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Thousand Pieces of Gold
Lalu Nathoy's father called his thirteen-year-old daughter his treasure, his "thousand pieces of gold," yet when famine strikes northern China in 1871, he is forced to sell her. Polly, as Lalu is later called, is sold to a brothel, sold again to a slave merchant bound for America, auctioned to a saloonkeeper, and offered as a prize in a poker game. This biographical novel is the extraordinary story of one woman's fight for independence and dignity in the American West.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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About the author
Ruthanne Lum McCunn
18 books23 followersRuthanne Lum McCunn is an American novelist and editor of Chinese and Scottish descent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
June 22, 2020
This is an utterly delightful book. I recommend it.
You need different books for different moods. This book will make you happy. I think it's because it is optimistic, that isn't to say bad things are excluded from its pages. That is far from true. The book is exciting - bandits, a fire, shootings.
This is a biographical novel about the Chinese woman Lalu Nathoy (1853-1933), sold to bandits by her beloved father for the mere sum of two bags of seeds. I intentionally wrote “beloved father”. He was not a bad man, but the times were bad. Soon after, in 1872, she was smuggled into the US through San Francisco and re-sold for 2.500 USD. To whom? To a wealthy Chinese named Hong King, owner of a saloon at the mining camp in Warrens, Idaho. It was the era of the Gold Rush. Just guess what her job was to be.
What happens next is the central part of the book. How did she become Polly Bemis? What was it like to be Chinese in America at the turn of the century? This is after the Civil War. Blacks were free. Right? Well on paper. What about the Chinese? We are looking at a strong woman who valued freedom. Also a child/woman without family, without kin, without country. Who did she come to be? What did she make of her life?
The story is told very simply but covers such deep issues. Freedom. Independence and self-sufficiency. Bound feet. Rape. Chinese immigrants in the American West. Pioneer life. Friendship. Love and happiness and regrets. Aging.
The narration by Emily Zeller was very well done. Her intonations reflect men, women and children equally well. Easy to follow.
Sometimes you need to hear of a person who makes something of their life…. against all odds. The beauty of the telling is that the story is told simply, without fuss, without exaggeration. Without shrieks and exclamations. A woman, a good woman, who quietly and unobtrusively shaped her own life and those around her.
Three stars? Four stars? If you ask me if I liked the book, my immediate response is, “Yes, I really liked it! “ So I ought to give it four. Can’t a simply told story be worthy of four stars? Somehow I think three is better.
You need different books for different moods. This book will make you happy. I think it's because it is optimistic, that isn't to say bad things are excluded from its pages. That is far from true. The book is exciting - bandits, a fire, shootings.
This is a biographical novel about the Chinese woman Lalu Nathoy (1853-1933), sold to bandits by her beloved father for the mere sum of two bags of seeds. I intentionally wrote “beloved father”. He was not a bad man, but the times were bad. Soon after, in 1872, she was smuggled into the US through San Francisco and re-sold for 2.500 USD. To whom? To a wealthy Chinese named Hong King, owner of a saloon at the mining camp in Warrens, Idaho. It was the era of the Gold Rush. Just guess what her job was to be.
What happens next is the central part of the book. How did she become Polly Bemis? What was it like to be Chinese in America at the turn of the century? This is after the Civil War. Blacks were free. Right? Well on paper. What about the Chinese? We are looking at a strong woman who valued freedom. Also a child/woman without family, without kin, without country. Who did she come to be? What did she make of her life?
The story is told very simply but covers such deep issues. Freedom. Independence and self-sufficiency. Bound feet. Rape. Chinese immigrants in the American West. Pioneer life. Friendship. Love and happiness and regrets. Aging.
The narration by Emily Zeller was very well done. Her intonations reflect men, women and children equally well. Easy to follow.
Sometimes you need to hear of a person who makes something of their life…. against all odds. The beauty of the telling is that the story is told simply, without fuss, without exaggeration. Without shrieks and exclamations. A woman, a good woman, who quietly and unobtrusively shaped her own life and those around her.
Three stars? Four stars? If you ask me if I liked the book, my immediate response is, “Yes, I really liked it! “ So I ought to give it four. Can’t a simply told story be worthy of four stars? Somehow I think three is better.
March 26, 2009
I loved this book, not only because of the good writing, but because Polly Bemis, the 13 year old girl, lived in Warren City, Idaho, where my maternal grandfather was born. My great grandfather and my grandfather knew both her and her husband Charlie Bemis. So, I have stood on the steps of her house in Warren and feel as though her history is also a part of my family's history.
June 19, 2023
Historical fiction based on the life of Lalu Nathoy, a Chinese teen who was kidnapped by bandits in northern China in 1871. She was sold to a brothel and subsequently sold to a Chinese man in Idaho where she was renamed Polly. The novel contains photographs of Polly as well as her ranch. Today, she is valued as one of Idaho's legendary pioneers.
