How Much of These Hills is Gold (Zhang) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Sure to be the boldest debut of the year…. C Pam Zhang grapples with the legend of the wild west and mines brilliant new gems from a well-worn setting…. The story is heavy with layers of trauma…. On the one hand, the novel is in close touch with the entire tradition of wild west mythology and film…. At the same time, the story feels completely original… [as] the classic western is given a rich new shading as race, gender, sexual identity, poverty and pubescence come into play. The novel is thick with detail, metaphor and oblique allusion ... at its core is a chilling sense of the utter loneliness and isolation felt by Lucy and Sam.
Guardian (UK)



[This] thoroughly engrossing saga… starts out slow.… [But] in section two… the tale [is transformed]  into a fully immersive epic drama packed with narrative riches and exquisitely crafted prose…. How Much of These Hills Is Gold succeeds as a riveting account of one family’s struggle to make ends meet in the American West…. But the novel is also a much-needed homage to the untold history of American immigrants… giving a voice to the "honest folks" of color who were enslaved, robbed, raped or murdered in the process…. Zhang captures not only the mesmeric beauty and storied history of America’s sacred landscape, but also the harsh sacrifices countless people were forced to make in hopes of laying claim to its bounty.
San Francisco Chronicle


(Starred review) [E]xtraordinary debut, a beautifully rendered family saga, centers on a pair of siblings…. Gorgeously written and fearlessly imagined, Zhang’s awe-inspiring novel introduces two indelible characters whose odyssey is as good as the gold they seek.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review) This moving tale of family, gold, and freedom rings with a truth that defies rosy preconceptions. The description of human and environmental degradation is balanced by shining characters who persevere greatly. Highly recommended. —Henry Bankhead, San Rafael P.L., CA
Library Journal


(Starred review) The journey of these two children… force us to confront just how "white" the history we've been taught is…. [Zhang has] creat[ed] a new and spellbinding mythology of her own. Aesthetically arresting and a vital contribution to America's conversation about itself..
Kirkus Reviews