The Serpent's Children: Golden Mountain Chronicles: 1849
Grade 7 Up?Listeners familiar with Dragon's Gate by Lawrence Yep (HarpC, 1993) will be eager to hear [Laurence Yep's] rendition of its prequel (HarpC, pap. 1996). Set in early 19th century China, this is the story of eight-year-old Cassia Young and her family as they struggle against famine, violence, and the disapproval of other clan members. Her parent's life work has been their involvement in "The Brotherhood" whose goal is to drive foreign invaders from their country. Father, a skilled soldier, hopes that his only son, Foxfire, will carry on this mission and relentlessly drills the boy in proper fighting technique. But Foxfire, a dreamer who consistently fails to meet his father's expectations, ultimately flees China for the chance to succeed in the land of the "Golden Mountain" across the sea. Filled with riveting descriptions of daily life, including a horrifying scene in which Cassia's aunt and uncle attempt to bind her feet in an effort to improve her chances of making a good marriage, Yep's book provides realistic details of a young girl growing up under the harshest of conditions yet determined to keep the promise she made to her mother of keeping the family together. [Yep's] narration, once listeners get over the dissonance between her very American voice and the culture of the main character, effectively captures Cassia's spirited personality. This is an engrossing portrayal of a tumultuous period in China's history that is unfamiliar to many American readers. Recommended for all public library collections.?Cindy Lombardo, Ashland Public Library, OHCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theAudio Cassetteedition.