Book Description
An epic of four Chinese women and their journey from East
to West. When the Communists took over mainland China, among
the many that were forced to flee their homeland were four
remarkable women. Arriving in Taiwan in 1948, Dolores,
Suzanne, Margaret, and Mary met at the elite First Girls
School, the "narrow gate" where a lucky few could
become eligible for U.S. visas. In this refuge, their
characters were built, their friendships were formed, and
their eyes were focused on the future--a life in America,
where their paths would diverge dramatically. But this group
portrait does not end once the women reach America. Beyond
the Narrow Gate chronicles the struggles and hardships
the women faced in their new country and breaks new ground by
taking readers outside of Chinatown into diverse communities
and families, effectively re-drawing the map of Asian
America. The daughter of one of her subjects, journalist
Leslie Chang weaves her own personal story as a
second-generation Chinese American into her narrative,
illuminating generational differences and conflicts. She
unflinchingly examines the experience of feeling like a
stranger in both the white and Chinese communities, the
constraints of parental expectations, and the complexity of
interracial relationships. Impeccably researched, beautifully
written, Beyond the Narrow Gate is an unforgettable
epic of American immigration, a true story as riveting as any
novel.
