I would have loved to give "The Fortunes" a rating of five stars. If the entire story had been about Ling, his descendants and their Chinese American experience I would have done so. My interest waned once I started "Silver", the story of the first Asian American actress. An average read.
Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Net Galley for an advance copy of "The Fortunes".
July 27, 2016
“It’s not hungry spirits you should pray for, it’s the hungry living.”
visit my blog https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
This novel is about Chinese Culture as it evolves alongside the American immigrant’s experience. Is it a slow death of tradition and family, or a birth of something lasting and new? The story begins with Ling, a young fatherless boy ready to prove himself working in the opium and sex trade. Chosen to make his way to America, Ling eventually works in a laundries which are more brothels. He moves on to work as a valet and then for the Central Pacific Railway. The story between Ling and “Little Sister” is my favorite part of the book. The feelings she has about her own people,why she sleeps with ‘ghosts’, how her father chose to dispose of her in the search for Gold shows a darker side of the immigrant experience for Chinese women. The next section of the novel is about a America’s first Chinese movie star. How much does she fictionalize herself, what sort of roles were forced on her due to her ethnicity. What does she gain and lose in seducing viewers, as all movie stars must. She struggles between being too Chinese and too American as well. Her life isn’t free of tragedy either, and fame is there one day and fading the next. Her being Chinese helps and hinders in her roles, that change with the times. The chapter Jade deals with a tragic incident in a bar during the 80’s, such a sick moment written beautifully- particularly why the chapter is called Jade, I caught my breath. In Pearl a writer with Chinese heritage married to a Caucasian woman goes to China to adopt a child. Is there prejudice in this novel? Certainly, how could there not be if the author is to tell a story about the Chinese American experience? There is also humor, intelligence and love. It is engaging and honest, painfully so. The treatment of women ‘those soiled doves’ in the first section isn’t a cultural thing alone, let’s face it. Rend my heart this novel did, but silently. I found myself thinking about America and our boiling pot of cultures, how far we’ve come, how much further we still have left to go. I loved this book. I wish I could share all the passages I underlined, because the sentences are loaded with meaning. Must read.
Publication Date: September 16 2016 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
visit my blog https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
This novel is about Chinese Culture as it evolves alongside the American immigrant’s experience. Is it a slow death of tradition and family, or a birth of something lasting and new? The story begins with Ling, a young fatherless boy ready to prove himself working in the opium and sex trade. Chosen to make his way to America, Ling eventually works in a laundries which are more brothels. He moves on to work as a valet and then for the Central Pacific Railway. The story between Ling and “Little Sister” is my favorite part of the book. The feelings she has about her own people,why she sleeps with ‘ghosts’, how her father chose to dispose of her in the search for Gold shows a darker side of the immigrant experience for Chinese women. The next section of the novel is about a America’s first Chinese movie star. How much does she fictionalize herself, what sort of roles were forced on her due to her ethnicity. What does she gain and lose in seducing viewers, as all movie stars must. She struggles between being too Chinese and too American as well. Her life isn’t free of tragedy either, and fame is there one day and fading the next. Her being Chinese helps and hinders in her roles, that change with the times. The chapter Jade deals with a tragic incident in a bar during the 80’s, such a sick moment written beautifully- particularly why the chapter is called Jade, I caught my breath. In Pearl a writer with Chinese heritage married to a Caucasian woman goes to China to adopt a child. Is there prejudice in this novel? Certainly, how could there not be if the author is to tell a story about the Chinese American experience? There is also humor, intelligence and love. It is engaging and honest, painfully so. The treatment of women ‘those soiled doves’ in the first section isn’t a cultural thing alone, let’s face it. Rend my heart this novel did, but silently. I found myself thinking about America and our boiling pot of cultures, how far we’ve come, how much further we still have left to go. I loved this book. I wish I could share all the passages I underlined, because the sentences are loaded with meaning. Must read.
Publication Date: September 16 2016 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
January 3, 2017
I LOVE the idea of this novel - linking Ah Ling, Anna May Wong, and Vincent Chin - I thought this was going to be an epic (a Chinese-American epic - someone should write that). And though this was meticulously well-researched and I LOVE the inclusion of a Tanka protagonist (!!!) and the author does a great a job of showing us just how devastating the ironies and riddles of history are - the execution was a little lacking. The writing felt a little stagnant. I think this was just missing some kind of spark or motif that would have turned it into a feverous book/machine. Instead, it read like research. I'm still always going to appreciate this for its unrivaled ambition (seriously, what an ambitious novel) and I'm appreciative of all the work it does. It was so worth the read despite its major flaws.
