How much of these Hills is Gold

A big part of fourth grade social studies standards in California is learning about the Gold Rush, so I was immediately enthralled by the premise of this book. Two Chinese siblings are left orphans after their mother and father die. Set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush, this is a story about survival, grief, and sibling bonds, but ultimately I was not taken with it. It was pretty relentlessly bleak, which I guess fits in with the times. For me, I don’t mind bleak but truly remarkable authors have a way of infusing humor in places where even the light does not touch. Still, Zhang has talent and I will read her next book. This was her debut, and it definitely got me interested in what she has to say. Plus this unique perspective of an American Western novel was refreshing since it’s one we rarely hear about, and one I am trying to incorporate in my teaching more and more every year. #bookstagram #literaryfiction #litfic #bookstagrammer #goldrush #cahistory #historicalfiction #ChineseAmericanHistory #Debutauthors #alwaysreading #awardwinningbooks