How Much of These Hills Is Gold

Two young Chinese American-born sisters are all that's left of a complicated family that fell apart amidst the aluring yet harsh gold-rush era of the Wild West. They are guided by the believes and dreams their parents bestowed upon them: old Chinese mysticism, the promise of gold and adventure, the bond of family. These believes often stay at odds with each other, as the girls needs to figure out where and how to claim their home.

The prose is lyric, the characters very memorable yet the narrative is slightly uneven. I wished the story would just be told in a more straight-forward way, as I really enjoyed to hear about Lucy and Sam's adventures. The book somewhat lost steam for me in the middle of the book, where it felt too meandering, and even introduced a new narrator. But it then thankfully returned to Lucy and Sam for a strong finish.

Debating between 3 and 4, as my experience of the book was so uneven across it.

I have never read anything like this before, it is truly unique. I listened to the audiobook and found myself extending my walk in order to keep listening. In the tradition of Mattie Ross from True Grit, we get Lucy and Sam, two siblings at the mercy of their parents' and the elements. Damn!
I loved this! I know I have been on a pioneer kick since shelter-in-place kicked in, and this one fit the bill perfectly.