Books

Download a Free Excerpt of Dori's Latest Book
GET YOUR FREE EXCERPT

Dori Jones Yang is a writer who aims to build bridges between cultures and between generations. Author of a wide variety of books for different audiences, she loves to explore different countries, explain complex issues in understandable language, and make history come alive. 

When the Red Gates Opened:

A Memoir of China’s Reawakening

In the 1980s, after decades of isolation, China opened its doors—and Communism changed forever. As a foreign correspondent during this pivotal era, Dori Jones Yang fell in love with China and with a Chinese man. This memoir recalls the euphoria of Americans discovering a new China, as well as the despair of Tiananmen. Read More

The Forbidden Temptation

of Baseball

Written for children age 10 and up, The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball, she researched the 1870s Chinese Educational Mission to the United States. Fascinated by the image of Chinese boys with Manchu-required queues playing baseball in small New England towns, she wrote this novel to help American kids understand what it’s like for foreigners to adapt to life in our country. Read More

Daughter of Xanadu

Daughter of Xanadu, published by Random House/Delacorte Press in 2011, is a historical novel about a daring 16-year-old named Emmajin, imaginary granddaughter of Khubilai Khan. Emmajin wants to join the Mongol Army and become a legend on the battlefield; her plans get complicated when she meets a charming foreigner from a distant land – named Marco Polo. Read More

Son of Venice

Son of Venice, A Story of Marco Polo, is the sequel to Daughter of Xanadu, and takes up the story of Emmajin and Marco as they travel west along the Silk Road. They face battles, intrigue, betrayal and challenges to their unconventional love. Read More

The Secret Voice of

Gina Zhang

The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang, an award-winning novel for readers age 10 and up, tells of a girl who moved from China to Seattle and lost her voice. The book’s message is about what a joy it can be to reach out to classmates who have trouble speaking English. Read More

Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time

This book tells the remarkable tale of how Starbucks grew from a tiny coffee shop in Seattle to a worldwide phenomenon. Co-authored with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, it is accessible and engaging for both business experts and general readers. Read More

Voices of the Second Wave: Chinese Americans in Seattle

This ground-breaking book collects the bittersweet stories of 35 people from the “second wave” generation of Chinese Americans, those who came to the U.S. as students in the 1940s through 1960s. These immigrants tell their life stories in their own voices. Read More

Warm Cup of Wisdom: Inspirational Insights on Relationships and Life

For this engaging book, Dori interviewed nine older women about everyday wisdom and asked twenty questions about such topics as wisdom, resilience, forgiveness, friendship, loss, and making a difference. Read More

Dori Jones Yang explores cultural differences and ways of responding to them.

“It is 1875. Imagine you are an 11-year-old Chinese boy who has been sent to the United States by your government to gain an American education. You encounter strange customs, confusing values, and many new ways to get into trouble. In this powerful novel, The Forbidden Temptation of BaseballDori Jones Yang explores cultural differences and ways of responding to them. Her deep insights and the compelling plot make this a book students will enjoy and then recall as they face cross-cultural experiences of their own.”

―Mary Hammond Bernson, Director, East Asia Resource Center, University of Washington

Dori Jones Yang's own wisdom is reflected in her careful choice of penetrating questions

“Both validating and affirming, Warm Cup of Wisdom offers thoughtful advice from elders on issues we all wrestle with as we go through life. By telling their personal stories, these wise women reveal how challenges in aging might be met creatively, and a new life envisioned.
Dori Jones Yang’s own wisdom is reflected in her careful choice of penetrating questions, as well as in the candid, articulate, and perceptive elders she interviewed. Her questions are provocative, the responses often surprising.”

—Rita Bresnahan, Ph.D. psychologist

Dori Jones Yang does a wonderful job creating characters who accept each other because of their differences

“Even though The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang was first published in 2000, it is a book that should be read today because of the prevalent problems of school bullying. Dori Jones Yang does a wonderful job creating characters who accept each other because of their differences. This is a powerful story to share in any school setting but in particular schools that have a number of immigrant families.” 

