How Much of These Hills Is Gold is set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush of the 1850s. Since these events are well documented in history books, most people assume they know the story. The author’s purpose is to deconstruct the mythology associated with the time and the place by creating characters who contradict the known facts. Ba claims he was the first to discover gold in 1842, not the miners at Sutter’s Mill, as the story goes. Even more at variance with the history-book version of events is the fact that Ba is a native-born American who is entitled to stake a claim to riches. Because he looks Chinese, he doesn’t fit the myth of the hardy Caucasian prospector who heroically wrests riches from the land.

The golden West depicted in novels and movies is a far cry from the dismal ecological disaster area through which Ba and his family wander. Once miners deforest the area and strip minerals from the ground, they leave behind a wasteland that no longer supports life. Rivers dry up, and animals die. The rainy season brings disastrous floods. Nevertheless, Ba pursues his elusive dream of riches because he is driven by imagination.