August 12, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, both as a bit of Idaho history and as a well told, and unique story. I read it while I hiked through the Frank Church Wilderness, where the Salmon River flows and near where the story primarily takes places. I read the ebook version which included an essay added later after publication in which the author explained in detail how she compiled the history and facts to tell Polly Bemis's story, told as a biographical novel. It's worth finding that version, not only to understand how difficult it would have been to uncover Polly's story, but the efforts with which the author went to length to tell the story as accurately possible - as well as the author's own journey provide a short small story as well.
December 18, 2019
If you've never heard of this book, it's probably because it was first published in 1981, before the blockbuster success of books like The Joy Luck Club and Red Azalea expanded our understanding of Chinese American culture. This book is a biography of Lalu Nathoy, a Chinese girl sold into slavery and brought to San Francisco. Forced to work in a brothel, auctioned to the owner of a saloon and given away in a poker game, Lalu still manages to cling to a fierce sense of her worth. Her eventual victory towards independence and true love has us rooting for her. While the writing isn't always beautiful, the story is compelling and opens our mind to the ways in which we can overcome adversity if we are clear in our intentions and our hearts.
October 6, 2015
I’ve read a lot of books about pioneer women, but this one is quite different. It is the story of a real life woman named Polly Bemis who lived in Idaho during the latter part of the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Polly was born in China but was sold by her father to keep the family from starving. She eventually was purchased by a Chinese businessman living in America. Polly was very independent and after she was became free from her owner, she became quite successful herself. She opened and ran a boarding house for many years, and then her own farm. While Polly was a great character to read about, I think the book could have been a little more interesting. I felt like there were a lot of gaps in the story that could have been filled in and some of the characters could have been fleshed out a little more. However, I am glad I got a chance to reading about this woman who is just one of the many wonderful characters we have in our country’s history. I received this book from Library Thing in exchange for a review.
May 7, 2020
This fast read was really interesting to me. As a 13 year old girl, Lalu is forcibly sold to a bandit, then to a brothel, then brought to America and sold to a Chinese saloon owner in Idaho, where her name is changed to Polly. A local man wins her in a poker game, as an effort to free her. She appreciates him and eventually comes to love him. Together they were among the first pioneers in the Salmon Canyon. Their cabin there has been deemed important to Idaho's heritage and in 1988 was listed in the National Register for Historic Places. The Idaho Governor said, "The history of Polly Bemis is a great part of the legacy of central Idaho. She is the foremost pioneer on the rugged Salmon River."
The questions and issues that I considered while reading about Lalu/Polly's life were many: What does it mean to be strong? Indepedent? How much agency and control can a woman have over her life? How is it that she "rose above" personal and societal issues to create a decent life? Can you really make lemonade out of lemons? Additionally there was the backdrop of her life which included the fascinating culture of Imperial China, a voyage to America by smugglers, the gold rush, the wild west, the Chinese Exclusion laws and terrible racism.
My mother was born in China, and my dad was a 6 year old in nearby Aberdeen, Idaho when Polly died in 1933, so I found this story to be very compelling! The research done by the author is great and I would imagine would have been really interesting, fun and satisfying to perform. Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston of the San Francisco Chronicle says it best, "A story of struggle and survival as a woman - and slave - in China and the American West...Fast paced and entertaining - packed with adventure, drama and inspiration," All true! I really enjoyed this book!
The questions and issues that I considered while reading about Lalu/Polly's life were many: What does it mean to be strong? Indepedent? How much agency and control can a woman have over her life? How is it that she "rose above" personal and societal issues to create a decent life? Can you really make lemonade out of lemons? Additionally there was the backdrop of her life which included the fascinating culture of Imperial China, a voyage to America by smugglers, the gold rush, the wild west, the Chinese Exclusion laws and terrible racism.
My mother was born in China, and my dad was a 6 year old in nearby Aberdeen, Idaho when Polly died in 1933, so I found this story to be very compelling! The research done by the author is great and I would imagine would have been really interesting, fun and satisfying to perform. Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston of the San Francisco Chronicle says it best, "A story of struggle and survival as a woman - and slave - in China and the American West...Fast paced and entertaining - packed with adventure, drama and inspiration," All true! I really enjoyed this book!
February 28, 2012
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.
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.
June 24, 2020
I became familiar with Lalu/ Polly Nathoy in my senior year of college while enrolled in a Women of the West history class.
The whitewashing of United States history is such that to learn the plight of Chinese women in the mid to late 1800s was not a complete surprise, I’d heard whispers of such, but was still unfamiliar enough that Polly’s story stood out to me in my class.
We watched the film adaptation of this book and her story has been stuck in my head ever since. I’ve rewatched the movie at different points since then, but never took the time to read the book.
