The Long Way

Moving from China's Opium Wars of the mid-19th century to the California gold rush and the taming of the Wild West, this epic historical fantasy follows the quest for an ancient Chinese dragon lost in a strange new world. A neglected orphan, an angry monk, and a devious Englishman come together in a clash of wills and cultures that could change the future for the better-or for much, much worse.

The year is 1856. Leung Chi-Yen knows no life outside the squalid brothels and slums of Canton, China, where her mother abandoned her long ago. But even that world is rapidly changing, becoming less and less hospitable to a spirited, independent girl. Ever increasing numbers of sailors and soldiers have begun arriving from across the sea, forcing their will upon her fellow countrymen--and soon, it seems, upon Chi-Yen herself.