A Chinese-American author's suspenseful, immersive depiction of a pivotal point in US history
Growing up in 1860s China, Tam Ling Fan has lived a life of comfort. Her father, a magistrate, is wealthy enough to provide for his family yet nontraditional enough to spare Ling from the debilitating foot-binding required of most well-off girls. But her life is upended when her brother, Jing, dies and their father is imprisoned under false accusations. To earn the money that will secure her father's release, Ling disguises herself as Jing and takes his contract to work as a laborer on the Transcontinental Railroad in America. Once there, she must face grueling work conditions, avalanches, treachery, and racism to save what is left of her family.