This book is the story of Lalu (aka Polly) Nathoy - a woman who was sold by her starving family from China to the United States. When she first arrived in the mining camp of Warrens, ID, initially as a sex slave, through indentured servitude, she eventually created a life of peace with the man she loved, Charlie Bemis.
There is something to be said that she adopted the name her oppressors gave her (Polly), and that her future husband Charlie, won her freedom from indentured servitude in a game of poker. People can take that as they may, but it is evidentially clear that she made the life she wanted from these facts.
She was a premier example of Chinese American settler and her story inspires me to this day and I’m glad I read this book.
The whitewashing of United States history is such that to learn the plight of Chinese women in the mid to late 1800s was not a complete surprise, I’d heard whispers of such, but was still unfamiliar enough that Polly’s story stood out to me in my class.
We watched the film adaptation of this book and her story has been stuck in my head ever since. I’ve rewatched the movie at different points since then, but never took the time to read the book.
This book is the story of Lalu (aka Polly) Nathoy - a woman who was sold by her starving family from China to the United States. When she first arrived in the mining camp of Warrens, ID, initially as a sex slave, through indentured servitude, she eventually created a life of peace with the man she loved, Charlie Bemis.
There is something to be said that she adopted the name her oppressors gave her (Polly), and that her future husband Charlie, won her freedom from indentured servitude in a game of poker. People can take that as they may, but it is evidentially clear that she made the life she wanted from these facts.
She was a premier example of Chinese American settler and her story inspires me to this day and I’m glad I read this book.
August 23, 2017
I read this book because it was a selection for my book club. I probably would have never picked it up on my own to read. Having said that, I found it interesting and an easy story to get involved in.
This book is about a young Chinese girl who, in the 1800's, is bought away from her family and forced into slavery and a life of hardships and discouragements.It follows the life of the girl all the way into the 1900's, and her journey to America where she finally becomes free. It is considered a biographical fiction, so I am assuming that it is at least loosely based on a true story or a combination of actual events. To me, this made the book more interesting and captivating. Knowing that similar things actually happened to people, helped to hold my attention and made me want to know the outcome.
While not my favorite recent read, all in all, I would say it is a good read for anyone that likes historical fiction, and is looking for a fast, easy read
This book is about a young Chinese girl who, in the 1800's, is bought away from her family and forced into slavery and a life of hardships and discouragements.It follows the life of the girl all the way into the 1900's, and her journey to America where she finally becomes free. It is considered a biographical fiction, so I am assuming that it is at least loosely based on a true story or a combination of actual events. To me, this made the book more interesting and captivating. Knowing that similar things actually happened to people, helped to hold my attention and made me want to know the outcome.
While not my favorite recent read, all in all, I would say it is a good read for anyone that likes historical fiction, and is looking for a fast, easy read
January 1, 2023
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.
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.
August 3, 2019
After whitewater rafting many times down the Main Salmon and stopping by the Polly Bemis ranch, I always wanted to read this story. I was not disappointed. She was more resilient than I could have imagined. She had grit, smarts, health, and a big heart- everything needed to survive the weather,
Hardship, discrimination. I quite enjoyed learning of her culture and then learning about the early Chinese immigrants in Idaho. I found the book to be an easy read and closed the last chapter knowing I learned a lot. By the way, while visiting St Gertrude’s Monastery In Cottonwood, Idaho- I saw many of Polly’s possessions at their museum, worth a stop.
Hardship, discrimination. I quite enjoyed learning of her culture and then learning about the early Chinese immigrants in Idaho. I found the book to be an easy read and closed the last chapter knowing I learned a lot. By the way, while visiting St Gertrude’s Monastery In Cottonwood, Idaho- I saw many of Polly’s possessions at their museum, worth a stop.
January 30, 2016
This was an interesting story that kept me reading. it has a bit of everything - action, tragedy, some cultural aspects, romance and a pretty interesting main character. The story also happens to be true, even is some aspects are fictional. I wish other characters were a bit more complex, but for what it is, this book is a good introduction to the relations between USA and China in the 19th and 20th century, to the slave trade from China and the gold rush. It's a nice, light read, even though many things that happen are not pleasant at all.
January 25, 2011
This was the first book I read by this author and had inspired me to read all her books. The saga of Lalu, who was her father's "thousand pieces of gold", sold by him and ended up in the US, was riveting. I remember sighing after finishing the book and wanting more.
July 31, 2010
In three hundred pages, it's probably difficult to really provide deep narrative of a woman's 80 year life-span, so I won't judge the disjointed story too harshly. The stories of women through history who toiled and slaved are a dime a dozen. But, I'm glad I read one of them. Very touching.
November 7, 2015
This book has pictures - I like pictures.
May 11, 2016
I was really surprised by how much I loved this book! For me it was kind of a mix between These is My Words and Lonesome Dove. This was a fast paced, high adventure, romantic pioneer story.
