Genealogy buffs would do well to read this "One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of [Lisa See's] Chinese-American History" as an excellent example of how to write their own family histories. See, one-eighth Chinese, interviewed "close to one hundred people" and with help, found historical information from the late 1880s about her great-great grandfather's generation on up to her own children by perusing documents such as immigration records, photographs, letters, diaries, etc., that is, in the usual way. The result, On Gold Mountain "the Chinese name for the United States," almost 400 pages in length, is an in-depth, well-written account of the happenings in the lives of her ancestors, cousins, aunts and uncles. But anyone who knows anything about genealogy will agree that while a person's own genealogical information is, or can be, quite thrilling, another's is usually significantly less so. The main "character" of the family history, Fong See, was a polygamist. His second marriage, to a white woman (his first, unconsummated, was to a young girl in China) created the line from which the author descended. He was a merchant by trade who sold undergarments to prostitutes (during which he met his Lisa See's great-grandmother). Later, he dealt in antiques and other merchandise, creating a name for himself both in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles and in Dimtao, his home village in China, to which he provided monetary assistance. While the information on the lives of Chinese immigrants in general (including the ever-changing, often discriminatory immigration policies) and Fong See in particular, were great reading, the book was exceedingly long and overly detailed. I, for one, am not really interested in the names and occupations of Ms. See's first cousins. And less annoying but worth mentioning is the fact that the book's standard format, consistent and chronological, changes dramatically at Chapter 11. Memories: Tyrus Tells His Story reads like a taped interview might sound. In Chapter 14, Anna May Speaks (from the Grave), a film star, unrelated to the Sees except as a family friend, complains about her mistreatment by the film industry, the Americans, and the Chinese. Chapter 15, which I like to call The Improperly Edited Chapter, contains nine paragraphs beginning with a single word or short phrase (Pp 247-250), "Wives," "Children," "Grandchildren," "Business," "More business," "Business and family," "The Japanese crisis," "Partners," and "Life story." Lastly, the inclusion of a reference to California's Prop 187 (p 355) "Through Proposition 187, illegal immigrants would be barred from receiving any state funds; this meant no education, no welfare, and no medical care, except in dire emergencies," seems a bit unfair. China's policies concerning illegal immigrants are certainly much stricter than the USA's. In summary, Lisa See is a very good storyteller, has produced a great example of a family history and a tribute to her ancestors, but the audience of interest for the overly long overly detailed On Gold Mountain is likely limited to Fong Dun Shung's descendants, fans of the historical aspects of Chinese immigration to America (or their life in America) during the late 1880s and early 1900s, and genealogy buffs. And if I weren't part of the last category, I'd have either quit the book or slogged through and given it only two stars. Better: The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan, the Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan, and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.
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On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family Books In Print, Audio Books.