Click to EnlargeClick to Enlarge

Starred Review Gold Mountain

  • Interest Level: Grade 6 - Grade 12
  • Reading Level: Grade 6

Working on the Transcontinental Railroad promises a fortune—for those who survive.

Growing up in 1860s China, Tam Ling Fan has lived a life of comfort. Her father is wealthy enough to provide for his family but unconventional enough to spare Ling Fan from the debilitating foot-binding required of most well-off girls. But Ling Fan’s life is upended when her brother dies of influenza and their father is imprisoned under false accusations. Hoping to earn the money that will secure her father’s release, Ling Fan disguises herself as a boy and takes her brother’s contract to work for the Central Pacific Railroad Company in America.

Life on “the Gold Mountain” is grueling and dangerous. To build the railroad that will connect the west coast to the east, Ling Fan and other Chinese laborers lay track and blast tunnels through the treacherous peaks of the Sierra Nevada, facing cave-ins, avalanches, and blizzards—along with hostility from white Americans.

When someone threatens to expose Ling Fan’s secret, she must take an even greater risk to save what’s left of her family . . . and to escape the Gold Mountain alive.

Format Your Price Add
979-8-7656-2690-0
 $12.99
978-1-7284-5100-8
 $23.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on hardcovers and ebooks when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Grade 6 - Grade 12
Reading Level Grade 6
Genre Young Adult
Category Diverse Books: Feminism, Diverse Books: Immigration & Refugees, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diverse Books: Social Class, Diverse Books: Social Justice, Diversity, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2022
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Carolrhoda Lab ®
Language English
Number of Pages 288
Publication Date 2022-04-05
Text Type Fiction—Historical
BISACS YAF058100, YAF058190, YAF024150
Dewey [Fic]
Dimensions 5.5 x 8.25
Lexile 960
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Author/Illustrator note, Awards, Reviewed, Starred Reviews, Teaching Guides, and eSource

Awards

  • CALA/YALSA Chinese American Reading List, Winner, 2023
  • Massachusetts Book Award Honor Book, Commended, 2023
  • Notable Award YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Shortlist, Short-listed, 2022

Reviews

Starred Review Booklist

Reviewed on 15 May 2022

“An exceptionally told story that will satisfy readers of history, mystery, and adventure while providing food for thought.”—starred, Booklist

Foreword Reviews

Reviewed on 1 May 2022

“Gold Mountain is the historical tale of a courageous daughter whose determination helps to change the face of America, as well as her Chinese family’s fortunes.”—Foreword Reviews

School Library Journal

Reviewed on 1 April 2022

“A thought-provoking adventure that adds more nuance and complexity to the history of the building of the transcontinental railroad.”—School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

Reviewed on 15 February 2022

“An adventure-filled glimpse into history through the eyes of a determined daughter.”—Kirkus Reviews

Karen Bao

“Ling Fan felt like my indomitable best friend—I was rooting for her as she faced impossible stakes and truly terrifying villainy. I loved this book!”—Karen Bao, author of The Dove Chronicles series

Kate Racculia

“A story of strength, courage, and resilience that not only brings the past to vivid, complex life, but has much to say about the present…thrilling, engrossing, and moving. I couldn’t put it down.” —Kate Racculia, author of Bellweather Rhapsody