How Much of These Hills Is Gold: A Novel
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.
Reviews (123)
Wild West as Experienced by Two Chinese-American Orphans
In How Much of These Hills is Gold, we begin in 1862 when Sam and Lucy's parents have both died and they are orphaned in the hills of California. Nobody cares. They are Chinese-American and look different from almost everybody else. Thus they're left to wander the hills alone to find a place to bury their 'ba'. They come across buffalo bones and 'tiger?' paw prints. There's more to the story than this, though. There are family secrets, glimpses of what life -could- be like, and sibling rivalry. I can't lie. This book is difficult to review. The story isn't straightforward, but one that takes the reader back and forth in time and examines several facets of life. Living in the West during this time was difficult for everyone, even more so for this family, who had their different race and appearance to contend with as well. Racism has always existed, but at this point in time it was much more socially acceptable. Seeing how they were treated was difficult. Sometimes I found the language of the story stilted, choppy, but overall it succeeded because I was left feeling something after I finished reading. I still feel it after sleeping on it. Melancholy. Thus, I'd say that aspect was a success for this tale. I found it very easy to empathize with both Lucy and Sam, and even Ba during his section of the story. Nothing about their relationships was straightforward. There was much love, but it HAD to be tough love, because life wasn't going to hand these girls anything easily. They were well-rounded characters with several virtues and flaws. They weren't always likable, but they felt real. The setting for this story was the correct choice definitely. It was an integral part of the tale, nearly as alive as the characters at times. What I didn't like, however, was talk of 'tigers?' in the Wild American West. Tigers. Like orange with black stripes. Maybe they meant jaguars? I don't think tigers have actually ever naturally inhabited the US, and I can't find any evidence that suggests they have. There is description of metaphorical tiger at one point. That works, but there are several instances of supposed physical tiger paw prints. It's just not factually accurate and that bothers me. So. At times gruesome, other times there were moving acts of true love for one's family, and a single act of betrayal that left me breathless, as I couldn't fathom it. I recommend to fans of historical fiction who would enjoy examining multiple aspects of life for a poor immigrant family in the States.
"Rememory (sic) can hurt."
This work is the first novel of C Pam Zhang. The time span runs from 1842-1867, though chapters are not always in chronological order. The setting is primarily in northern California. Lucy is the main character and it is through her that the reader learns about the very difficult life of her parents and sibling. Lucy's family is Chinese. Her father was born in California. Her mother, like many Chinese, endured a long trip across the Pacific to the United States to find what they hoped would be a better life working initially on the transcontinental railroad. Many, including Lucy's father, caught "gold fever" and began mining. Lucy's parents speak pinyin and some English. Extreme poverty, severe weather events, and anti-Chinese prejudice weighed heavily upon the family. The author juxtaposes opposing elements throughout the narrative. This creates tension between and among characters in the story. Some of these opposing forces include male vs. female, son vs. daughter, family vs non-family, truth vs. falsehood, life vs. after-life, love vs. hate, past vs. present, home vs. homelessness and present vs. future. Often Zhang's prose is so beautiful, it morphs into poetry before reverting back to prose. These passages are a pleasure to read. The weakest part of the book is the ending. The protagonist, Lucy, so smart and so strong throughout, appears to settle for a life not of her choosing. This seems very much out of character and a great disappointment to this reviewer.
Unreadable
After hearing a glowing review and listening to the author being interviewed on NPR I immediately ordered this book and couldn’t wait to read it. Unfortunately I found the writing style extremely difficult to accept and the story and plot slow and uninteresting. I couldn’t make it past a few chapters and I really tried! What a disappointment as I rarely purchase hardcover books. I really don’t understand the acclaim it’s gotten and do not recommend it at all.
Like nothing else
This book mesmerized me. I’ve read historical fiction all my life and this is a story I’ve never heard told. The writing is gorgeous without being cloying or pretentious. I don’t imagine it would be to everyone’s taste but I loved it.
A wonderful concept, evocative at times, but ultimately mixed and immature
I read this on a recommendation from Jia Tolentino, so came in with high hopes. While a compelling start drew me in, I finished only reluctantly. Despite being a book of the old West, it is ultimately a novel very much of the moment - a queering, and in some sense, a decolonizing of old Western tropes. But I never had the sense that what I was reading was an authentic voice that truly inhibited characters. Instead it felt like ideas of the current moment re: identity overlayed on clumsy historical fiction. At no point did I feel Zhang truly understood the West or even Lucy or Sam, not in the way, for example, Maxine Hong Kingston did in China Men. There are too many moments that that are either unbelievable (carrying a body in a trunk for weeks) or awkward (twice in three pages she notes how fish could block out the sun when seen from above??? Lucy's hand disappears in front of her in the fog? SF's cliffs are described as crumbling, "plunging unwary creatures to their deaths") which took me out of the experience. At times, it felt as if Westworld had informed the characterization -- as in, Lucy and Sam felt a bit like blank slates with disjointed ideas and dreams and desires implanted in them, without congruity to past or future, and without true feeling, just some displays of what might appear emotion to an outside observer, but which in a novel indicates immaturity. I didn't dislike the book - it is compelling enough to read to the end. But I don't think it's a book that will endure.
Impressive, unforgettable, and touching
Stunningly touching, this book struck me the most as an ode to the heroic lives lived by ordinary immigrant families. Set in the California hills from the Gold Rush era, the story about how two newly orphaned young siblings, Lucy and Sam, struggled and survived, resonates nonetheless strongly with the experiences of today's immigrants. The uniquely C Pam Zhang's lyrical and grammar flavors make the book all the more unforgettable a read--not only for what's sung by it but also for how beautifully it sings the song.
Ambivalence about this!
An incredibly beautifully written book. The landscape and the atmosphere are rendered bleakly and seem to mirror the hopeless quest of Lucy and Sam - two sisters setting out to find a burial spot for Ba - their father. At the same time Lucy wants to define home - what compromises home - for her fathers burial, for herself, for Sam who reckons with her/his very nature. The historic setting is one we rarely if ever visit especially told from the views of the Chinese immigrants who endured ghastly living conditions and treatment. I think, however, in spite of the writing, the plot, and organization of the novel, I shall have to revisit it again...perhaps because of the bleak times we are all enduring through this universal pandemic. The rendering of the landscape reminds me of Tea Obtect’s last novel — where the harsh and deathly landscape contained a hopeless and sad story, yet quirky, lively story/history. That book I enjoyed and was one of my favorite books of 2019. So I blame our times for my lack of enthusiasm for this beautifully written novel. It is on the long list for the Booker Prize, after all!
Writing Style Obscures a Good Story
Good story but the writing is terrible. Short sentences. Half the sentences are actually fragments. Uses adjectives as adverbs - maybe she thinks that is being edgy. Made-up words. I couldn't bear it and gave up. It is quite a short book too. It's a shame because the subject matter is fascinating and ought to be written about.
Not an enjoyable book!
I have always loved reading about China . . but this book is not enjoyable and I cannot finish reading it. I made it to Chapter 2 and that was it. I would definitely not recommend this book.
The main characters in this book wander without clear goals or direction. The author does to.
This is an interesting vague portrayal of the harsh realities of the 'early west' although coal was never a big component of the mining. It is never clear however where the characters are trying to get to or why. Even the author seems unsure ending with an incomplete sentence.
Comments
Post a Comment