Shu Wei's Revenge: A Young Man's Journey Into the Depths of the Underworld
294
Shu Wei's Revenge: A Young Man's Journey Into the Depths of the Underworld
294Paperback
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Overview
This is a story about strength of family and friendships, heartbreak, perseverance, and personal tragedy. The setting is 1898 in the sleepy village of Sanhou, China. Seventeen-year-old Shu Wei, in his role as Town Scribe, makes a disastrous mistake, raising the ire of some crooked town counselors. His father's business is burned to the ground by one of the villainous counselors in retaliation. To make matters worse, a tribunal of these counselors is called that summarily banishes his family from the town, including his father and sister. Sensing their lives are at risk, they decide to emigrate to San Francisco's Chinatown. On the trip over, Shu Wei encounters the counselor-arsonist on board the ship who threatens his life if he doesn't meet his demands to investigate his suspicions about his co-leader of a Tong in San Francisco. The intrigue, mystery, and tension that follow grow deeper as Shu Wei wrestles with a hostile world. Meanwhile, various members of the community rally by Shu Wei's side, trying to stabilize the fragile remnants of his confidence and honor. A Chinese American newspaper offers him a job as a cub reporter where he collaborates with a woman colleague on the paper. She befriends him, tutoring him in the ways of reporting and photography--a very suitable arrangement in his eyes. But now, Shu Wei finds himself struggling to satisfy both the demands of the newspaper and the Tong--effectively acting as a double agent. His reporting and fragile allegiance to the Tong require him to assimilate into the ranks of the underground. His life constantly in danger, Shu Wei uses his new skills as an investigative reporter and photographer to attempt to root out the web of evil in the Tong. Meanwhile, his sister, Shu Lan-lan, is hired by a woman who runs the Occidental Home, a refuge for girls who have been abused by their captors. One of the rescued girls becomes a cause célèbre after Shu Wei's story appears in the newspaper. This only rankles the Tong further and an all-out war is declared against the newspaper and the Occidental Home. In a secondary plot, Shu Wei and his sister discover some valuable jewels and papers in the backyard of their host's store where they are staying. Through research at a local pawn shop, it appears they belong to a French woman who was slain several years ago. Shu Wei pursues an intricate path of potential leads in an attempt to uncover the murderer. In this coming-of-age saga, Shu Wei builds on his roots as a Town Scribe and follows his dream of becoming a reporter. Using the implements of a free press, he restores honor to his family and finds a renewed sense of self-confidence. Even Jack London and Mark Twain lend their timely support. Where will his next adventures take him?
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780998803418 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Bayside Press |
| Publication date: | 09/06/2017 |
| Pages: | 294 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.66(d) |
| Age Range: | 13 - 18 Years |
About the Author
While at Columbia I was fortunate enough to receive a summer scholarship to travel and study throughout Europe. Writing a report on this trip in addition to my Master's thesis in Urban Planning confirmed my deep-seated interest in writing. While working for the Mayor's Office of Lower Manhattan Development in New York I published a book, To Preserve a Heritage-a book on landmarks in Lower Manhattan. By that time the motivation to research and to write-particularly historical pieces-was in my blood.
My original research began some twelve years ago, but several hiatuses caused an interruption in my writing, specifically creating audio walking tours for the Financial District in San Francisco and artwork (etchings) for five of those years. Most recently I have participated in writers' workshops in the San Francisco Bay Area and worked with an editor on my book for the past year-and-a-half. My book, Shu Wei's Revenge, was a Semi-Finalist in the 2015 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. More detail can be found on my web site at https://www.jacksonfahnestock.com.
Community Activities in San Francisco:
Member, Citizens Advisory Committee for Transbay Joint Powers Authority
Member, Citizens Working Group, Railyard Alternatives, Mission Bay, San Francisco
Member, Community Working Group, High Speed Rail (San Jose to San Francisco)
When I'm not writing, I enjoy either a round of golf or biking to Golden Gate Park or to the Golden Gate Bridge here in San Francisco. I live with my wife in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco. My daughter is with the Hewlett Foundation and lives nearby while my son and his family live in Pasadena, CA.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE Fire
CHAPTER TWO A Tribunal
CHAPTER THREE Memories and Madness
CHAPTER FOUR Leaving Home
CHAPTER FIVE Hong Kong
CHAPTER SIX Another Encounter
CHAPTER SEVEN A Note
CHAPTER EIGHT A Death
CHAPTER NINE Immigration
CHAPTER TEN An Unwelcoming
CHAPTER ELEVEN A New Home
CHAPTER TWELVE A Funeral
CHAPTER THIRTEEN A Discovery
CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Golden Hills’ News
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Jun Min and The Tong
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Yong Qiang
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN The Fish Emporium
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN A French Connection
CHAPTER NINETEEN The Baniers
CHAPTER TWENTY Smugglers
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE Alliance Française
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO The Hong Kong Garden
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE Shu Lan-lan
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR A Raid
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE Two Different Worlds
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX Women
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN Brian O’Grady
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT Another Interview
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE Jack London
CHAPTER THIRTY Runner
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE The Book
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO The Globe Hotel
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE Another Fire
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR The Hospital
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE Barbershop
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX A Concert
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN Confrontation
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT Redemption
CHAPTER THIRY NINE Confession
CHAPTER FORTY Fame
CHAPTER FORTY ONE Celebration
Acknowledgments
A Word on Sources