Robert Wells: Voices from the Bottom of the South China Sea

In 1874 off the southern coast of China, the American ship SS Japan, carrying hundreds of Chinese emigrants, burst into flames and sank when a coal fire swept across its deck. In his book, Robert Wells recounts the Chinese passengers’ working lives in California, and tells the story of America’s complicated relationships with Asia in the 19th century. It’s a story of a shipwreck, piracy and lost treasure, but also of the shared dreams of the Chinese and Americans who sought their fortunes in the American West.