How Much of These Hills Is Gold

Ba dies at night. Mom is gone a long time ago. In an instant, Lucy and Sam—now orphaned—are completely alone, lost across the vast lands where everything seems alien. In search of a suitable place for their father’s grave, they set out on a journey—away from the anger of the people of a mining town—toward open plains, the yellow edge of the horizon, hills winding far away, and new hopes.

“How Much Gold Is in These Hills” is the debut novel by Chinese-origin American writer Si Panjan (Xi Pumjan), which entered the Booker Prize longlist. A piercing story of children, descendants of Chinese immigrants, who find themselves utterly alone in California in the post–Gold Rush era, captured readers’ and critics’ hearts almost immediately after publication.

This historical novel, in a new light, presents the American West of the 19th century. Its poetic storytelling and heartbreaking coming-of-age story win you over from the first pages. In this book, mythical symbolism of Chinese culture is interwoven with the sharp spirit of California’s Gold Rush.

“How Much Gold Is in These Hills” is a novel about adventures, about sisterly love, fear, pain, acceptance, legacy, and history.

“A memorable, gripping, and truly wonderful debut. Pangjan writes with the clarity and insight of ancient myth-makers, delicately noting the twists of nature and of humankind.” — Chigozie Obioma