Tam Ling Fan, a young woman who grew up in 1860s China, lived in comfort thanks to her father’s wealth. Unlike most girls of her status, her father spares her from painful foot-binding. However, her life takes a tragic turn when her brother dies of influenza and authorities falsely imprison her father. Refusing to accept a marriage of convenience for his release, Ling Fan disguises herself as a boy and takes up her brother’s contract to work on the Central Pacific Railroad in America.

Her journey to the “Gold Mountain” proves harsh and perilous. Along with other Chinese laborers, she builds the railroad connecting the East and West coasts, braving cave-ins, avalanches, blizzards, and racism from White Americans. When work accidents increase, it becomes clear sabotage is at play.

Yee’s narrative vividly portrays the challenges and dangers of constructing the railroad, when racism, classism, and drug abuse are common. Ling emerges as a powerful female protagonist, making immense sacrifices to save her family. The impact of the railroad extends beyond Chinese laborers to the indigenous people in its path, a testament to the book’s thoughtful exploration of history and adventure.

Beautifully written and well-paced, the story captivates readers from beginning to end, offering insights into history, mystery, and adventure. Although marketed as a young adult novel, it resonates with readers of all ages. I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

China, 1867; Tam Ling Fan is a 15 year old girl who lives with her aunt. Her father, a magistrate, has just been imprisoned after being falsely accused of treason, and her twin brother Jing Fan recently died of influenza. Her family now expects Tam Ling Fan to follow her duties as a young woman, and to marry a rich husband who can maybe help them with their influence to free her father. But Tam Ling Fan secretly has a better idea; Jing Fan, just before he passed away, had a ticket and ship boarding pass to travel to America and to work, along many other Chinese people during that time, at the Transatlantic Railroad. Tam Ling Fan cuts of her hair, puts on her brother's work clothes, and in disguise, boards a ship to the United States, and her hope is to earn enough money to free her beloved father. But she underestimated how hard and also dangerous the work at the railroad is, and how long she has to work to earn enough. It is crueling work for the Chinese laborers to build the railroad that will connect the west coast to the east. During extremely long days, Ling Fan and her coworkers lay the tracks, and blast tunnels through the mountains and peaks of the Sierra Nevada, which isn't without danger, along with bad treatment and hostility from the white Americans and their bosses. And then someone, who became her friend, discovers Ling Fan's secret that she isn't a boy, and threatens to expose her...
Gold Mountain is a impressive historical book for young readers about the Chinese laborers that worked on the Transatlantic Railroad in the past, through the eyes of the heroic Tam Ling Fan. Somehow the story reminded me a bit of Mulan, which was another heroic girl disguising as a boy to help her family. The author weaves real and important historical facts into a compelling story that is hard to put down What I loved most was that Tam Ling Fan stayed strong, no matter what difficulties came on her path, and she stayed focused to help her father. A main character that you start to love because she is so hard working and kind.

I loved every minute of this breathtaking book, about a topic that is often minimized or erased from history.

This was a very interesting read and what drew me to this novel was the representation in historical fiction, and it did not disappoint!

GOLD MOUNTAIN is a gripping, immersive YA historical fiction novel set in the 1860s when the Transcontinental Railroad was being built. In China, fifteen-year-old Tam Ling Fan's life turns upside down when her brother dies and their father is wrongfully imprisoned. She decides to assume her brother's identity and fulfill his railroad contract in America so that she can earn the money needed to free her father. Ling faces many obstacles along the way, and struggles both internally and externally, but remains determined in her quest. This is a captivating read that allows the reader a glimpse into the lives of the more than ten thousand Chinese sojourners who built the railroad--which history knows little about. Betty G. Yee is a masterful storyteller.

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Yee delivers a fantastic historical fiction novel about a girl who is willing to do anything to bring her family back together. The Chinese who came to the US to complete the Transcontinental Railroad dealt with hostility, racism and poor work conditions. Many died. The book is based in this period. Ling Fan steals away from her family home early one morning disguised as her brother to undertake a journey fraught with danger, especially if her secret gets out. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fast and enjoyable read! It had a lot of great elements, like a Mulan-esque beginning where the main character disguises herself as a boy to sail to America to work on the transcontinental railroad in her brother's place. It was an interesting time period in history to read about, from a perspective that not a lot of books focus on. There was also a lot of nuance in each of the characters, and the story was definitely not one-dimensional; it mentioned issues such as the railroad building on native land and massacring villages, the opium trade, etc.

Overall, quite an enjoyable read!

A beautifully written tale about how hard life was for those working on the railroad in the late 1860s, especially Chinese immigrants. I loved learning about this situation in time and the author was able to transport you into the setting and time period from the very first page.

I enjoyed the story, but thought it read more like a Young Adult novel. I enjoy reading YA books every once in a while, especially historical fiction.

