Paul Yee began his career writing about people living in Vancouver's Chinatown. His stories often follow a similar theme. Tales from Gold Mountain, which was published in 1989, was a set of New World folk tales bringing to life the joys, sorrows and life experiences of Chinese immigrants to Canada and the United States as they sought new lives for themselves and to help family members left behind. This book, Dead Man's Gold, builds on that success. It contains ten ghost stories, a popular narrative form in China. They all relate the fictional experiences of various characters who left China for a variety of reasons to seek their fortune, often in the harsh goldfields, and had some contact with the spiritual world. But the point is not to scare readers. Yee has invented stories that are similar to those told by immigrants to comfort one another as they tried to make sense of their lives in a foreign land and remind them of their ancestry and culture. The title story is based on the classic theme of two friends who travel to Canada with similar dreams but part once they arrive. Although they take separate routes, their paths cross again with tragic results. One kills the other, but this brings him bad luck and he returns to the scene of the crime to make amends. In other stories, ghosts haunt places like trees and houses, enter bodies or give help to unhappy people. But one of the best tales is that of a jade pendant that seems cursed until its owner does the right thing. The characters in this book all leave their families and often have bad luck. But one of the strong messages the author gives is that if they behave with honour and uphold ancient traditions, then things can work out better than they expected. Yee writes with a simple style, yet the stories are powerful and speak for themselves. Readers enjoying these tales of mystery and suspense will be getting a real insight into the lives of people who travelled many thousands of miles with little more than hope in their hearts. They will also be enjoying an established storytelling tradition designed to remind Chinese Americans and Chinese Canadians of their ancestors. We have copies of 'Dead Man's Gold' to give away. Turn to Page 11 for details of how to win one.