Eight original stories give readers a sense of the hardships faced by the first Chinese-Americans. In "Spirits of the Railway," a young man appeases the ghosts of dead railroad workers who were never properly buried. In "Forbidden Fruit," a father's prejudice keeps his daughter from marrying her beloved. Dramatic illustrations accompany the stories. "The brief, pithy tales strikingly reflect traditional Chinese beliefs and customs in New World circumstances. . . . A book not to miss."-- Booklist Starred Review