Forum: Hidden Histories: A Chinese Story in Idaho with Jenny Tinghui Zhang

City Club of Boise is honored to present Hidden Histories: A Chinese Story in Idaho with Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of Four Treasures of the Sky. The book, an international bestseller and New York Times Editor’s Choice, is Zhang’s debut novel set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act. It is about a Chinese girl fighting to claim her place in the 1880s American West, including Idaho.

About the story:

Daiyu never wanted to be like the tragic heroine for whom she was named, revered for her beauty and cursed with heartbreak. But when she is kidnapped and smuggled across an ocean from China to America, Daiyu must relinquish the home and future she imagined for herself. Over the years that follow, she is forced to keep reinventing herself to survive. From a calligraphy school, to a San Francisco brothel, to a shop tucked into the Idaho mountains, we follow Daiyu on a desperate quest to outrun the tragedy that chases her. As anti-Chinese sentiment sweeps across the country in a wave of unimaginable violence, Daiyu must draw on each of the selves she has been—including the ones she most wants to leave behind—in order to finally claim her own name and story.

The book received wide acclaim: "Engrossing...Epic" (The New York Times Book Review) · "Transporting" (Washington Post) · "Propulsive" (Oprah Daily) · "Surreal and sprawling" (NPR) · "An absolute must-read" (BuzzFeed) · "Radiant" (BookPage)

Ms. Zhang will be joined by Idaho State Historian, HannaLore Hein, who can provide historical context to this story.

Thank you to our Hidden Histories series sponsor, CapEd, our forum sponsor, Osher Center for Lifelong Learning, and to the Idaho State Historical Society for grant funding to support Ms. Zhang's visit to Idaho.

Where: Idaho State Museum

When: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 from 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 pm

Tickets:

$15 Members registration (includes water, coffee, iced tea, and/or canned beverages as available at venue)

• Add lunch: $16

$25 Non-Members registration  (includes water, coffee, iced tea, and/or canned beverages as available at venue)

• Add lunch: $16

$400 Reserved Table for 8 guests

City Club thanks our Annual Sponsor University of Idaho, Boise, and the 2024 Forum Series sponsors: AARP of Idaho,  Idaho Education Association, SelectHealth, Small Mine Development, and St. Luke's. Our media partners are Boise State Public Radio and Idaho Public Television. The Osher Lifetime Learning Institute is our Community Partner. This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council, the state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

If you have any questions, call 208-364-4614 and staff can assist you.