Dreams to Ashes

In the mid-1800s, a wave of Chinese immigrants traveled to the West Coast of the United States. They were following rumors of Gold Mountain, a land rich with treasure for all who came. When gold proved elusive, they began to seek their fortunes in other ways―as doctors and launderers, as cooks and musicians.

A number of Chinese immigrants settled in Los Angeles, California. It was a rough, occasionally lawless city, and newspapers routinely published anti-Chinese articles, fueling sparks of hatred. On the night of October 24, 1871, the city exploded in violence. In the ensuing massacre, eighteen Chinese men were killed, their dreams turned to ashes.

New York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne and illustrator Nicole Xu illuminate a tragic episode in our nation’s past in the hope that future generations can move toward a brighter tomorrow.

ORDER DREAMS TO ASHES FROM:

Hardcover: Bookshop | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Blackwell’s (free international shipping)
eBook: Kindle | Nook | Google 

AWARDS & ACCOLADES:

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
School Library Journal, starred review
 

CRITICAL PRAISE:

“This deeply felt coverage of the inflection points for so many communities is a must-have for all libraries.” –School Library Journal, starred review

“Deftly brings to light a lesser-known horror in the context of America’s history of racism against Chinese immigrants.” Kirkus Reviews
 
“In this ruminative account of a lesser-known race riot that left 18 immigrants dead, Blackburne poses big, still cogent questions.”  —Booklist

Scroll to Top