Books like Dragon's Gate (Golden Mountain Chronicles) by Laurence Yep
When Otter departs Three Willows Village in 1867, he hopes to find land rich with opportunity on the West Coast of the United States. He travels by rail, the lifeblood of a rapidly expanding nation, and will join his father and uncle on the journey. Along the way, Otter encounters the stark realities of the American West, far from the golden fields he imagined: vast, cold expanses he must navigate as he strives to learn as much as he can and one day bring it back to the Middle Kingdom to help free China from Manchu rule.
Otter’s story unfolds aboard the very railways that redefined America’s geography. The train, which opens the “Dragon’s Gate,” carries his hopes and the weight of his family’s legacy as they confront both the promise and challenges of a new land.
Set against the backdrop of a growing United States and a China on the brink of change, the novel weaves history with adventure, focusing on the importance of train travel, transcontinental migration, and the yearning for knowledge.
First publish date: 1993
Genre: Historical Fiction/19th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Laurence Yep
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