October 27, 2016
F I N A L L Y ! This is the immigrant story/novel/novella collection I've been looking for! After Behold the Dreamers and The Wangs vs The World let me down I'm beyond thrilled to have read The Fortunes. Told in four novellas it's an extraordinary book about identity and reclamation. Spanning 150 years it grapples with aspects of the Chinese-American immigrant experience. It reminded me of The Sympathizer in tone and is just as good as that excellent novel. The writing is clever and powerful and I completely loved this book! Woohoo! Faith in contemporary fiction to tell these kinds of stories is restored.
November 17, 2016
I tried, and most people seem to like this. I quit, a quarter of the way in. At first I thought it was the audio narrator, whose Chinese accented dialogue was a joy to listen to but whose flat third-person narration was gratingly dull. But no: the fatal flaw is Ho Davies's polysyllabic Latinate diction. That kind of prose ruins a lot of modern British fiction for me but was glaringly out of place in this novel of the Chinese-American immigrant experience.
August 16, 2016
I would have quit this had I not felt obligated to finish because it was a NetGalley ARC.
I just didn't work for me: the structure, the characters, the tenuous connections between sections...
I can't recommend this. It was just too all over the place.
I just didn't work for me: the structure, the characters, the tenuous connections between sections...
I can't recommend this. It was just too all over the place.
August 25, 2016
Audience: Those who enjoy important historical events and themes, with a fictional twist.
Summed up in one word: Identity (one of many words to describe this work)
Author Bio: Peter Ho Davies was born in Britain to Welsh and Chinese parents. He is now a professor of creative writing at the University Of Michigan in the US. PHD's previous works include the Sunday Times bestseller Welsh Girl (2007), Equal Love (2000) and The Ugliest House In The World (1997).
First Impression: Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, though it can be frustrating having to research what is true and what is not. Luckily, in The Fortunes, a large amount of the book is based on events that really happened in the last 150 years concerning Chinese people living in america. This is a perfect balance of fiction and reality. The four stories we are shown in this book are filled with cultural, emotional and personal struggles. From the building of the Central Pacific Railway in the 1800's by Chinese workers, to a couple adopting a baby from China to raise in America. This is an important book that people need to read.
Summary of the Story:
The Fortunes is a collection of eye-opening stories spanning the last 150 years of American History, told from the incredible perspective of the Chinese people living in the country at the time. Drawing on historical figures and his own mixed race experience, Peter Ho Davies shows us what it was like to be a foreigner in a country that you call home, the challenge of the abuse, cultural differences, identity crisis/mistaken identity and racism that minorities face every day from fellow citizens. In The Fortunes we follow:
Ah Ling and his experience in 1860's america, scraping a living and helping open the way for thousands of Chinese workers to help build the Central Pacific Railway.
Anna May Wong and her experience of being the first breakthrough Chinese/American movie star and all the limitations/issues that come with that role.
Vincent Chin, a case of mistaken identity, or mistaken nationality. Killed by auto workers in 1982 because he looked Japanese.
John Ling Smith and his journey to China with his wife to pick up their adopted daughter Mei Mei. They both get to experience the potent cultural differences between the USA and China, on many different levels.
Review
Plot: There are multiple stories told here. Four potent, jaw dropping, emotional and tear jerking tales. Gold, Silver, Jade and Pearl. Each story has its own set of themes, perspectives and subject matter, though they are all united through one important element, Identity. First we have Ling, arriving in America during the Gold rush, he has big dreams of riches and respect, though he only experiences these delights from the outside.
Then we meet Anna May Wong, the first real Chinese/American movie star. Her life is one big story, everything revolves around her public image, principals and rumours. Even though she has all the fame, Anna still experiences the limitations of being a minority. Trying to find courage and identity, Anna tours China to explore herself.
Vincent Chin died on his bachelor night, he was not perfect but he was killed due to other people's stupidity. His death united the minorities in America and they started a movement.
John Smith has Chinese heritage, and as he and his wife are unable to have healthy children, they decide to adopt a Chinese orphan. Their travels to meet Mei Mei are taxing on John as he tries to figure out his own identity and the responsibilities of raising a minority in a different culture.
Setting: The setting in The Fortunes is important from a cultural perspective. Having that contrasting cultural difference really outlines the extremes of how much the Chinese and other groups of nationalities struggled to integrate and also remain as part of everyday american life. Seeing the USA from a Chinese immigrants point of view is extraordinary as is a American/Chinese citizen seeing China for the first time.
