Books at Bowers: On Gold Mountain by Lisa See

Onsite Book Discussion & Tour

For Members only: A Book Club experience

The June book club selection is Lisa See’s first book and memoir, On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey Of My Chinese-American Family. Recalling stories she heard as a child, Lisa See spent five years collecting the details of her family’s history. She conducted interviews of almost one hundred relatives both Chinese and white from all economic backgrounds. “Using interviews, government records, newspaper clippings, and sales slips, among other documents, See has constructed an absorbing multigenerational family saga” (Kirkus Review) “ON GOLD MOUNTAIN weaves together fascinating family anecdotes, imaginative storytelling, and historical details of immigrant life over the last one-hundred years. Lisa See looks at what’s in her bones and re-creates an enviably entertaining family history.” (author Amy Tan) Join the book club for a fascinating look at the immigrant experience of the Chinese in California that spans a century of history and drama. (Copyright 1995, 402 pages.)

Following the discussion in the museum auditorium, a Docent led tour of Ancient Arts of China will highlight the traditions of Chinese culture.