Thousand Pieces of GoldA reissue of the classic biographical novel that has sold more than 200,000 copies Lalu Nathoy’s father calls his thirteen-year-old daughter his treasure, his “thousand pieces of gold,” yet when famine strikes northern China in 1871, he is forced to sell her. She is sold first to a brothel, then to a slave merchant bound for America. In a new country, she is given the name Polly and eventually auctioned to a saloonkeeper. When admirer Charlie Bemis wins her in a poker game, he frees her from her enslavement and eventually proposes marriage. The two live out their days on a bountiful farm, a homestead called Polly’s Place in Salmon Canyon, Idaho. This masterfully told biographical novel is the true story of an extraordinary woman’s successful fight for independence and respect in the early American West. “Lalu comes to life and transfixes the reader with her story of struggle and survival . . . Lalu/Polly was a remarkable pioneer woman—a new heroine of the American West—and we can thank McCunn for bringing her to life in such a moving and inspirational way.” —Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, San Francisco Chronicle “A valuable book that gives Chinese Americans another true heroine.” —Maxine Hong Kingston “Lalu Nathoy’s courageous journey is an important contribution to the history of pioneer women.” —Ms. Magazine |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - NancyNo5 - LibraryThingI won this book from Librarything in exchange for an honest review. This is the story of Polly Bemis aka Lalu Nathoy who was sold into slavery by her father in 1871 China. The biography is written in ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - jovemako - LibraryThingI read this early last month (completely forgetting to write the review. oops!) and found it to be a quicker read than I initially thought it would be. It was a good story. The font was large and ... Read full review
Contents
I | 13 |
II | 21 |
III | 28 |
IV | 36 |
V | 43 |
VI | 51 |
VII | 59 |
VIII | 69 |
XXI | 186 |
XXII | 194 |
XXIII | 201 |
XXIV | 207 |
XXV | 214 |
XXVI | 223 |
XXVII | 229 |
XXVIII | 236 |
IX | 78 |
X | 91 |
XI | 104 |
XII | 113 |
XIII | 119 |
XIV | 128 |
XV | 137 |
XVI | 146 |
XVII | 151 |
XVIII | 158 |
XIX | 167 |
XX | 180 |
XXIX | 242 |
XXX | 248 |
XXXI | 255 |
XXXII | 264 |
XXXIII | 270 |
XXXIV | 279 |
XXXV | 286 |
XXXVI | 292 |
XXXVII | 297 |
XXXVIII | 303 |
XXXIX | 308 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
apron arms asked baby bagnio bandits beard Bemis's beneath Bertha beside bird blood bowl breath Buffalo Hump cabin camp canyon chair Charlie Charlie's cheek Chen China Chinatown Chinese Creek dance dark dead demon Dick Ding door dress dropped dust Elsensohn eyes face father feet felt fiddle fingers fish girl Gold Mountains Grangeville hair hands head heard hereafter cited Hong King horses hurdy gurdy Idaho County jacket John Carrey Johnny Cox Judy Yung July 18 King's knew Lalu Lalu's laughed legs looked Madam mother mule Nathoy never night Oregonian pants Pete picked pine Polly Bemis Polly's pulled pushed quilt ranch river Ruthanne Lum McCunn saloon Shepp shouted smell smiled smoke snapped snow stop stove sweet potatoes talk tears Teddy thought told took turned village voice waiting walked Warrens wife winter women