Lucy

Lucy is the protagonist of How Much of These Hills Is Gold. She is twelve years old at the beginning of the novel. Mild-mannered and intelligent, Lucy displays a fondness for pretty things—such as the brocade dresses her mother gives her and Sam. Like her mother, