Thousand Pieces of Gold-- Ruthanne Lum McCunn

Thousand Pieces of Gold, as its title might suggest, was a treasure trove for me: Pacific Northwest history, Asian American history, and women's history all wrapped up in a compelling young adult novel.

Thousand Pieces of Gold is based on the life of Lalu Nathoy (later known as Polly Bemis), who was born in a village in Northern China in 1853 and died in Grangeville, Idaho in 1933. Author Ruthanne Lum McCunn intended to write a nonfictional account of Lalu's life, but realized there were too many gaps and contradictions in the available historical accounts, and turned to fiction. In this story, Lalu unbinds her feet at age 13 to join her father in plowing the fields-- in doing so, she gives up hope of marriage. She is later stolen by bandits, sold to a brothel, transferred to the custody of a slave merchant, smuggled into San Francisco's Chinatown, auctioned to a saloon keeper, and won in a poker game.

Warrens, Idaho must have been a fascinating place in its gold-mining heyday-- a rare community where whites and Chinese lived together, although the town was segregated. In spite of tensions, McCunn's interviewees all spoke warmly of their friend Polly-- her grit and cleverness as well as her kindness and sense of humor. What an extraordinary person she must have been. I think it must have been amazing to have known her, and after reading this book, I feel like I have come very close.

In the notes at the end of the book, McCunn discusses theories about Lalu's origins that came up in the translation process. McCunn now believes that Lalu may have been Daur Mongolian, and possibly Muslim (one of the meanings of "Lalu" is "Islam"). What struck me about these discoveries, as well as the wide translation and publication of this book, is that Thousand Pieces of Gold is just as much about Chinese history as it is about American history. A great book for discussion groups and young history buffs.