Four Treasures of the Sky

Four Treasures of the Sky

The compelling debut about identity and belonging in the 1880s American West

Summary

Daiyu is the orphaned daughter of a once influential, now missing, family. Alone and on the streets, she must rely on her wits to discover what happened to her family.

But when Daiyu is kidnapped and smuggled from China to America, she relinquishes the future she imagined.

Over the years that follow, she is forced to reinvent herself to survive. From a calligraphy school to a San Francisco brothel, to a shop tucked into the Idaho mountains of the Wild West, we follow Daiyu on a desperate quest to outrun the tragedy that chases her. As anti-Chinese sentiment sweeps across the country in a wave of unimaginable violence, Daiyu must draw on each of the selves she has been - including the ones she most wants to leave behind - in order to finally claim her own name and story.

Reviews

  • An engulfing, bighearted and heartbreaking novel. Illuminates shocking injustices, making us stop and consider how many survive to this day
    Ann Patchett, author of Women's Prize longlisted The Dutch House

About the author

Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Jenny Tinghui Zhang is a Chinese-American writer. She was born in Changchun, China and grew up in Austin, Texas, where she currently lives. Four Treasures of the Sky is her debut.
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