How Much of These Hills Is Gold

A Novel

By: C Pam Zhang

Narrated by: Catherine Ho, Joel de la Fuente

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2020 C Pam Zhang (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Arresting, beautiful.”—The New York Times

“An aching book, full of myths of Zhang’s making (including tigers that roam the Western hills) as well as joys, as well as sorrows. It’s violent and surprising and musical. Like Lucy and Sam, the novel wanders down byways and takes detours and chances. By journey’s end, you’re enriched and enlightened by the lives you have witnessed.”—The New York Times

“[A] glittering debut . . . This novel is at once a thrilling adventure, a tender coming-of-age story, an excavation of the corrosive mythmaking surrounding the American west, and the arrival of a major literary talent.—Esquire

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

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…:)”

Depressing and Gritty with no reprieve

The narrator was breathy and melodramatic and I didn’t like her (or the story’s) pacing. I kept waiting for the redemption and, let me save you the trouble here, it doesn’t come.
I didn’t rate it lower because I enjoyed the first part... until I realized that it was only going downhill from there.

Incredible

This should be the front-runner for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction this year. Highly recommended.

Beautifully narrated - difficult story

I agree with another reviewer who suggested sticking it out because it gets better. But it left me dissatisfied and I’m not sure why…. Writing this review right after listening to the last hour of the book…

Well-written, needs more story

Great premise, beautiful prose, but too interior for me -- I kept waiting for something to happen.

Beautiful/heartbreaking

Enthralling, gritty story of Asian American survival in Gold Rush west. Beautifully written and compelling narration.

Artistically written

Tragic and evocative writing style. The Wild West from a Chinese families point of view. I enjoyed the artistic style of writing, even if there was a lot of internal dialogue. Grass and gold and grass and gold and gold. I would definitely read this author again.