Mar 272013
This shortish novella, also nominated for the Nebula, depicts a special time in American history: when race wasn’t quite as embedded as an issue on the national conscience. Chinese immigrants meet their neighbours in an old Western town, during the gold rush. The writing is simple, presenting an idyllic time, working with Western tropes of good & evil. The clash – and merging – of cultures is lovely to see. I loved this novella while I was reading it – there are a couple of parallel stories going on inside of it – but it left me a bit cold at the end, unfortunately.
Read or download it for free, here.