Its based upon the life of polly bemis aka lalu who was kidnapped by bandits in china, sold into slavery and shipped to the united states and ended up in a mining town in idaho. A thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn is the story of a girl named lalu living in eighteenthcentury china. A biographical novel, thousand pieces of gold is about the life of a remarkable woman and her struggle for respect and dignity in the early american west. Thousand pieces of gold tells the extraordinary story of lalu nathoy, later known as polly bemis. Mccunn first came across lalu nathoys story when she was researching the lives of chinese in idaho for an earlier nonfiction book called an illustrated history of. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Lalu nathoy, who came to be known as polly bemis, is a real person and lived until 1933 when she died in idaho. 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. An overview of ruthann mccunns a thousand pieces of gold. But after the book came out, i was contacted by more people whod known her and shared more anecdotes. A reissue of the classic biographical novel that has sold more than 200,000 copies lalu nathoys father calls his thirteenyearold daughter his treasure, his thousand pieces of gold, yet when famine strikes northern china in 1871, he is forced to sell her.
Daughter of a thousand pieces of gold by peg neral. The film is based on the littleknown fact that years after slavery was abolished in america. Polly, as lalu comes to be known, endures great hardship. Also, an archivist who read thousand pieces of gold noticed documents with her name on them in the national archives. Buy a cheap copy of thousand pieces of gold bluestreak book by ruthanne lum mccunn. She is sold first to a brothel, then to a slave merchant bound for america. Pdf download thousand pieces of gold bluestreak pdf online. Synopsis a chinese girl is sold into slavery and brought to america in. Choose from 51 different sets of thousand pieces gold flashcards on quizlet. I would recommend this book for high school age and up. A reissue of the classic biographical novel that has sold more than 200,000 copies lalu nathoys father calls his thirteenyearold daughter his treasure, his thousand pieces of gold, yet when famine.
Thousand pieces of gold a similar american success story, and with none of the ironies. Her books are autobiographical in nature as well as historically based. A thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn teen ink. Thousand pieces of gold summary and analysis like sparknotes. Her awardwinning books have been translated into eight languages. A thousand pieces of gold is based on the historical record, shiji, written by sima qian 14590 bc. Thousand pieces of gold roger ebert november 08, 1991. Lalu nathoys father called his thirteenyearold daughter his treasure, his thousand pieces of gold, yet when famine strikes northern china in 1871, he is forced. Thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn, recollects the story of a womans lifelong journey. When your books and teachers dont make sense, we do. Raised into a penurious chinese family, lalu nathoy was her fathers thousand pieces of gold. The title of this book is a thousand pieces of gold and it was written by adeline yen mah.
Six thousand pieces of gold rather, six thousand shekels of gold. Enlarge photo thousand pieces of gold, by ruthanne lum mccunn, is the true story of a chineseamerican pioneer woman who overcomes poverty, footbinding, and slavery to build a life of relative freedom in the american northwest. Start studying thousand pieces of gold study guide. Thinking in metaphors is a form of lateral thinking. Thousand pieces of goldby ruthanne lum mccunnthe literary work. 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. Gold was carried in bars, from which portions were cut when. Find all available study guides and summaries for thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn. China, pioneers, ruthanne lum mccunn, slavery, thousand pieces of gold genre. Even though love was a recurring theme, i wouldnt consider this book to be a love story. In 1991, the novel was adapted into a film of the same name. Lalu nathoys father called his thirteenyearold daughter his treasure, his thousand pieces of gold, yet when famine strikes northern china in 1871, he is forced to sell her. Born in china in the mid 1800s, lalu was raised in a peasant village ravaged by.
Thousand pieces of gold audiobook by ruthanne lum mccunn. Thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn goodreads. 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. Its fictional because all the dialogue is made up, while the major events are based upon her real experiences. At one point, she is sexually assaulted by hong king. Thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn content rating. Synopsis a chinese girl is sold into slavery and brought to america in the late nineteenth century. Thousand pieces of goldby ruthanne lum mccunnthe literary work a novel about a chinese slave girl set in china and idaho from the late 1850s to the 1930s.
Thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn content. And the king of syria said, go to, go, and i will send a letter unto the king of israel. Thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn teachers. Rather than becoming a bride, lalu ends up in an idaho gold mining town, the. One thousand pieces of gold is a fictional biography. Beginning as a barmaid in a miningtown saloon in idaho, lalu eventually wins her freedom through a poker game. Overall, a thousand pieces of gold is an excellent book, with a refreshing perspective on social convention and real life. Thousand pieces of gold tells the fascinating story of lalu nathoy, later known as polly bemis. A biographical novel asian voices by ruthanne lum mccunn and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. As part of my research for thousand pieces of gold, i went to idaho and interviewed people who had known polly. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. Mccunns narrative follows bemisborn, in mccunns telling, lalu nathoyfrom her childhood home in rural china to an idaho mining camp, where she is sold into slavery and eventually freed to become a pillar of the community. As a result, thousand pieces of gold feels like it is missing something.
