Four Treasures of the Sky Review

This is without a doubt the hardest book I have read this year (2026). The issues that this book touches on are distressing and while this is a historical fiction, several of these events are heavily prevalent in today's society. That was what struck me the most while reading; the fact that these institutions and horrific acts still occur to this day. The sex trade industry is a multibillion-dollar industry and still get away with these atrocities every day.

This book is not for the faint of heart nor for those who want a happy ending. This book was rough. The things this girl went through were awful and something no girl any age much less an adolescent, should ever have to. This book also deals heavily with racism against Chinese in America in the 1800s that often resulted in violence. This was enlightening to me as I am an Asian American of Chinese descent. Thankfully I have rarely experienced racism beyond snide comments and microaggressions. But reading the violence and injustice perpetuated against Chinese who were trying to survive in America just the same as those who were already here was both infuriating and humbling. The sacrifices and sufferings endured so that I can experience the rights I have today were revealed to me.

Book: Four Treasures of the Sky

Author: Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall: 5

Enjoyment: 5

Quality: 5

Characters: 5

Plot: 5

Synopsis:

A little girl wonders if her tragic life is the result of her namesake - Lin Daiyu, a girl who dies young, after learning that the love of her life has married another woman. But Daiyu, seemingly abandoned by her family at a young age, smuggled to America, and sold to a brothel, is not the same girl. If she is to survive long in this strange country, she must overcome the shadow of her namesake and make her own choices, going so far as to disguise herself as a man, to make it back to China.

Review:

This book was a solid 5 stars all the way around for me - hands down. The story was gripping and raw. Driven by both plot and character growth on the part of the main character Daiyu as she struggles in a country that hates and exploits those of Chinese descent, this book opened my eyes to the cruelty many people were living. Daiyu learns quickly that being a woman in any society can be dangerous and is brought face-to-face with racism in America. Her only solace is calligraphy and the lessons she learned from Master Wang if only for a short time. The tie in with pinyin and the deconstruction of names throughout the story not only helped with pacing but a deeper connection to the characters.

Zhang's style of writing was quite fresh in execution. There wasn't a single quotation mark throughout the story. The book was quite cohesive in appearance with this approach and required a bit more nuance in phrasing. This was a work art in itself.

Learning this book was prompted by only a simple seemingly forgotten monument was both surprising and saddening. Her dedication to the history of America in the 1800 was enlightening and unabashed -the injustices were plain to see and painfully felt.

The story had light moments but those were fleeting. While this could come across as bleak to some, I, after digesting and ruminating, felt it was necessary. These were most certainly lived experiences -maybe not by the same person - but absolutely by someone. I saw some people complaining about the ending as well and, frankly, I think there are far too many people who do not read enough challenging stories to be able to address and sit with the uncomfortable. Not everyone has to read debby-downers every other book but if you are reading a historical fiction be prepared to be potentially disappointed. History is marred by the ugly and uncomfortable. If we do not challenge ideas and sit with the uncomfortable history is truly doomed to repeat itself.

***HUGE SPOILER AHEAD***

So yes, the fact that she and all her found family died, by hanging, and without Nelson knowing she was a woman, was necessary. And while in the moment would have been comforting the impact would have been dulled. The absolute gut punch of "Even now, I think, I love him more than ever." and "When he hangs, I cannot help thinking that he looks beautiful." would not have caused the tear to fall down my cheek. Both the acceptance of who she is and defiance as she stated her name would not leave me thinking about this book for days after I finished it. So again, I reiterate that the ending was uncomfortable, but necessary and would have been a disservice to the history of anyone who experienced discrimination.

In Authors Note Zhang describes heartbreakingly and frustratingly how COVID-19, mirrored in modern American society, the same underlining distrust and hate and concluded that somehow it doesn't feel like things have really changed that much after all.

"I finished the first draft of this book in the spring of 2020, just as COVID-19 was making its way across the country and the former president was calling it harmful, racist names, line "Kung Flu" and "Chinese Virus". I read articles about elderly Chinses people who were spit on, physically and verbally attacked, and dehumanized. I thought about my own parents, both in their late fifties, and feared that the same things would happen to them. So little, I thought as I imagined Daiyu and Nelson and their friends, had changed."

Quotes:

"If my intentions and my actions always matched, I would never need proof."

"I want to be someone I can be proud of. Not someone ruled by fate, but someone who can be certain that her life is a result of the choices she made."

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