May 17, 2025
This is our Book Club Retreat selection. We will be traveling to Virginia City, Idaho. This book tells the harrowing true story of Polly Bemis (originally Lalu Nathoy), who was taken from her home in China and sold into slavery. The story is fascinating, sad, infuriating, but in the end, hopeful, encouraging, and amazing. I've added the Polly Bemis Ranch to my new bucket list of places to visit in Idaho. There are some uncomfortable and morally questionable topics covered, but they are not graphic and few and far between.
July 15, 2019
Dnf p. 181. The story is good, but the writing let's it down. Had I been stuck on a plane or something I'd have finished it. The story is worth telling, but it deserves a better telling than what it received.
May 5, 2023
An inspiring piece of Chinese-American history in Idaho!
May 9, 2020
“A Thousand Pieces of Gold” is a story of thirteen year old Lalu Nathoy from China who over time and circumstances transforms into Idahoan Polly Bemis. Ally’s story is one of resilience, determination and steadfastness. What makes this book even more extraordinary is the events presented in the books is a true account of one of the first Chinese American pioneers in Idaho.
The book consists of seven parts and is introduced by a photo. Part one begins in 1865-1872. In this part of the book, the reader is introduced to 13 year old Lalu and her family which consists of her mother, father and two younger brothers. Although Lalu's feet are bound as a child, due to family hardship, her feet are unbound. Her father makes a bad farming decision which leads to Lalu working in the family's fields. As the years pass, Lalu becomes an expert farmer by the time she is eighteen. When a drought comes to the country, her father sells her to bandits for two bags of seed. Shortly after she is sold to the bandits, the bandits sell her to a madam at a brothel.
Part two of the book occurs in 1872 and focuses on Lalu's trip from China to America. When Lalu arrives in America, she quickly discovers that it is not the land of riches that she heard from others.
She is put on the auction block in San Francisco, she is sold to a saloon owner in Idaho. When she arrives at the saloon, the owner changes her name from Lalu to Polly. During her time working at the saloon, she becomes close with Jim, the Chinese man who escorted her to Idaho. Although she dream of Jim buying her freedom, her boss will not allow it to happen. The second part of the book ends with Polly becoming close with Jim's friend Charlie Bemis.
Part three of the book occurs in 1875 and begins with Polly becoming increasing frustrated that she as a Chinese woman can not be free from the saloon owner while black people have been freed by Abraham Lincoln's emancipation proclamation. Charlie explains to Polly that there are different laws for black people and Chinese people which only frustrates Polly more. Polly is so desperate to be free of her servitude at the saloon that she decides that murder is the only way to gain her freedom. Just as Polly is about to carry out her plan, she is offered up as a prize in a poker game between her boss and Charlie Bemis. The third part of the book ends with Charlie winning the poker hand and claiming Polly as his prize.
Part four occurs in 1890-1894 and shows Polly's life as a free woman. While she is initially disgusted that she was used as a prize in a card game, Charlie reassures her that he does care about her and knew that putting her up as a prize was the only way to secure her freedom. During this time, Charlie is seriously injured and Polly saves his life.Polly and Charlie live together and although Polly loves Charlie, she worries that he wants children which is something she decided long ago not to have. The fourth part of the book ends with Charlie asking Polly to marry him and Polly expressing her concerns about him wanting children to which he responds that he doesn't care about children, he only wants to be with her.
Part five occurs 1898-1922 and focuses on Charlie and Polly's life as a married couple. During this part of the book, Charlie lays claim to land where they eventually build a two story home. They have moved from Warrens and set up a home in a canyon. The highlight of this section of the book is that Polly finds an abandoned cougar cub which she nurses back to health and becomes the family pet. Unfortunately, during this section of the book, Charlie develops a cough that never gets better and despite Polly using American and Chinese medicine to heal him, his health never improves.
Part six occurs in later 1922-1923 and focuses on Polly's life after Charlie is gone. Polly leaves the canyon in search of new life experiences and finds a renewed sense of purpose by acting as a guardian for children from other towns who come to Warrens to attend school. Although she enjoys being away from the canyon, in the end, she realizes that the home she built which Charlie is where she belongs and that now matter where she goes, Charlie will always live in her.
The final part of the book occurs in 1933 and shows Polly as an old woman living alone on the land she and Charlie once called home. Although Polly is living out her remaining days as independent and self-sufficient, she after passing out in her garden, she accepts that her life is coming to an end and only requests that her friends bury her next to Charlie. Due to snowy weather, Polly's final wishes are not able to be honored and she is instead buried across the street from the hospital where she stayed as a patient.
Polly's story is inspiring and insightful considering that this is one of the first instances of reading about the pioneer experience from the Chinese american perspective.
