How Much of These Hills Is Gold

A Novel

By: C Pam Zhang

Narrated by: Catherine Ho, Joel de la Fuente

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR

ONE OF NPR'S BEST BOOKS OF 2020

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 BOOKER PRIZE

FINALIST FOR THE 2020 CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE

WINNER OF THE ROSENTHAL FAMILY FOUNDATION AWARD, FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS

A NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION "5 UNDER 35" HONOREE

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

“Belongs on a shelf all of its own.” —NPR

“Outstanding.” —The Washington Post

“Revolutionary . . . A visionary addition to American literature.” —Star Tribune

An electric debut novel set against the twilight of the American gold rush, two siblings are on the run in an unforgiving landscape—trying not just to survive but to find a home.

Ba dies in the night; Ma is already gone. Newly orphaned children of immigrants, Lucy and Sam are suddenly alone in a land that refutes their existence. Fleeing the threats of their western mining town, they set off to bury their father in the only way that will set them free from their past. Along the way, they encounter giant buffalo bones, tiger paw prints, and the specters of a ravaged landscape as well as family secrets, sibling rivalry, and glimpses of a different kind of future.

Both epic and intimate, blending Chinese symbolism and reimagined history with fiercely original language and storytelling, How Much of These Hills Is Gold is a haunting adventure story, an unforgettable sibling story, and the announcement of a stunning new voice in literature. On a broad level, it explores race in an expanding country and the question of where immigrants are allowed to belong. But page by page, it’s about the memories that bind and divide families, and the yearning for home.

Stick it out - it gets better.

I feel like I didn’t like this book until about halfway through it because it seemed really graphic and dramatic and strange. But I’m glad I stuck it out because about halfway through the book the story gets really interesting and the characters develop a lot. The main character goes through the most development and is such a strong character that you just want to win. The narration is really intense. At first I thought it was over dramatized, but then realized the narrator is incredibly talented. A deep story about family, identity, and belonging.

Great story that goes nowhere

Well written, reads almost like poetry, but boring at times. Not a bad but you can find better.

Storyline

I liked the pace of the story and the descriptions, i was able to identify with the characters

no payoff

The story had potential but I feel like it never explored the areas I was hoping for, and I had a hard time seeing the scene most of the time. There were jumps back and forth in time that had me confused which was probably made worse by listening on an audiobook.

Masterful use of lyrical style.

Great story! It took a minute to get used to her lyrical style of communication. But, I grew to love it! But, “what does she want…:)”