Escape to Gold Mountain

(Paperback)

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Description

Ages 12 and up

Escape to Gold Mountain is the first graphic novel to tell the story of how the Chinese came to North America. Based on historical documents and interviews with elders, this is a vivid history of the Chinese in their search for "Gold Mountain" (the Chinese colloquialism for North America) as seen through the eyes of the Wong family. They traverse the challenges of eking out an existence in their adopted homeland with hope and determination, creating a poignant immigrant's legacy for their sons and daughters.

Reviews

"Eloquent, lyrical black-and-gray panels that conjure the environment and living conditions as well as the people." --Library Journal

"The author's panel work makes an at-times painful history easily read [. . .] The comic is really a jumping-off point for those interested in the subject matter -- the epic research that Wong put towards the book made for enough bibliography and reading resources to launch a thousand syllabi, or at least a sense that an important portion of history may have been missing from your childhood textbooks." - The San Francisco Bay Guardian

"This book is an excellent introduction to the complex issue of Chinese immigration as told from the Chinese point of view." --Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Wong proves that pictures can indeed hold thousands (and thousands!) of words, capturing 200+ years of history in as many pages; he also includes a 'Chinglish' glossary, a timeline that overlaps China and Gam Saan, maps, extensive notes, and a thorough bibliography." --Book Dragon blog from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

"Escape to Gold Mountain is forgotten history, and all the more important for teen readers in particular, because it has been so overlooked. Wong does a solid job of bringing his characters to life and making the narrative both informative and emotional ... As a fan of both American and Canadian history, I found this graphic novel compelling and perfectly suited for the illustrated form." --Bookslut

"This is a moving book that deserves to be read." --VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Magazine

Author Bio

David H.T. Wong: David H.T. Wong was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. He is an accomplished architect and a respected Asian Canadian community activist whose family first came to North America from China 130 years ago.