Wu Chen immigrated to California from China as the secretary for Kong MaK's tong in the 1850's. A tong was an embassy in a strange land, a kind of fraternal society for Chinese who arrived in San Francisco. It was from this tong that a lone Chinese male gained access to work, food, shelter, and entertainment. The tong members mined gold, silver and built the railroad up and over the Sierras.
Throughout his 34 years of working for Kong Mak, Wu had accumulated 800 pounds of gold and had hidden it all throughout the Sierras. On the day the novel begins, May 5th, 1885, Wu has finally moved all of his gold stash to his hiding place in Castle Rock on Mount Diablo in northern California. That same day Wu's only son, Jimmy, decides to betray him for his gold. Instead of tremendous wealth, Jimmy receives a tremendous curse from his father. A curse that lasts for generations to come.
One hundred years later, Wu's body, a pistol, ten pounds of gold and a journal are found in his hidden cave by a young man named Ken. It sets him and his detective friend, Gene, on a journey to Moloka'i, Hawai'i to unravel the rest of the story. Ken and Gene locate the living Chen relatives and learn the deeper meanings of love and lost love.
Castle Rock is a historical fiction trilogy that will help you rediscover the beauty and sadness that exist in every generation, the strength of the spiritual practices that Hawaiians have long believed in and the power of family and forgiveness. "The Curse of Wu" is Book One in this trilogy.
