Award-winning author Janeen Brian has based 13-year-old Yong’s incredible journey on real incidents of the 1850s; famine forced many Chinese to seek their fortune in the goldfields of Ballarat. Yong’s reluctant expedition to the goldfields is a long and harrowing ordeal of bigotry, corruption, exploitation and death. He’s also trapped in an unenviable dilemma of having to guard his family’s honour and also an important secret; ultimately it’s a life or death decision. But Yong’s courage and adaptability in the face of such adversity is inspiring.

The story explores many challenging themes: families torn apart by the forces of history, the clash of cultures, and the challenges of ancient people in an alien land. Recommended for dedicated readers of historical fiction – boys and girls ages 9 years and up.

Athina Clarke