Four Treasures of the Sky

Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Penguin Random House

Set in China in 1882, 13-year-old

Daiyu is orphaned and sent to the city of Zhifu. She finds warmth and safety at a calligraphy school, where she learns the beauty of the art by listening outside the classroom window. When she ventures out to the local fish market she is kidnapped and smuggled to an American brothel. She makes her escape by disguising herself as a boy, running from the violence of racism that follows her as she attempts to find her way home. The author skilfully weaves the history of calligraphy throughout the plot, crafting a tragic tale of resilience, determination and hope.