Gunga Din Highway

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

An irreverent saga of a Chinese American family in California, this latest from the author of Donald Duk offers a satiric panorama ranging from ethnic stereotypes to Hollywood mythology. (Sept.)

Library Journal

Chin (Donald Duk, LJ 2/15/91) has written an epic novel, combining elements of Chinese myth with a wandering, searching Ulysses. A series of first-person narratives divided into four sections, the book begins with Longman Kwan, the Hollywood-star father, famous for his portrayal of Charlie Chan's Number Four Son. The second section is told primarily from the viewpoint of Ulysses, the son and main character. He has a poor relationship with his father and sees his Hollywood role as insulting. The rest of the novel includes the writings of Ulysses's two sworn blood brothers, Diego Chang and Benedict Mo, and draws to a conclusion with the unearthing of the family skeletons. The story is filled with many characters, young and old, U.S.-and China-born; it takes place all over the country during several different time periods. Despite the odd pedantic paragraph, descriptions are vivid and arresting and the writing is convincing. Chin is an important writer, and this new book should be added to all collections.-Rebecca Stuhr-Rommereim, Grinnell Coll., Iowa