Mary, Amazon Review

Dori Jones Yang brilliantly brings ancient past to life

Daughter of Xanadu was enchanting and brilliant. I now have a vivid image of the Mongol Empire and find myself curious and in awe of what the world was like then. Dori Jones Yang brilliantly brings ancient past to life with this charming tale about embracing our differences and seeking peace. As gripping and thrilling as any epic fantasy story, Daughter of Xanadu gives teens the chance to learn history in the most entertaining way possible . . . I absolutely LOVED this story! The Characters were incredibly well done, the plot was an absolute page-turner . . .  Seriously–warriors, dragons, yummy boy, fierce heroine, royalty, heart-pumping romance, battles with elephants… What else can I ask for?”

Goodreads Review by Sabrina of YA Bliss

Dori Jones Yang's Son of Venice is superb.

“Dori Jones Yang’s Son of Venice is superb. Part adventure and part love story, Son works well on both levels. The buildup to the attack is well-paced, and from the attack on, the narrative proceeds at full speed, with enough plot twists and turns to keep the suspense relentless. The love affair between Emmajin and Marco that began in Daughter deepens in Son, fueled by intensifying passion and threatened by daunting obstacles, and forces both lovers to the edge of an emotional precipice.”

—Kathleen L. Strother, Amazon Review

Dori Jones Yang explores cultural differences and ways of responding to them.

“It is 1875. Imagine you are an 11-year-old Chinese boy who has been sent to the United States by your government to gain an American education. You encounter strange customs, confusing values, and many new ways to get into trouble. In this powerful novel, Dori Jones Yang explores cultural differences and ways of responding to them. Her deep insights and the compelling plot make this a book students will enjoy and then recall as they face cross-cultural experiences of their own.”

―Mary Hammond Bernson, Director, East Asia Resource Center, University of Washington

Dori Jones Yang's own wisdom is reflected in her careful choice of penetrating questions

“Both validating and affirming, Warm Cup of Wisdom offers thoughtful advice from elders on issues we all wrestle with as we go through life. By telling their personal stories, these wise women reveal how challenges in aging might be met creatively, and a new life envisioned.
Dori Jones Yang’s own wisdom is reflected in her careful choice of penetrating questions, as well as in the candid, articulate, and perceptive elders she interviewed. Her questions are provocative, the responses often surprising.”

—Rita Bresnahan, Ph.D. psychologist

Dori Jones Yang brilliantly brings ancient past to life

Daughter of Xanadu was enchanting and brilliant. I now have a vivid image of the Mongol Empire and find myself curious and in awe of what the world was like then. Dori Jones Yang brilliantly brings ancient past to life with this charming tale about embracing our differences and seeking peace. As gripping and thrilling as any epic fantasy story, Daughter of Xanadu gives teens the chance to learn history in the most entertaining way possible . . . I absolutely LOVED this story! The Characters were incredibly well done, the plot was an absolute page-turner . . .  Seriously–warriors, dragons, yummy boy, fierce heroine, royalty, heart-pumping romance, battles with elephants… What else can I ask for?”

Goodreads Review by Sabrina of YA Bliss

Captivating!

“Captivating!  A pioneering female foreign correspondent, she captures the story of a young gal finding her way—as a journalist and as a woman.  Her evolution intersects with dynamic world events, resulting in a mesmerizing tale of personal struggle, vibrant history, and real guts.”

—Marianne Lile, author of Stepmother: A Memoir

Connecting generations and cultures through the lives of ordinary people

Dori Jones Yang is a writer who aims to build bridges between cultures and between generations. Author of a wide variety of books for different audiences, she loves to explore different countries, explain complex issues in understandable language, and make history come alive. 

Download a Free Excerpt

Enter your email to sign up for Dori's newsletter and get a free excerpt from her new memoir, When the Red Gates Opened 

Download a Free Excerpt

 
 

Enter your email to receive a free excerpt of Dori's memoir, When the Red Gates Opened. 

You will also receive occasional updates about new blog posts and other news.

 
 

You can unsubscribe at any time.

Thank You for entering your email. Please check your inbox for your free excerpt shortly.