Characters: By the time Ah Ling reaches America, he has already endured more drama and pain than we would in our entire adult life. Keeping it together and working in a Chinese Laundry, Ling dreams of wealth and opportunity. He is a headstrong character and a great representation of those immigrants who came to america for gold and staying for opportunities.
Anna May Wong is a famous historical figure, you can read all about her online, the thoughts, experiences and opinions that are expressed here are not her own, but Davies captures the internal struggle she would have had during her career.
We experience Vincent Chin's story through the eyes of his friend who was present on the night of his murder. His friend explains the background of Vincent, himself and their childhood together. He also goes into detail about the events of that evening, the what ifs and some information about the attackers. Based on a real killing, this area of book is mainly violence and regret. Out of the ashes of this tragedy bursts the Asian American Movement, which helped unite the minorities.
Finally we spend time with John Smith. On his travels to China to meet his new daughter, John goes through an existential crisis. John questions his past, his identity and his ability to raise a Chinese daughter in an american world.
Themes: There are hundreds of moving, inspirational and gravely upsetting themes with these pages. Racism, Identity, Culture, Abuse, Death, Money, Pain and Suffering. The themes make this book. The author lives these experiences being a mixed race person in a strong minded country. He knows these themes through and through, this definitely shows.
Likes: Potency, Integrity and Integration. I loved the fact that this book stands for so much, but doesn't heap the blame on any one element or country. This book highlights so many truths and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it. The detail. research, time and effort really shows.
Dislikes: The contrast in perspectives worked to keep the content fresh to the reader, but I felt it was quite unnecessary to have it as diverse as it was. I know the book has been written so thats that, I am just saying some uniformity would have made for more comfortable reading.
Rating: I have focused a lot of the story of this book in this review because the people and themes in this book deserve respect and I don't think me over-analysing them will do it any justice. I don't typically read books like this, I am more of a Science-Fiction/Fantasy guy. I just wanted to get the point across that I enjoyed this book in the fact that it stands for many things, the stories are told well, the author did a great job and though the writing styles differ from chapter to chapter which was some what annoying as it changed the pacing repeatedly, I am glad I read this book.
9/10
Summed up in one word: Identity (one of many words to describe this work)
Author Bio: Peter Ho Davies was born in Britain to Welsh and Chinese parents. He is now a professor of creative writing at the University Of Michigan in the US. PHD's previous works include the Sunday Times bestseller Welsh Girl (2007), Equal Love (2000) and The Ugliest House In The World (1997).
First Impression: Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, though it can be frustrating having to research what is true and what is not. Luckily, in The Fortunes, a large amount of the book is based on events that really happened in the last 150 years concerning Chinese people living in america. This is a perfect balance of fiction and reality. The four stories we are shown in this book are filled with cultural, emotional and personal struggles. From the building of the Central Pacific Railway in the 1800's by Chinese workers, to a couple adopting a baby from China to raise in America. This is an important book that people need to read.
Summary of the Story:
The Fortunes is a collection of eye-opening stories spanning the last 150 years of American History, told from the incredible perspective of the Chinese people living in the country at the time. Drawing on historical figures and his own mixed race experience, Peter Ho Davies shows us what it was like to be a foreigner in a country that you call home, the challenge of the abuse, cultural differences, identity crisis/mistaken identity and racism that minorities face every day from fellow citizens. In The Fortunes we follow:
Ah Ling and his experience in 1860's america, scraping a living and helping open the way for thousands of Chinese workers to help build the Central Pacific Railway.
Anna May Wong and her experience of being the first breakthrough Chinese/American movie star and all the limitations/issues that come with that role.
Vincent Chin, a case of mistaken identity, or mistaken nationality. Killed by auto workers in 1982 because he looked Japanese.
John Ling Smith and his journey to China with his wife to pick up their adopted daughter Mei Mei. They both get to experience the potent cultural differences between the USA and China, on many different levels.
Review
Plot: There are multiple stories told here. Four potent, jaw dropping, emotional and tear jerking tales. Gold, Silver, Jade and Pearl. Each story has its own set of themes, perspectives and subject matter, though they are all united through one important element, Identity. First we have Ling, arriving in America during the Gold rush, he has big dreams of riches and respect, though he only experiences these delights from the outside.