This was riveting and satisfying. Ling Fan is such a compelling character, with fierce grit and uncompromised determination. The story vibrantly describes a time that some of us have only encountered as a vague outline in history. I was overwhelmed by the descriptions of the bone-crushing work, the brutal dangers and the urgency of some of the sojourners who came to work on the railroad. It is always a question of whether such a grim landscape will break or compromise the spirit of those who face these harsh conditions. Yes, the story is fast paced and the action layers together. But in the end, I came away acutely aware that each sojourner had their own very personal story that brought them to America. They left fathers, sisters or daughters who loved them. They are not the impersonal gritty pictures from the History Channel for me anymore. Ling Fan - I rooted for her throughout.

Gold Mountain provides us with a glimpse of the lives of Chinese laborers who worked on the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860's through the eyes of Tam Ling Fan. Following her brother's death, Tam Ling Fan disguises herself as her brother and takes his railroad contract to America, marking the beginning of her journey to earn enough money to secure her father's freedom.

While the plot of Gold Mountain is slightly predictable, Gold Mountain hit all the right notes for me, being a fast-paced YA historical novel with a fierce female protagonist. Don't let the YA label fool you -- I learned so much about the Transcontinental Railroad from Gold Mountain, such as how two railroad companies, the Central Pacific Railroad Company and the Union Pacific Railroad Company, were pitted against each other in the race to finish first. More importantly, I learned about the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad on the lives of Chinese laborers and indigenous peoples. I think it's safe to say that Gold Mountain is a must-read YA new release.

**Note to publisher: This review will be posted to bookstagram @movedbyprose on publication day**

A bit predictable at times, however a griping historical fiction tale about the race to finish the transcontinental railroad through the eyes of Ling, a hired Chinese immigrant trying to save her family. The story was heart wrenching from the start with Ling’s experience losing her brother and her father facing a prison sentence. The story kept me hoping and worrying for Ling throughout, questioning constantly if she’d be able to finish her year working for the railroad and return home to save her father. I had no idea the sabotage that took place against the rail companies to halt progress and appreciated the inclusion of indigenous peoples’ experience (though more attention to this would have been nice, I understand it doesn’t fit the narrative).

Wow, this is a story that you get completely drawn into! Ling is brought to life immediately in this one. I loved her as the MC, and I was completely connected to her story. Going from China to the American railway lines, I was so invested in what was happening. I learned so much through this story, and I think it is one that historical fiction fans are going to love!

This was a solid historical fiction YA book. Some things are a little too convenient for our protagonist, the story ties up every thread a little too nicely, but I was transported during the action and enjoy the historical context and obvious research that went into this book. I grew up in California so my knowledge of this era and these events is probably better than the average reader, but I still learned a lot and appreciated the attempt at including the struggles of Indigenous people during this time of "progress." I would certainly recommend this for any precocious young reader who loves historical fiction; it's a wonderful introduction to a lot of topics, and might ignite some further learning.

This was a really exciting read with a perspective that I don't think I've read before in historical fiction! I knew a lot of the facts about the transcontinental railroad and the Chinese immigrants who worked on the Central Pacific side, but this added a really interesting narrative element and got me thinking more on the individual and day-to-day level rather than the big-picture level. Based on a few things that happened in the first third of the book, I was worried that it was going to be very predictable, and while all of the things I'd predicted at that point came to pass, so did many other things that I didn't see coming.

CW: racism, sexism, rape threats made against a minor, deaths (including sibling and past parental deaths), incarcerated parent, injuries, drug use and dealing (opium)

Betty Yee’s gripping story, set against the backdrop of the buidling of the transcontinental railroad during the 1860s, is absolutely stunning. The story follows fifteen-year-old Tam Ling Fan who, after her twin brother’s death and her father’s imprisonment, disguises herself as her brother in order to journey from China to California. There, still in disguise as a boy, she joins other Chinese laborers to lay railroad track through the Sierra Nevada. Up against treacherous conditions and racial hostility, Ling Fan fights to get the money she needs to secure her father’s release. I absolutely loved Ling Fan - she is a determined, resilient character who I was instantly rooting for. I was completely immersed in the rich historical setting, and the engrossing plot kept me eagerly turning the pages late into the night. Highly recommend this book, especially for lovers of well-researched historical fiction with beautifully layered heroines you instantly love.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Tam Ling Fan assumes disguises herself as a boy and takes her brother’s contract to work for the Central Pacific Railroad Company in America."

An okay read which was interesting only for the history it contains. The characters were rather single sided and I didn't connect with them.

2.25☆

There is a special kind of disappointment when an author has a wonderful idea for a book but is simply not good at writing in a technical sense. Gold Mountain, Betty G. Yee’s young adult historical novel about a Chinese girl working as a “coolie” for the Central Pacific Railroad should have been great. At first blush it promises so much—a story about a “lesser known” demographic in a “lesser known” time period. The potential for excellence screams in 500-point neon font. And at a personal level, Gold Mountain is right in my area of interest, as exploring the complex truth behind Manifest Destiny propaganda is one of my particular armchair-historian sub-specialties. I read the jacket copy and hoped desperately for a readalike to Stacey Lee’s Under a Painted Sky and/or C Pam Zhang’s How Much of These Hills Is Gold, two excellent “pioneer” books about Chinese immigrants, not to mention two of my favorite books in general.

