How Much of These Hills is Gold by C. Pam Zhang

Lucy and Sam and their father live a hard existence in the golden hills of the West. They piece together a living by prospecting, mining, and gambling in a place where fortunes are won and lost in an instant. Samantha becomes Sam to help in the mines and is content with the role of son whereas Lucy must fight against the only work a girl can do in a mining town. Sam craves the wildness and adventure and Lucy craves a sense of belonging, home, and roots. They are destined to seperate and come back together like yin and yang. They were born in the West but are still tied to their parent's Asian culture and traditions. Beautifully written with references to Eastern culture and stories mixed in with Western culture and misconceptions. It is a non-western western. A story of the various definitions of home and where you belong.