Eureka
Victoria Chang
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published January 27, 2026
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About Eureka
A novel-in-verse by poet Victoria Chang that relates the tragic events surrounding the 1885 expulsion of Chinese Americans from Eureka, California.
Love illuminates the dark.
The year is 1885. San Francisco is dangerous for Chinese immigrants like twelve-year-old Mei Mei. She must venture on her own, without her family or friends, to Eureka, California, where it is supposedly safe.
But 300 miles from home, Mei Mei misses her Ma Ma’s kindness, helping out in her Ba Ba’s store, and playing hide-and-seek with her best friend, Hua Hua. Despite her fear and the increasing violence against her community, she finds hope in an unexpected friend, the giant Redwood trees, and a new learning how to read in English. As the world around her grows more scary, Mei Mei discovers her own power, as well the joy of found family, the importance of courage, and the nature of freedom.
My Review
This is the second historical novel-in-verse that I’ve read this month, and the second about a moment in history that I’m not as familiar with as I’d like to be. I love that authors are bringing these stories to the page.
Mei Mei faces some intense circumstances, but the descriptions and her understanding of what’s happening stays appropriate for a middle grade audience. She finds friends and builds community even when she moves far from her family. It’s easy to root for her and cheer her on as she faces difficulties.
While the story identifies some of the cruel and racist things that happened to Chinese immigrants in 1885, the novel also highlights the power of hope and the importance of taking care of one another. Mei Mei helps others when she can, and others look out for her at different points in the story, too.
If you enjoyed Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani, a novel in verse set in the 1940s during the British Partition of India, add this book to your reading list.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
A thief steals items from Mei Mei’s parents’ store. Dangerous people come to the shop looking for Mei Mei, planning to kidnap her in exchange for her parents’ debts. Mei Mei witnesses someone mistreating household staff. Someone locks her in a closet to punish her. Mei Mei worries about anti-Chinese sentiment that could lead to violence against her or others.
Mei Mei’s mother’s feet have been badly damaged due to the practice of foot binding that was common in her generation in China. Walking is painful for her, which limits what she’s able to do.
Drug Content
Mei Mei witnesses an adult who’s been drinking alcohol.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday
I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.
Although not a big novel-in-verse fan, this sounds a great story. It made me think of Nine-Tail Fox by Camille Picott, a Chinese Heritage tale set in San Francisco around the same time. It’s important not to forget events of the past so hopefully we don’t repeat them. Thanks so much for sharing!
I have not heard of Nine-Tail Fox, but I will definitely look it up. Totally agree with you about why it’s important for us to remember the past. Thanks, Valinora!
This sounds like a terrific story. I will be looking for a copy. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy reading it.
Wow! This is wild. I live in Eureka, CA, in the heart of the redwoods. I’m not familiar with the author, but I immediately preordered the book. I would be very curious to learn what the author’s connection to Eureka is. I will be sharing the book with the children’s author festival committee that I serve on.
That’s awesome! I love that you’re sharing the book with the festival committee. I hope that goes really well. Thanks!
Such a great time period for young readers to learn about. The character sure sounds like a memorable one. Thanks for the heads-up on this book and Happy MMGM!
Thanks, Greg. Happy MMGM to you too!
Even though this is an historical novel, it seems particularly resonant today. I’m not a big fan of novels-in-verse, but I understand the appeal for many readers. And I might just try it on your recommendation. Happy MMGM, Kasey!
Oh yeah… Very resonant today. Yay! I hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to read it.
This sounds really intriguing! I like that although it deals with a difficult time in history, it has hope and an interesting setting. Just your description was reminding me of our trip to the Redwoods a few years ago. Thanks for featuring it!
Thanks, Jenni. I appreciated how hopeful the story is, too. It’s good to have hope. 🙂
I remember hearing about these incidents both in class and from distant relatives.
That being said, this book seems more topical fiction than historical fiction.
That’s a good point- topical vs historical. I hadn’t considered that. I don’t think my history classes covered these events at all. (I grew up in FL) I’ll have to look up some more info clarifying topical vs historical fiction. Thanks for raising that point!
I don’t know about this time in history either. While I don’t love novels-in-verse, this one may be one I’ll like. Happy MMGM!
I hope you enjoy the book if you check it out. Happy MMGM!