What Lalu/ Polly went thru and accomplished was a tribute to her heritage.

Solid historical fiction. I rate the book 3.5 stars and round up because it tells a unique story based on the life of a real Chinese immigrant woman living in Idaho from the late 1800s to the early 1900s (Polly Bemis). This checks of Idaho on my third US state reading challenge. I had to look hard for an Idaho story with a BIPOC theme/character. But this fits the bill and was a nice story to listen to.

Based on a true story of Polly Bemis (Lalu Nathoy). She was sold to bandits by her father, then sold and smuggled into America as a prostitute. Polly is eventually able to live as a free woman with the help of her future husband Charles Bemis. She became well known in Idaho for her generosity and sense of humor.

11/16: I seem to always need a novel going, or at least some form of firm narrative. I'm on pg. 50 as of last night: incredibly zippy reading, not terribly wonderful writing either, though I am interested in the transportation aspect--the arrival in a new place and time that is perfectly and uniquely unfamiliar to me. I found myself wiggling my toes, grateful for the freeing, unbound feeling of the body during pregnancy. I may be wearing strange apparatuses (see: braces on both wrists, Bella Band, etc.) as of recent, but instead of hobbling, I am waddling with the freeness of unhinged hips and no bending requirements for another six and a half weeks.

11/17: This book, perhaps, ought to have been marketed as a young adult novel or teen instead of fiction/literature. The language and patterns mimic what I would often call "teachable" but might be more like "formulaic." The story itself is compelling, but the execution is not as remarkable.

I must have bought this book over a decade ago and I can’t remember anymore how I discovered it. But it did what a lot of my books do and sat on a shelf instead of being read.

It’s a surprisingly quick read, and a page turner, at least the first half. The issue with biographical fiction, which can’t be structured in the classic story arc format, is finding a way to not get bogged down in describing every minute of every day while also lingering long enough to allow readers to connect with the characters. Unfortunately I don’t know that this book does a great job of balancing this - it leans on fast-paced but sacrifices getting to really know or understand any of the characters or circumstances outside of Polly herself.

3 stars.

McCunn's descriptions of the novel's settings are incredibly vivid and illustrative; her choice of words are definitely not superfluous which gives a touch of simplicity to the tale she weaves. The emotions she tries to capture of her characters in the novel are portrayed perfectly through her words, most notably the scenes that involved intense movements and actions filled with tension and suspense.

However, it is important to comment on her failure to mention worldwide events, such as the Great War -- considering this as 20th century fiction. Although the War had no significant effect on the story, even a slight mention of it would a sense of reality to the tale.

McCunn takes Lalu Nathoy from a small village in Northern China and tells the tale of he family's suffering through a disastrous famine, which resulted in her being sold to bandits and, eventually, all the way to the Land of the Gold Mountains -- America. There, she tries to uphold her dignity as a Chinese as well as a woman, and although circumstances did not support her idealistic visions, Polly (which is the name Lalu is later given) nevertheless strives to forge a peaceful life in the mountains of North America. A tale of love is also told -- love lost, gained and finally rested in peace.

Ruthanne Lum McCunn tells an amazing story of Lalu Nathoy/Polly Bemis, based on the main protagonist's real life story.

Recently, a local newspaper published a story about The Lost Apple Project's identification of apple varieties in the orchard at the Polly Bemis Ranch along the banks of the Salmon River in central Idaho. The article mentioned this book and a subsequent film of the same name.

At the time of its publication in 1981, this biographical novel would have granted significant visibility to the experience of a Chinese pioneer woman. It also perpetuates several myths about her life that should be allowed to fade away (see https://www.uidaho.edu/class/anthrola...).

The personhood of Polly Bemis presents an opportunity to understand the real impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Geary Act, anti-miscegenation laws, foot-binding, and other aspects of history. I'm intrigued enough consider a more scholarly approach to the topic, such as
Polly Bemis: The Life and Times of a Chinese American Pioneer.

A fost o carte foarte frumoasa.
A urmărit diferite etape ale vieții unei tinere chinezoaice care, ajunsă în America, încearcă sa nu mai fie sclava.
Il întâlnește pe Charlie care o protejează și ajung sa isi petreacă toată viata împreună, câștigand libertatea și respectul fetei.
Imi place foarte mult ca este o poveste adevărată și de-a lungul cărții apar și poze cu protagonista.
Viata ei a fost frumoasă în final, a avut mulți prieteni buni, un soț care a iubit-o, o ferma, o sănătate bună... Și a reușit sa fie fericita, chiar dacă știa ca nu se va mai întoarce niciodată acasă și ca părinții ei au uitat-o după ce au vândut-o pe niște semințe de soia.

3.5 stars, for sure. It was a quick read, but had an interesting story line. I really liked the strong female character and was pleasantly surprised to find out that much of the story was based on real events.

Read for my Twentieth and Twenty First Century Literature class

Easy vacation read

The true story about a Chinese girl who was sold, put into prostitution and who demonstrated tremendous resilience and courage. We don't hear much about the Chinese Americans who were enslaved in the the 1880's during the Gold Rush. I loved the story, the writing was ok which is why I gave it a 3.