A Hopes and Dreams Historical Novel. Easy to read for beginning readers, middle school to adult, building literacy skills and/or ESL. Soo and Ping Lee, are brothers. Like many Chinese immigrants, they left their home in China to go to California in 1851. They hoped to strike it rich in the Gold Rush and send money back to their family. In the gold fields, they make a big strike but are cheated out of it. After 12 years of prospecting, they split up. Soo joins the Chinese workers who build the Central Pacific Railroad, while Ping opens a laundry in San Francisco. With little to show for his work, Soo also goes to San Francisco. Both men face prejudice and violence. In time they join rival factions in the community of Chinatown, Ping with one of the Chinese Six Families and Soo with a secret, illegal society called a tong. The story ends after the 1906 earthquake. This dramatic historical novel portrays the complicated lives of typical immigrants from China and many other countries. Hard to put down, fast paced. A celebration of America's diversity and most of all an engaging story with characters based on real history. Provides structured reading practice for developing reading skills and lots of useful vocabulary. - from Amzon