Then we meet Anna May Wong, the first real Chinese/American movie star. Her life is one big story, everything revolves around her public image, principals and rumours. Even though she has all the fame, Anna still experiences the limitations of being a minority. Trying to find courage and identity, Anna tours China to explore herself.
Vincent Chin died on his bachelor night, he was not perfect but he was killed due to other people's stupidity. His death united the minorities in America and they started a movement.
John Smith has Chinese heritage, and as he and his wife are unable to have healthy children, they decide to adopt a Chinese orphan. Their travels to meet Mei Mei are taxing on John as he tries to figure out his own identity and the responsibilities of raising a minority in a different culture.
Setting: The setting in The Fortunes is important from a cultural perspective. Having that contrasting cultural difference really outlines the extremes of how much the Chinese and other groups of nationalities struggled to integrate and also remain as part of everyday american life. Seeing the USA from a Chinese immigrants point of view is extraordinary as is a American/Chinese citizen seeing China for the first time.
Characters: By the time Ah Ling reaches America, he has already endured more drama and pain than we would in our entire adult life. Keeping it together and working in a Chinese Laundry, Ling dreams of wealth and opportunity. He is a headstrong character and a great representation of those immigrants who came to america for gold and staying for opportunities.
Anna May Wong is a famous historical figure, you can read all about her online, the thoughts, experiences and opinions that are expressed here are not her own, but Davies captures the internal struggle she would have had during her career.
We experience Vincent Chin's story through the eyes of his friend who was present on the night of his murder. His friend explains the background of Vincent, himself and their childhood together. He also goes into detail about the events of that evening, the what ifs and some information about the attackers. Based on a real killing, this area of book is mainly violence and regret. Out of the ashes of this tragedy bursts the Asian American Movement, which helped unite the minorities.
Finally we spend time with John Smith. On his travels to China to meet his new daughter, John goes through an existential crisis. John questions his past, his identity and his ability to raise a Chinese daughter in an american world.
Themes: There are hundreds of moving, inspirational and gravely upsetting themes with these pages. Racism, Identity, Culture, Abuse, Death, Money, Pain and Suffering. The themes make this book. The author lives these experiences being a mixed race person in a strong minded country. He knows these themes through and through, this definitely shows.
Likes: Potency, Integrity and Integration. I loved the fact that this book stands for so much, but doesn't heap the blame on any one element or country. This book highlights so many truths and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it. The detail. research, time and effort really shows.
Dislikes: The contrast in perspectives worked to keep the content fresh to the reader, but I felt it was quite unnecessary to have it as diverse as it was. I know the book has been written so thats that, I am just saying some uniformity would have made for more comfortable reading.
Rating: I have focused a lot of the story of this book in this review because the people and themes in this book deserve respect and I don't think me over-analysing them will do it any justice. I don't typically read books like this, I am more of a Science-Fiction/Fantasy guy. I just wanted to get the point across that I enjoyed this book in the fact that it stands for many things, the stories are told well, the author did a great job and though the writing styles differ from chapter to chapter which was some what annoying as it changed the pacing repeatedly, I am glad I read this book.
9/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2017
It's been a long time since I have loved a novel as much as I loved The Fortunes. The book is divided into four sections. Each tackles a specific time in Chinese American history. Each section involves a different character. The first involves a railroad baron's valet and the second section is told from the point of view of Chinese American film star Anna May Wong. The third is told from by Vincent Chin's best friend, and the fourth is narrated by a half Chinese American man who is going to China to adopt a baby. This novel explores issues of Chinese American history and identity. The author really succeeded in linking each section to the ones that preceded it.
North American Chinese history is a particular interest of mine, and yet I still felt as though I learned some new things while I was reading this book.
North American Chinese history is a particular interest of mine, and yet I still felt as though I learned some new things while I was reading this book.
February 10, 2017
Sometimes a book is good because you completely escape into and inhabit the story; sometimes a book is good because it challenges you, educates you (without being too heavy-handed), and makes you think long after finishing. I'd say The Fortunes is the latter. It's four novellas loosely tied together, all tracking the challenges of the Chinese/Chinese-American/American by adoption experience at different points in U.S. history (three of the four novellas are based on actual people, which was totally fascinating to me). It definitely breaks down any ill-conceived misconception that the Chinese-American experience is a monolithic one.
June 20, 2017
I liked this book at the beginning but after the initial story about Ling and his life in the early West building the intercontinental railroad, I found the rest of the stories to be not nearly as interesting. I finally called it a day and moved on to another book. It appears that this author wrote 4 different novellas all about Chinese men covering a span of 100 years, and concentrating mainly on racism. I don't particularly recommend it. You takes your chances...sometimes you just don't pick "em.