Her father calls his thirteenyearold daughter his thousand pieces of gold, but when famine strikes northern china in 1871, he is forced to sell her. Good books should excite the reader, appeal to a large audience, elicit strong emotions and in this book s case, encourage you to delve deeper into the cultural significance to better understand its. In 1880s china, young lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father. The book shows us how chinese history is dominated by family ties, close friendships and personal commitments up to, and beyond, mao. In this biographical novel, lalu nathoy begins her life in nineteenthcentury china as the. Hong king agrees to let her buy her freedom for the impossible sum of a thousand pieces of gold. Immediately download the a thousand pieces of gold summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching a thousand pieces of gold. Lalu nathoys father calls his thirteenyearold daughter his treasure, his thousand pieces of gold, yet when famine strikes northern china in 1871, he is forced to sell her.
Thousand pieces of gold bluestreak by ruthanne lum. A thousand pieces of gold growing up through chinas proverbs adeline yen mah to my husband, bob, who knows me better than i know myself zhi ji and makes everything worthwhile my grandfather ye ye told me that when he was a boy growing up in shanghai. In the opening chapter of thousand pieces of gold, a cai, lalus younger. Read thousand pieces of gold bluestreak popular ebook. Yen mah painstaking research and conclusive writing enables her intriguingly to draw together the threads of china first emperor, of chairman mao zedong and of her own life. Thousand pieces of gold bluestreak book by ruthanne lum. Jacob robarts thomas period 6 theme not a love story to me this book was so much more than another love story. Daughter of a thousand pieces of gold by kehonan see profile 101812. For some measure of the progress of women, consider pieces of gold, set in the 19th century and telling the story of a chinese woman sold from man to man as if she were property.
Coined money did not exist as yet, and was not introduced into judea until the time of cyrus. Ruthanne lum mccunn has written several books about the role of the. It was published by harperone and has a total of 272 pages in the book. Thousand pieces of gold tells the extraordinary story of lalu nathoy, later known as. Then the king of aram said, go now, and i will send a letter to the king of israel. A thousand pieces of gold is a cultural memoir as well as a personal account of chinas past, illustrated by proverbs taken from a fascinating period of history when china was ruled by the first emperor, qin shihuang 259210 b. Learn thousand pieces gold with free interactive flashcards. Thousand pieces of gold, by ruthanne lum mccunn, is the true story of a chineseamerican pioneer woman who overcomes poverty, footbinding, and slavery to build a life of relative freedom in the american northwest.
She is a wonderful story teller, a gift she learned from her grandfather. Polly developed an entirely new life in an estranging world through her name. Ruthanne lum mccunn chronicles the life of lalu nathoy, a young chinese girlsold as a slave and brought to americawhere, later, as polly bemis she struggles and survives as a pioneer in the west. Polly, as lalu is later called, is sold to a brothel, sold again to a slave merchant bound for america, auctioned to a saloon keeper, and offered as a prize in a. Chineseamerican author ruthanne lum mccunn s a thousand pieces of gold 1981 is a fictionalized biography of polly bemis, a chineseamerican pioneer woman, who lived in idaho during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. About thousand pieces of gold lalu nathoy s father calls his thirteenyearold daughter his treasure, his thousand pieces of gold, yet when famine strikes northern china in 1871, he is forced to sell her. Thousand pieces of gold remains both a worthwhile exploration of individuality and agency as well as a beguiling love story. Thousand pieces of gold by ruthanne lum mccunn, paperback.
Ruthanne lum mccunn, an eurasian of chinese and scottish descent, was hailed by the dallas timesin 1985 as an americanchinese author of remarkable talent. Do not read the essay about lalupolly before you read the book. In fact a love story is one of the last things i would classify it under. Mccunns narrative follows bemisborn, in mccunns telling, lalu nathoyfrom her childhood home in rural china to an idaho mining camp, where she is sold into. Her work, which has won many awards, has been translated into thirteen languages, published in twentytwo countries, and adapted for the stage and film. High school, historical fiction, ya over 18 no comments. A thousand pieces of gold my discovery of chinas character in its proverbs book. Pdf download thousand pieces of gold bluestreak pdf. With rosalind chao, chris cooper, michael paul chan, dennis dun. Growing up through chinas proverbs this is the third book of adeline mahs that ive read. 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.