The book consists of seven parts and is introduced by a photo. Part one begins in 1865-1872. In this part of the book, the reader is introduced to 13 year old Lalu and her family which consists of her mother, father and two younger brothers. Although Lalu's feet are bound as a child, due to family hardship, her feet are unbound. Her father makes a bad farming decision which leads to Lalu working in the family's fields. As the years pass, Lalu becomes an expert farmer by the time she is eighteen. When a drought comes to the country, her father sells her to bandits for two bags of seed. Shortly after she is sold to the bandits, the bandits sell her to a madam at a brothel.
Part two of the book occurs in 1872 and focuses on Lalu's trip from China to America. When Lalu arrives in America, she quickly discovers that it is not the land of riches that she heard from others.
She is put on the auction block in San Francisco, she is sold to a saloon owner in Idaho. When she arrives at the saloon, the owner changes her name from Lalu to Polly. During her time working at the saloon, she becomes close with Jim, the Chinese man who escorted her to Idaho. Although she dream of Jim buying her freedom, her boss will not allow it to happen. The second part of the book ends with Polly becoming close with Jim's friend Charlie Bemis.
Part three of the book occurs in 1875 and begins with Polly becoming increasing frustrated that she as a Chinese woman can not be free from the saloon owner while black people have been freed by Abraham Lincoln's emancipation proclamation. Charlie explains to Polly that there are different laws for black people and Chinese people which only frustrates Polly more. Polly is so desperate to be free of her servitude at the saloon that she decides that murder is the only way to gain her freedom. Just as Polly is about to carry out her plan, she is offered up as a prize in a poker game between her boss and Charlie Bemis. The third part of the book ends with Charlie winning the poker hand and claiming Polly as his prize.
Part four occurs in 1890-1894 and shows Polly's life as a free woman. While she is initially disgusted that she was used as a prize in a card game, Charlie reassures her that he does care about her and knew that putting her up as a prize was the only way to secure her freedom. During this time, Charlie is seriously injured and Polly saves his life.Polly and Charlie live together and although Polly loves Charlie, she worries that he wants children which is something she decided long ago not to have. The fourth part of the book ends with Charlie asking Polly to marry him and Polly expressing her concerns about him wanting children to which he responds that he doesn't care about children, he only wants to be with her.
Part five occurs 1898-1922 and focuses on Charlie and Polly's life as a married couple. During this part of the book, Charlie lays claim to land where they eventually build a two story home. They have moved from Warrens and set up a home in a canyon. The highlight of this section of the book is that Polly finds an abandoned cougar cub which she nurses back to health and becomes the family pet. Unfortunately, during this section of the book, Charlie develops a cough that never gets better and despite Polly using American and Chinese medicine to heal him, his health never improves.
Part six occurs in later 1922-1923 and focuses on Polly's life after Charlie is gone. Polly leaves the canyon in search of new life experiences and finds a renewed sense of purpose by acting as a guardian for children from other towns who come to Warrens to attend school. Although she enjoys being away from the canyon, in the end, she realizes that the home she built which Charlie is where she belongs and that now matter where she goes, Charlie will always live in her.
The final part of the book occurs in 1933 and shows Polly as an old woman living alone on the land she and Charlie once called home. Although Polly is living out her remaining days as independent and self-sufficient, she after passing out in her garden, she accepts that her life is coming to an end and only requests that her friends bury her next to Charlie. Due to snowy weather, Polly's final wishes are not able to be honored and she is instead buried across the street from the hospital where she stayed as a patient.
Polly's story is inspiring and insightful considering that this is one of the first instances of reading about the pioneer experience from the Chinese american perspective.
January 30, 2018
This is the simple story of a Chinese woman named Lalu Nathoy who lived from 1853 to 1933. It is called a biographical memoir but is written as historical fiction. The author has kept the essential story of Lalu's life, who is later known as Polly Bemis, as accurate as possible but has added a few fictitious characters to enhance the story.
Lalu's story begins when she is 13 years old and lives on a poor farm in Northern China. When she is born her father calls her his "thousand pieces of gold" because she is so valuable to him. In the hope that some day she will marry above her station, her feet are bound. When famine strikes, her father loses all his savings in a gamble to lease more land and plant winter wheat. He wanted to make a lot of money, but the rains wash away his crops. Lalu's feet binding must be reversed so she can help out in the fields - something a woman never does. Things become so desperate with no food that her father is forced to sell her to a gang of marauding bandits for two small bags of seed. She escapes but is recaptured.