Alas, alack, etc. My hopes were for naught, my expectations were unfulfilled. Within a few chapters, it became imminently clear that no matter how promising her premise, Yee simply does not have the writing chops to tell this story as it deserves to be told. As I continued to read, I was forced to conclude that Gold Mountain is a progressively worsening object lesson in how to utterly neglect the fundamentals of effective fiction writing.

Think of the elements that a successful novel needs. Prose that is clear and coherent yet stylized enough to gesture toward the vibes/aesthetic the author wishes to evoke. Fully-developed, three-dimensional characters whose goals and inner processes are understood by readers. Detailed and specific world-building. Realistic conflict that is appropriate to the characters and setting and which does not constantly remind the audience that there’s a puppeteer tugging strings behind the curtain. Convincing dialogue, character growth, the presence of an authorial vision and/or purpose. Y’know, all the stuff they teach you in creative writing programs.

In my opinion, Gold Mountain has approximately none of the above-listed elements.

This book’s most critical failure is that it isn’t meaningfully grounded in the historical period and culture Yee chose to write in. World-building is necessary for all genres of fiction, but it’s particularly important when the story takes place in “another world.” That may be the world of small, furry-footed travelers unexpectedly tasked with defeating a primeval villain; or it may be the world of an upper-class Han Chinese girl who finds herself pretending to be a boy in order to work as one of the thousands of exploited Chinese workers on the Transcontinental Railroad.

Although I fully credit that Yee did a great deal of research prior to writing Ling Fan’s story, the author’s knowledge base is not presented on the page. In her depiction of 18th century China and Chinese-American immigrants, there are no cultural, geographic, or historic touchstones presented. There are generic references to foot binding and the Taiping Rebellion, but even those are surface-level only. Yee does not mention—much less delve into—the ethnic and economic tensions present in Late Qing China which drove so many to perform backbreaking labor across the Pacific. She does not discuss the concepts of family honor and filial piety, ideals that should have been at the forefront of Ling Fan’s motivation throughout the text. In the latter portions of the text, both the treatment of Native Americans by white colonizers and the impact of the opium trade (not to mention white Europeans’ role in it) are not dealt with thoughtful nuance. Yes, this is a young adult book and not a 1,000 page historical epic, but clearly if Stacey Lee can do it, it can be done.

The second glaring issue with Gold Mountain is that Yee does not adequately develop her any of her characters—particularly her protagonist, Ling Fan. The book is written in superficial third-person narration that describes Ling Fan’s actions and her in-the-moment decision making, but doesn’t examine who Ling Fan is as a person or what her strengths, weaknesses, and flaws are. She is a name on the page, but not a fully-realized person.

Yee’s lack of depth in characterization is accentuated by the structure of her narrative. The plot of Gold Mountain happens to Ling Fan, and her choices are always a reaction to another character’s. Ling Fan has no agency of her own, and, indeed, she appears to wait around for another character to arrive on-scene and do something—as if she’s constantly waiting for a cue from her stage director. And since the reader doesn’t have a strong grasp on Ling Fan’s personality, she ultimately looks foolish, naïve, and weak. Bad guy after bad guy after bad guy takes advantage of her, she never seems to learn to look out for herself, and she never shows an ounce of intuition or forethought.

Betty G. Yee clearly wants this to be a book about a girl taking charge of her own life, but she doesn’t appear to comprehend that in order to make that narrative believable, she has to write and present her story in a particular way. The way you frame events matters.

I could go on, but in general, Gold Mountain lacks a cohesive conflict and vision. The plot is choppy and awkward, the focus is blurry, and the author’s attempts to “educate” about history are clumsy and underdeveloped. Ling Fan inhabits the book like an afterthought rather than standing out as the star. Yee’s writing is unpolished and stylistically inferior.

Writing is hard. It’s skill that can be learned, but it’s also a talent that some people simply do not possess. I don’t know why, but the fact is that Betty G. Yee does not have the chops to pull this book off. I tend to write one-star reviews only when I encounter books whose theoretical framework or message I find to be objectionable, but this is the rare case where the premise is fine, but the execution is so poor that nothing can be redeemed for me. Gold Mountain deserves to be better than it is.

DNF at 28%
Very interesting premise but that writing reads as very childish and unpolished, as well as including a cliché trope in the main character.

I loved this book!! Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and Gold Mountain did not disappoint.


The plot was really fantastic, and it had me hooked from the beginning. It was full of historical information that I found very interesting. The characters were well fleshed out and relatable.

I feel like this is an important book to read. We don’t talk enough about exploitation of the Chinese railroad works. I loved this book and will be purchasing the physical copy.