C Pam Zhang Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

About C. Pam Zhang
The American author C Pam Zhang has fast become highly regarded for her incisive style of writing that brings out hidden truths. Whether it’s writing about her own life or the lives of others, she’s an extremely skilled writer with a lot to say through her work. This has proven to be hugely successful for her in recent years, as she’s reached readers worldwide with her words, speaking to them in a direct and straightforward manner. Her voice is a unique one, as she speaks from her own individual experience, telling her story from her idiosyncratic experience. Many have warmed to this as well, with both critics and the general public singing her many praises as an important author.

Writing in a searingly honest manner, she really understands the form, getting to the heart of each of her stories with extreme precision. Combining this with sensitivity, she also knows what her readers are looking for, making her books accessible and easy to relate to. Not without heart and warmth, she sets herself apart, all while creating a strong connection with her audience quite unlike any other. Many of her books resonate in the sense of how they manage to convey different ideas and perspectives, while retaining a universal sensibility that’s easy to relate to. Writing in a style that’s both entertaining and compelling, she makes sure that each of her stories are difficult to put down.

Known for her epic sense of scope and scale, she really brings her worlds to life through the sheer power of her imagination. This is also the case for each of her well crafted characters too, as they manage to establish their own unique presence upon the page. Everyone of her characters in her fiction feels real and alive, leaving a powerful impression upon the reader long after they’ve finished. This is is part of what really sets her apart from other writers currently working within her field, making her entirely singular. With a lot more to come still, she definitely isn’t stopping any time soon either, as her writing career carries on heading onwards and upwards.

Early and Personal Life
Born in Beijing, China, in 1990, Zhang would move to the United States when she was four years old, growing up there. Fascinated with both reading and writing from an early age, she would hone her craft, developing her style and voice throughout the years. Taking in inspiration and ideas from the world around her, she’d constantly be putting it all back into her work, creating a style all of her own.

Attending Brown University, she would also go on to study at Cambridge University, gaining a clearer insight on her craft. In 2017 she was also a Truman Capote Fellow studying at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, furthering her ideas there as well. This evolution as a writer would continue into her work beyond higher education, as she would find a whole world of new ideas.

During her upbringing Zhang would move around a lot, as she would move to ten new homes before the age of eighteen. This would also effect both her and her work, something which would inspire her and her writing in the years to follow. Writing about her own experiences and grief, she continues to write to this very day, as there’s a lot more to come yet.

Writing Career
In 2020 C. Pam Zhang would release her first novel titled ‘How Much of These Hills is Gold,’ which would introduce her to the reading public at large. This would be inspired by her own upbringing and her own constant moving as a child, along with the grief she felt upon her father’s passing. Using these events to help shape her book, she would create a piece of fiction quite unlike any other, bringing with it a whole host of critical acclaim.
Prior to this she would write short fiction and stories, making a name for herself, and creating a strong profile. Writing for a number of different publications too, she’d be featured in ‘The New York Times’ and ‘The San Francisco Chronicle,’ making a strong impact with the critics. She’d also be nominated for the Booker Prize in 2020, and has a lot more work planned for release on the horizon.

How Much of These Hills is Gold
Initially published through the ‘Riverhead Books’ publishing label, this would first come out on the 7th of April in 2020. Marking the big debut of Zhang as a first time author, it really allowed her to make her voice heard with the reading public at large. Working entirely as a stand-alone title, it manages to establish who she is as an author and what she has to offer. Looking at the experiences of Chinese immigrants from a historical perspective, it’s an insightful and authentic portrayal of the past and future.

Taking place during the American Gold Rush, this follows two young siblings who find themselves on the run across a harsh and unforgiving landscape. As the recently orphaned children of immigrants, they’re both looking to bury their father while encountering all manner of obstacles on the way to finding a place they can call home. Lucy and Sam are up against the elements, as family secrets rise up, while they’re both faced with a different and new kind of future. Will they both find what they’re looking for? Can they finally find their home? Just how much of these hills is gold?

Short Stories and Articles
The first story to come from C. Pam Zhang would be titled ‘In the House of the Jackal’ and it would be a shorter piece of fiction coming out in 2016. Published on the 5th of October through the ‘Day One’ weekly literary journal, it would herald the arrival of a major new talent. Setting her apart from other writers in her field, she’d also write pieces for publications such as ‘The New York Times’ in 2020. This has seen her fast become a worldwide success, as a lot more is set to follow, as she’s not finishing any time soon.