June 22, 2017
Imagine a multigenerational novel, but not about members of the same family. This book is split into four sections, each covering a specific character - different in voice, style, and time period. What Davies does well is he brings it all together with threads and qualities that make the four characters feel nearly familial.
December 8, 2017
Four vignettes, historical fiction, covering a century of Chinese Americans
Each story portrays the problems of the Chinese immigrants to America. The racism that was inflicted over time. While there is much humor there is much sadness in the book. Just one more example of how the melting pot doesn't always melt for some.
Each story portrays the problems of the Chinese immigrants to America. The racism that was inflicted over time. While there is much humor there is much sadness in the book. Just one more example of how the melting pot doesn't always melt for some.
March 15, 2017
I love taking my son to the library and picking out books for him. Recently he decided that he needs to pick out books for me. After a few flops (politics and poetry, really kid?), he pulled this one off the new releases shelf for me. Great pick! Entertaining and totally up my alley.
October 27, 2016
(more to follow)
A few quotes reflecting a certain poignant and bittersweet analysis.
"The Chinese might have physically united the country by building a railroad across it, but now they were uniting it in another sense, binding the quarrelling tribes of Irish and English, French and Germans, Swedes and Italians together against a common enemy."
"In the beginning it was the theaters' thrill of invisibility that she craved, that she couldn't get enough of, tired as she was of being stared at in the street, picked on in school. Outside, even the sun seemed to glare at her, inside, it was all chill shadows. The flickers were the one place she didn't feel watched, the one place where she could watch others. Later, though, she came to envy those faces and figures on the screen before her. Not to be stared at was one thing, but to be stared at as they were stared at, with love and awe, was something else again. She wanted to be like them."
"There were fewer than eight hundred Chinese in Germany at the time, less than a thousand in England and France. Fewer in all three countries combined than at home in Los Angeles. (And yet, in Europe) She was less bound by stereotypes, more free to create her own."
"She used to say she couldn't remain in a land of injustice, but I always thought it was the vicious ironies that drove her out. She'd left China, after all, to escape her memories of the Japanese invasion, only to have her son killed because he was mistaken for a Japanese, and then to make common cause with Japanese Americans in search for justice."
"In junior high, he recalls, kids were shocked that he was Chinese but didn't come from China, that there were multiple dialects, that China had fought alongside the United States against the Japanese. This latter had especially surprised people who continuously confused Chinese and Japanese; not to mention Koreans and Vietnamese. 'They fought with or against all of us in the past fifty years and they still can't tell us apart. And they wonder why they lost some of those wars,' his friend Ken Takamura used to say. 'Shit, they can tell our restaurants apart more easily than us.'"
A few quotes reflecting a certain poignant and bittersweet analysis.
"The Chinese might have physically united the country by building a railroad across it, but now they were uniting it in another sense, binding the quarrelling tribes of Irish and English, French and Germans, Swedes and Italians together against a common enemy."
"In the beginning it was the theaters' thrill of invisibility that she craved, that she couldn't get enough of, tired as she was of being stared at in the street, picked on in school. Outside, even the sun seemed to glare at her, inside, it was all chill shadows. The flickers were the one place she didn't feel watched, the one place where she could watch others. Later, though, she came to envy those faces and figures on the screen before her. Not to be stared at was one thing, but to be stared at as they were stared at, with love and awe, was something else again. She wanted to be like them."
"There were fewer than eight hundred Chinese in Germany at the time, less than a thousand in England and France. Fewer in all three countries combined than at home in Los Angeles. (And yet, in Europe) She was less bound by stereotypes, more free to create her own."
"She used to say she couldn't remain in a land of injustice, but I always thought it was the vicious ironies that drove her out. She'd left China, after all, to escape her memories of the Japanese invasion, only to have her son killed because he was mistaken for a Japanese, and then to make common cause with Japanese Americans in search for justice."
"In junior high, he recalls, kids were shocked that he was Chinese but didn't come from China, that there were multiple dialects, that China had fought alongside the United States against the Japanese. This latter had especially surprised people who continuously confused Chinese and Japanese; not to mention Koreans and Vietnamese. 'They fought with or against all of us in the past fifty years and they still can't tell us apart. And they wonder why they lost some of those wars,' his friend Ken Takamura used to say. 'Shit, they can tell our restaurants apart more easily than us.'"