Eventually the bandits sell her to a brothel owner in Shanghai who promptly sells her to a special buyer who has her shipped to America. She lands in San Francisco illegally, is taken to Portland and eventually ends up in the gold mining town of Warrens, Idaho. Her special buyer turns out to be Hong King, an old Chinese saloon keeper. She becomes his slave and forced concubine, and he changes her name to Polly. The saloon keeper next door, whose name is Charlie Bemis, becomes her protector whenever there is trouble at Hong King's establishment. Hong King won't sell Polly, but one night he uses her as a bid in a poker game. Charlie is the winner. Charlie wants to marry her, but she values her hard-won independence and keeps refusing so they end up living together. Her one desire is to own land and be free, but a Chinaman can't own land in America. Charlie helps her to build a boarding house; and she spends the next 15 years running it, gaining respect by becoming a valuable member in the community, and is motivated by her freedom, intelligence, and dignity to live a life of her own. The last half of the book is also the love story of Charlie and Polly - the tragedies that befell them as well as the celebrations. They eventually built a ranch together on the Salmon River which was 18 miles from Warrens.
The is an inspiring story of a true Chinese pioneer woman. The descriptions of the times, the people, places and events are sensory ones. Polly is a woman who struggled and survived in a land that was not amicable towards the Chinese. The book seems to be disjointed at times, but that may be because parts of her history are not there to be found. There is a movie made from this book - I can't wait to see it. A fast-paced and riveting read.
Lalu's story begins when she is 13 years old and lives on a poor farm in Northern China. When she is born her father calls her his "thousand pieces of gold" because she is so valuable to him. In the hope that some day she will marry above her station, her feet are bound. When famine strikes, her father loses all his savings in a gamble to lease more land and plant winter wheat. He wanted to make a lot of money, but the rains wash away his crops. Lalu's feet binding must be reversed so she can help out in the fields - something a woman never does. Things become so desperate with no food that her father is forced to sell her to a gang of marauding bandits for two small bags of seed. She escapes but is recaptured.
Eventually the bandits sell her to a brothel owner in Shanghai who promptly sells her to a special buyer who has her shipped to America. She lands in San Francisco illegally, is taken to Portland and eventually ends up in the gold mining town of Warrens, Idaho. Her special buyer turns out to be Hong King, an old Chinese saloon keeper. She becomes his slave and forced concubine, and he changes her name to Polly. The saloon keeper next door, whose name is Charlie Bemis, becomes her protector whenever there is trouble at Hong King's establishment. Hong King won't sell Polly, but one night he uses her as a bid in a poker game. Charlie is the winner. Charlie wants to marry her, but she values her hard-won independence and keeps refusing so they end up living together. Her one desire is to own land and be free, but a Chinaman can't own land in America. Charlie helps her to build a boarding house; and she spends the next 15 years running it, gaining respect by becoming a valuable member in the community, and is motivated by her freedom, intelligence, and dignity to live a life of her own. The last half of the book is also the love story of Charlie and Polly - the tragedies that befell them as well as the celebrations. They eventually built a ranch together on the Salmon River which was 18 miles from Warrens.
The is an inspiring story of a true Chinese pioneer woman. The descriptions of the times, the people, places and events are sensory ones. Polly is a woman who struggled and survived in a land that was not amicable towards the Chinese. The book seems to be disjointed at times, but that may be because parts of her history are not there to be found. There is a movie made from this book - I can't wait to see it. A fast-paced and riveting read.
watched-film-only
February 27, 2014Added 3/27/11.
_Thousand Pieces of Gold_ (1983) by Ruthanne Lum McCunn
GR reviewer, Sarah, wrote: "This is about one of Idaho's most famous pioneers, Polly Bemis.".
GR reviewers indicate this is easy reading and interesting, but the writing is poor.
Adapted to film (1991):
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Thous...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100774/p...
"In 1880's China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father. Rather than becoming a bride, Lalu ends up in an Idaho gold-mining town, the property of a saloon owner who renames her China Polly and plans to sell her as entertainment for the locals. Refusing to become a whore, Lalu ultimately finds her own way in this strange country filled with white demons."
IMDb trivia: "Based on the true story of "China Polly."
Sample Google eBook (same title, different book, about Chinese proverbs):
http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader...
Meaning of Book Title: The third chapter is entitled: "One Written Word is Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold". (Chinese or Japanese proverb)
2/27/14 - UPDATE (copied from my comment at my group):
Yesterday I watched the following Netflix DVD: "Thousand Pieces of Gold" (1991).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100774/?...
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Thousand...
"In 1880's China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father..." (part of IMDb description)
I gave it 4 stars. Good story. Kept my attention all the way through. Well acted. Interesting choreography. Chris Cooper was very appealing in this movie.
Adapted to film from the book: Thousand Pieces of Gold (1983) by Ruthanne Lum McCunn
_Thousand Pieces of Gold_ (1983) by Ruthanne Lum McCunn
GR reviewer, Sarah, wrote: "This is about one of Idaho's most famous pioneers, Polly Bemis.".
GR reviewers indicate this is easy reading and interesting, but the writing is poor.
Adapted to film (1991):
http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Thous...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100774/p...
