A superior man

Paul Yee's first novel for adults is an historical account of a Chinese man on a journey to find the mother of his son. This far-reaching novel crackles with the brutal, visceral energy of the time - a period marked by contraband, illegal gambling, disfigurement, and death. It also depicts the bawdy world of Chinese "bachelors," whose families remained in China while they worked in Canada, and who enjoyed more freedom to live their lives without restraint. Yang Hok is not an easy man to like, but through the blood and sweat of his experience, he aspires to become the superior man he knows he…