June 13, 2017
This is a beautifully written and atmospheric novel. It is divided into four sections, each one devoted to a different character in a different time. The first three characters are based on real people, and the fourth is based on the author's own experiences. This is a fantastic and interesting novel.
Gold is set in1860's and follows young Ah-Ling, son of a Chinese prostitute and a white “ghost”, shipped off from his native Hong Kong to make his fortune in California. He starts off by working in a laundry where he comes in contact with the beautiful and mysterious prostitute, Little Sister.
1920's Hollywood is the setting for Silver where Anna May Wong is an actress; as a Chinese woman she is not allowed to kiss a white, male, co-star on screen.
Detroit in the 1980's is Jade. The car industry is in decline party due to cheaper imports from Japan. Vincent Chin is murdered by two auto-workers in the mistaken belief that he is Japanese. He was Chinese.
Pearl brings us to the present day where the story follows an author, John Ling Smith and his wife. They have been unable to have children of their own and so decide to adopt a Chinese baby.
At first glance it would appear that all four sections are separate stories, but gradually the threads begin to tie together and the connections are made. The topics covered – racial abuse, discrimination, inequality of race and gender – are dealt with extremely well making for uncomfortable reading at times, but it's never mawkish or self-pitying. The characters are beautifully drawn and utterly believable, the narrative so well written without the need for extravagance or flamboyance.
This, for me, is a keeper, and one I will read again, and possibly again.
My thanks to Amazon for an advanced, uncorrected paperback copy.
Gold is set in1860's and follows young Ah-Ling, son of a Chinese prostitute and a white “ghost”, shipped off from his native Hong Kong to make his fortune in California. He starts off by working in a laundry where he comes in contact with the beautiful and mysterious prostitute, Little Sister.
1920's Hollywood is the setting for Silver where Anna May Wong is an actress; as a Chinese woman she is not allowed to kiss a white, male, co-star on screen.
Detroit in the 1980's is Jade. The car industry is in decline party due to cheaper imports from Japan. Vincent Chin is murdered by two auto-workers in the mistaken belief that he is Japanese. He was Chinese.
Pearl brings us to the present day where the story follows an author, John Ling Smith and his wife. They have been unable to have children of their own and so decide to adopt a Chinese baby.
At first glance it would appear that all four sections are separate stories, but gradually the threads begin to tie together and the connections are made. The topics covered – racial abuse, discrimination, inequality of race and gender – are dealt with extremely well making for uncomfortable reading at times, but it's never mawkish or self-pitying. The characters are beautifully drawn and utterly believable, the narrative so well written without the need for extravagance or flamboyance.
This, for me, is a keeper, and one I will read again, and possibly again.
My thanks to Amazon for an advanced, uncorrected paperback copy.
August 1, 2016
In this nation of immigrants, we know the provision "all men are created equal," is still not a living reality for every person in this country. Throughout history, not all immigrants have felt they were equal in the eyes of their fellow Americans. Each new group has to claw their way through the process of gaining respect, even in today's world.
Peter Ho Davies takes the history of three Chinese American immigrants and gives us stories going from the railroad construction in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to a fully fictional story in the present day. All the stories are wonderfully crafted. They allow us to know what it feels like, to hear the voices of these people. As many immigrants have experienced, they wonder if the struggle to live in this new land is, in the end, even worth it. We hear each person doubt themselves, wonder about their identity and know what it is like to be part of the other. One character walks down the street in Beijing enjoying the feeling that no one is looking at him. He is, for once, alike with everyone in the crowd.
In this particular moment in time, we are experiencing a renewed yelp of racism from a presidential candidate. PHD's brilliant novel is a perfect response to the awful mess we find ourselves in today.
ARC received courtesy of NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (pub 9/16).
Peter Ho Davies takes the history of three Chinese American immigrants and gives us stories going from the railroad construction in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to a fully fictional story in the present day. All the stories are wonderfully crafted. They allow us to know what it feels like, to hear the voices of these people. As many immigrants have experienced, they wonder if the struggle to live in this new land is, in the end, even worth it. We hear each person doubt themselves, wonder about their identity and know what it is like to be part of the other. One character walks down the street in Beijing enjoying the feeling that no one is looking at him. He is, for once, alike with everyone in the crowd.
In this particular moment in time, we are experiencing a renewed yelp of racism from a presidential candidate. PHD's brilliant novel is a perfect response to the awful mess we find ourselves in today.
ARC received courtesy of NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (pub 9/16).
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