Eureka

By Victoria Chang

A young girl faces danger and discovers hope in 1885 California.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 291 ratings

272 pages

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1885, twelve-year-old Mei Mei leaves San Francisco for Eureka, seeking safety from rising anti-Chinese violence. Alone and far from home, she finds solace in the towering Redwoods and a new friend. As threats loom, Mei Mei's journey to learn English becomes a quest for freedom and courage. Can she find her place in a world that seems determined to push her away? Discover the power of resilience and the warmth of found family in this poignant tale of hope and survival.

From the publisher

For fans of Inside Out and Back Again, Other Words for Home, and A Place to Hang the Moon – Eureka is a gorgeous and emotionally resonant novel-in-verse by multiple-award-winning poet Victoria Chang that sensitively and lyrically renders the tragic events surrounding the 1885 expulsion of Chinese Americans from Eureka, California. Love illuminates the dark. The year is 1885. San Francisco is dangerous for Chinese immigrants like twelve-year-old Mei Mei. She must venture on her own, without her family or friends, to Eureka, California, where it is supposedly safe. But 300 miles from home, Mei Mei misses her Ma Ma’s kindness, helping out in her Ba Ba’s store, and playing hide-and-seek with her best friend, Hua Hua. Despite her fear and the increasing violence against her community, she finds hope in an unexpected friend, the giant Redwood trees, and a new dream: learning how to read in English. As the world around her grows more scary, Mei Mei discovers her own power, as well as the joy of found family, the importance of courage, and the nature of freedom.

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