The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball by Dori Jones Yang #bookreview

Title: Forbidden Temptation of Baseball
Author: Dori Jones Yang
Publisher: Sparkpress
Published Date: August 15th, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction, YA
Page Count:
Format: Paperback   

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5

Goodreads Summary: 
Despite his impulsive and curious nature, twelve-year-old Leon is determined to follow the Emperor's rules--to live with an American family, study hard, and return home to modernize China. But he also must keep the braid that shows his loyalty--and resists such forbidden American temptations as baseball. As Leon overcomes teasing and makes friends, his elder brother becomes increasingly alienated and disturbed. Eventually, Leon faces a tough decision, torn between his loyalty to his birth country--and his growing love for his new home. The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball is a lively, poignant, and nuanced novel based on a little-known episode from history, when 120 boys were sent to New England by the Emperor of China in the 1870s. This story dramatizes both the rigid expectations and the wrenching alienation felt by many foreign children in America today--and richly captures that tension between love and hate that is culture shock. 

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 My Review:

Thank you to Bookspark/Sparkpress for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"He was one of the lucky ones, one of the chosen few, who would have a chance to learn about American machines and take them back home to China. If he could keep out of trouble, study hard, and pass his exams, he could unlock the magic behind this machinery."

Before reading this book I had no idea about the 120 boys who came to America to get an education. I can't imagine how scared they all were, so far from home and with so much pressure on them to do well and to keep there own cutlure all while try to be American as well. We get to see all of this through two brothers Woo Ka-Leong and Elder Brother Woo Ka-Sun.

Leon is a young boy who is curious and learns American ways rather easy. He finds thing that help him understand English and he connects with their host family. While Elder brother struggles with English and connecting to his host family. Things are very different from their home in China and not just with the way things look, but with the way people dress, talk to each other, etc. Nothing is the same and they both have major cutlure shock. Elder brother takes out his frustration on Leon and makes him study more and harder in Chinese making sure that when they do get to go back they can fit right back in.

I loved seeing America through Leon's eyes and I could truly feel the wonder he did when it came to learning about American machinary. Seeing it from a new perspective and seeing how it was something that helped him fit in along with learning baseball was so nice to see.
The host family was so nice to the boys and really did care for them. They did seem a little at a loss at what to do during something things which I was surprised about as I figured they would be given help with dealing with the boys transition from China to America.
Overall I really loved this book and getting to learn about the 120 boys that came him from China to learn to better there country. I wish this was taught in school as it is important especially since it was also during the time when Immigration became harder for the Chinese.

"They were a team, already planning for the next season."

Spoiler:
I wish Elder brother had found something here in America he loved to do. The pressure he put on himself was too much especially without an outlet to get his frustration and anger out besides his young brother.