The classic images of the American “Wild West,” of horse towns, savage yet beautiful landscapes and dastardly bad guys, are hardwired into global literature and cinema. We all grow up with romanticised tales of the frontier, where buffalo, Native Americans and, more pertinently, sharpshooting settlers roam. For novelist C Pam Zhang, who was born in Beijing but moved to America when she was four, it was no different.
“I loved the gilded swagger of the American West, the image of those cowboys and frontiersmen who lived so large,” she says.
As a writer, I believe in plumbing my fears. I write into what is scariest and strangest in order to find what is original
It was only later that she learnt about the violence and bigotry that made westward expansion possible. “The paradox of that mythology is alluring to me,” she says. And so she set about creating her my own mythology of the Wild West, one that featured the grit and beauty of people like her.
The result is her sensational debut How Much of These Hills is Gold, and on Tuesday, September 15, she will discover whether it has made the leap from the Booker Prize longlist to the final six. The judges called it a "haunting and heartbreaking story of two immigrant children coping alone amid the fading leftovers of the Gold Rush in 19th century California." And the book certainly speaks clearly and timelessly of the immigrant experience, of loneliness, isolation and dislocation.
Every immigrant story is epic in scope
Its “heroes”, Lucy and Sam, are of Chinese descent, and begin their adventure having to drag their father’s rotting corpse away from a hostile town, to find a place to bury him. Zhang thinks that every immigrant story is epic in scope, and this book certainly feels like a tribute to anyone who has had to search for home, just as her family did.
Right from the epigraph – “This land is not your land” – Zhang cuts through the idea of the American Dream, where there is ample and equal opportunity for all. “The playing field isn’t level for an immigrant, a person of colour, a person of familial wealth,” she says.
“And that first line was a flag planted in the ground; there are no easy answers about land ownership in the book, as there are no easy answers today. I mean, how do you not feel conflicted as a white American whose ancestors stole the land through the bloodshed of indigenous people, or as an indigenous person seeing your people’s disenfranchisement, or as a Black person whose ancestors were forcibly brought over? Or as a Chinese child of immigrants who hears 'Go back to your country,' despite growing up in this country?
“For better or worse we must all live with these conflicted feelings.”
'Imagining lost histories'
Zhang was keen that How Much of These Hills is Gold wasn't too firmly anchored in the specific realities of the Chinese-American experience, most obviously because she has tigers magically roaming the land, too.
True, more than 15,000 people from China did come to work on the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s, the completion of which is captured in the book through the eyes of Lucy as “a picture that shows none of the people who look like her, who built it.” But Zhang was more interested in representing stories of marginalised people generally, be that because of race, gender, sexuality or identity, which is why her debut feels so universal.
“They’ve been deliberately repressed or excised from written history. We will never recover them, and that is a tragedy. So the work of an artist is to use empathy and craft to imagine those lost histories. We can recover, if not the facts, then some of the emotional truth."
And that emotional truth is most raw in the way the book explores grief. Zhang, too, lost her father when she was in her early twenties, and though we don't speak of that experience directly (she is now 30) the lasting effects of mourning, or indeed not finding peace with grief, are haunting in How Much of These Hills is Gold.
“Thank you for noticing that,” she says. “This aspect of the novel tends to get overshadowed by the adventure story, or the family story, or the Wild West setting. Grief and a kind of long-held ache underpin this novel. Grief for the dead father, the missing mother, for childhood, for a ravaged landscape, for all of it. It was important to me to put that grief next to power and beauty. It’s impossible to consider the landscape of Northern California, burning as it is with wildfires, without thinking of everything we have lost or will soon lose.”
Where is home for her?
The characters in Zhang’s novel ultimately find solace and sanctuary in a harsh landscape and wildness – which is in a strange way more predictable for them than the actions of man.
“But I’m terrified of nature!” she jokes. “It’s beautiful and deadly and insensate to human desires, which is precisely why it is important. Mostly I stand in awe of the natural world. I know I am unfit to survive out there. It seems to me an act of profound arrogance to feel totally comfortable in the wilderness. But that vibration between fear and awe is one engine of the book. As a writer, I believe in plumbing my fears. I write into what is scariest and strangest in order to find what is original.”
“The nuance for Asian-Americans like Lucy in the book is that there exists the tantalising idea that you may be allowed to assimilate into whiteness,” she says. "It’s a lie, but the false hope makes Lucy even more opaque to herself. For me, more and more, I find beauty in liminal spaces, in a state of ambivalence. Which is probably the best way to describe this wildly unpredictable book. Whether it makes it to the Booker shortlist is almost irrelevant because the work of a woman who, as the jacket puts it, “has lived in 13 cities and is still looking for home”, is an achievement as epic as the scope of any immigrant’s story. So does she feel San Francisco, or even America itself, is finally, some kind of home?
“So yes, it may be an impossible question to answer if one expects the answer to be one town, one place. But maybe the answer can be more expansive these days.”
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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%3Cp%3E1.%20Send%20EU%20border%20guards%20to%20Balkans%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E2.%20%E2%82%AC40%20million%20for%20training%20and%20surveillance%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E3.%20Review%20EU%20border%20protection%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E4.%20Reward%20countries%20that%20fund%20Balkans%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E5.%20Help%20Balkans%20improve%20asylum%20system%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E6.%20Improve%20migrant%20reception%20facilities%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E7.%20Close%20gaps%20in%20EU%20registration%20system%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E8.%20Run%20pilots%20of%20faster%20asylum%20system%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E9.%20Improve%20relocation%20of%20migrants%20within%20EU%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E10.%20Bolster%20migration%20unit%20in%20Greece%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E11.%20Tackle%20smuggling%20at%20Serbia%2FHungary%20border%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E12.%20Implement%20%E2%82%AC30%20million%20anti-smuggling%20plan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E13.%20Sanctions%20on%20transport%20linked%20to%20smuggling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E14.%20Expand%20pilot%20deportation%20scheme%20in%20Bosnia%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E15.%20Training%20for%20Balkans%20to%20deport%20migrants%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E16.%20Joint%20task%20forces%20with%20Balkans%20and%20countries%20of%20origin%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E17.%20Close%20loopholes%20in%20Balkan%20visa%20policy%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E18.%20Monitor%20migration%20laws%20passed%20in%20Balkans%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E19.%20Use%20visa-free%20travel%20as%20leverage%20over%20Balkans%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E20.%20Joint%20EU%20messages%20to%20Balkans%20and%20countries%20of%20origin%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Read more about the coronavirus
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
The specs
Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric
Transmission: n/a
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 659Nm
Price estimate: Dh200,000
On sale: Q3 2022
Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press
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