"In 1880's China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father. Rather than becoming a bride, Lalu ends up in an Idaho gold-mining town, the property of a saloon owner who renames her China Polly and plans to sell her as entertainment for the locals. Refusing to become a whore, Lalu ultimately finds her own way in this strange country filled with white demons."
IMDb trivia: "Based on the true story of "China Polly."
Sample Google eBook (same title, different book, about Chinese proverbs):
http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader...
Meaning of Book Title: The third chapter is entitled: "One Written Word is Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold". (Chinese or Japanese proverb)
2/27/14 - UPDATE (copied from my comment at my group):
Yesterday I watched the following Netflix DVD: "Thousand Pieces of Gold" (1991).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100774/?...
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Thousand...
"In 1880's China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father..." (part of IMDb description)
I gave it 4 stars. Good story. Kept my attention all the way through. Well acted. Interesting choreography. Chris Cooper was very appealing in this movie.
Adapted to film from the book: Thousand Pieces of Gold (1983) by Ruthanne Lum McCunn
March 3, 2020
Thousand Pieces of Gold is a fictional biography of a Chinese woman who was sold by her father in 1871 and brought to California to work in a brothel. Lalu Nathoy, who came to be known as Polly Bemis, is a real person and lived until 1933 when she died in Idaho.
The title comes from the expression Lalu's father had used to describe her value to him before he was forced to sell her to survive famine. He called her his 'Thousand Pieces of Gold.' Unfortunately, when he did sell her he only received 2 sacks of seed.
Although she was sent to a brothel in San Francisco, she was saved from working there when she was once again sold and put up for auction. A Chinese saloon owner purchased her to take to the saloon he was running at a miner's camp. She eventually went on to become a businesswoman and at last a landowner through marriage to an American. She remained a strong woman who did not want to depend on anyone else to take care of her after having been betrayed by her father.
Although the story of Lalu/Polly's life was interesting, I have only given the book 3 stars because the novel often felt like a history textbook. We are give very little information about what she did in her work at the saloon. There were also large gaps of time between events described in her life---sometimes as long as 14 years and occasionally, the transitions between events and people were disjointed. We are give very little information about what she did in her work at the saloon.
However, I would still recommend it to others who enjoy reading about memorable women in history. It also gives the readers a glimpse into the life of the men who went to California mining for gold.
The title comes from the expression Lalu's father had used to describe her value to him before he was forced to sell her to survive famine. He called her his 'Thousand Pieces of Gold.' Unfortunately, when he did sell her he only received 2 sacks of seed.
Although she was sent to a brothel in San Francisco, she was saved from working there when she was once again sold and put up for auction. A Chinese saloon owner purchased her to take to the saloon he was running at a miner's camp. She eventually went on to become a businesswoman and at last a landowner through marriage to an American. She remained a strong woman who did not want to depend on anyone else to take care of her after having been betrayed by her father.
Although the story of Lalu/Polly's life was interesting, I have only given the book 3 stars because the novel often felt like a history textbook. We are give very little information about what she did in her work at the saloon. There were also large gaps of time between events described in her life---sometimes as long as 14 years and occasionally, the transitions between events and people were disjointed. We are give very little information about what she did in her work at the saloon.
However, I would still recommend it to others who enjoy reading about memorable women in history. It also gives the readers a glimpse into the life of the men who went to California mining for gold.
June 25, 2020
This was a hard book to read, since it is based on a real person and real events, but I still greatly enjoyed it.
Be warned that there are two instances that get just a little too sexually graphic (at least, for me), but those instances are one line each, and the book never goes into actual detail. Also, this book does deal with rape and the sex trade.
As for the story itself, I love the way Lalu's life is presented, and how she handles everything that comes at her. She was a very strong woman, and a figure I knew nothing about, even though much of this book takes place in the very state I live in (which I hadn't known when I picked it up). There were a few times the story skipped forward before I was ready for it to, but it was more of because I wanted to see more of Lalu's responses to the circumstances of her life than because more time was actually needed.
The first couple of pages didn't really grab me, but then I was hooked after that, wanting to know what happened next while being terrified of what would happen to Lalu. While most know of the American West, this was a side of the time period I knew nothing about, so it was interesting to see it through the eyes of someone who was considered an outsider.
Overall, this is a great introduction to Lalu and to the struggles Asians had in the western territories of the US. It's engaging to read, and it makes me want to learn more about Lalu and other women like her.
I highly recommend this book.
Be warned that there are two instances that get just a little too sexually graphic (at least, for me), but those instances are one line each, and the book never goes into actual detail. Also, this book does deal with rape and the sex trade.
