The Legend of Auntie Po
Ratings5
Average rating4
15
Ratings5
Average rating4
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST Part historical fiction, part fable, and 100 percent adventure. Thirteen-year-old Mei reimagines the myths of Paul Bunyan as starring a Chinese heroine while she works in a Sierra Nevada logging camp in 1885. Cover may vary. Aware of the racial tumult in the years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Mei tries to remain blissfully focused on her job, her close friendship with the camp foreman's daughter, and telling stories about Paul Bunyan--reinvented as Po Pan Yin (Auntie Po), an elderly Chinese matriarch. Anchoring herself with stories of Auntie Po, Mei navigates the difficulty and politics of lumber camp work and her growing romantic feelings for her friend Bee. The Legend of Auntie Po is about who gets to own a myth, and about immigrant families and communities holding on to rituals and traditions while staking out their own place in the United States.
Reviews with the most likes.
The art work in this is stunning. The plot is incredible. The characters are endearing. This is just amazing! The history is incorporated with the story seamlessly. The reader cares about the characters and then they see the realistic challenges they face and overcome. It makes for a feel good story, but the reader leaves the story with the knowledge of what Chinese immigrants really faced and that sticks with you.
Graphic novel about late 19th century logging camps from the perspective of the Chinese daughter of a camp cook. This was enjoyable! For a graphic novel that leans on folklore pretty heavily it's also very grounded in the historical reality of the time. It's age appropriate so some of the harsher realities of logging are a bit sanitized for younger readers. The art wasn't particularly mind blowing but I did really like the color palette.
Meh. I feel like this is one of those titles that gets attention cause it fills a gap, not because of impressive art or story.
A moving tale about the power of story - and who gets to tell them - and equality. I LOVED it.