As for the story itself, I love the way Lalu's life is presented, and how she handles everything that comes at her. She was a very strong woman, and a figure I knew nothing about, even though much of this book takes place in the very state I live in (which I hadn't known when I picked it up). There were a few times the story skipped forward before I was ready for it to, but it was more of because I wanted to see more of Lalu's responses to the circumstances of her life than because more time was actually needed.
The first couple of pages didn't really grab me, but then I was hooked after that, wanting to know what happened next while being terrified of what would happen to Lalu. While most know of the American West, this was a side of the time period I knew nothing about, so it was interesting to see it through the eyes of someone who was considered an outsider.
Overall, this is a great introduction to Lalu and to the struggles Asians had in the western territories of the US. It's engaging to read, and it makes me want to learn more about Lalu and other women like her.
I highly recommend this book.
September 17, 2023
Most recent book club selection (and we met in person which was kind of nice). I'm rounding this up to a 4, as for me usually "based on a true story" is an absolute kiss of death. But here McCunn does an admirable job, perhaps she is aided by the fact that enough time has passed, that the natural process of "legend-ification" that even happens to us less notable beings, occurs amidst the branches of our own family trees.
The book is written in a very matter of fact manner, with a lot of dialog. The emphasis is on persistence and plot. I would not say the book glosses over desperate times, but it has that reflecting back aspect, like a eulogy that triumphs over the times that were likely harrowing.
Like the love affair between Polly and Charlie, the foundation of this novel is resilient respectability.
I see my edition was re-issued in 2004 (after its 1981 original publication). I could see this slowly growing on the syllabus for late middle-school/early high-school English classes. Especially in Idaho (hello to the girls in Boise I know!) Strong woman, immigrant challenges, homesteading away from the cities, or even worse the suburbs. Lot of checkmarks. There's even a (possibly) kind gay couple that help an aged Polly. Well they are *definitely* kind.
Some of the book club members loved this the way I love the "weirder" stuff we read that tends to repel them. But again, I enjoyed this....tastes like vitamins.
The book is written in a very matter of fact manner, with a lot of dialog. The emphasis is on persistence and plot. I would not say the book glosses over desperate times, but it has that reflecting back aspect, like a eulogy that triumphs over the times that were likely harrowing.
Like the love affair between Polly and Charlie, the foundation of this novel is resilient respectability.
I see my edition was re-issued in 2004 (after its 1981 original publication). I could see this slowly growing on the syllabus for late middle-school/early high-school English classes. Especially in Idaho (hello to the girls in Boise I know!) Strong woman, immigrant challenges, homesteading away from the cities, or even worse the suburbs. Lot of checkmarks. There's even a (possibly) kind gay couple that help an aged Polly. Well they are *definitely* kind.
Some of the book club members loved this the way I love the "weirder" stuff we read that tends to repel them. But again, I enjoyed this....tastes like vitamins.
June 20, 2021
Something I didn't know when I started listening to this book was it is based a real person. This story is considered a historical fiction because some parts of it are considered hearsey and are as of yet unproven. This seems to make the story that much more tragic. Lalu, a young Chinese girl is sold by her father for seed. She is then smuggled to the United States as a slave, bound for Idaho during the gold rush. A time in American history when Chinese immigrants were particularly hated and misused. And yet Polly, renamed once she arrived in Warrens, maintains a kindness and sense of resolve. So much of her life was out of her control and brutal, but she kept a sense of hope and purpose. She eventually becomes as free as a Chinese woman in the late 1800s can be. Manages to make her own life, which is nothing short of remarkable. The book does span the entirety of her life, showing a perspective of the American frontier that is so seldom considered, let alone showed. It did, however, leave me with a burning question that further research into Polly Bemis's life answered.
November 18, 2010
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.
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.
November 5, 2018
Although it is listed as a “work of fiction” it is a historical biography based on a real person, Lalu Nathoy. Lalu was the daughter of a farmer in China who was forced to sell her after prolonged drought ruined his farm. Lalu was sold to a slave trader who brought her to America and then sold her to a brothel owner in the Idaho mine area. Her name was changed to Polly and she managed to survive with dignity. She eventually lived with Charlie Bemis who was in love with her, and respected her talents. They eventually homesteaded a ranch and finally officially married. She and Charlie lived a long life together with Polly wining the respect of the community because of her cheerfulness, medical (herbal) knowledge, cooking and farming skills. Her cabin is today a historical landmark in Idaho.
December 27, 2017
While technically historical fiction, due to made up dialogue and insight into the protagonist's thoughts, the author stuck very close to the historical record in making this novel. As a result, the narrative doesn't flow as smoothly as in a purely fictional work. We jump around in time, and there isn't much of a theme tying everything together. Except for "life for Chinese people was really tough in the Old West especially if you are a woman." Technicalities of the law are explained well enough that even if you have no past exposure to this era in American history you should be able to understand the conflicts. It is a thoughtful look at a segment of the Old West that typically only gets a few sentences in history textbooks.
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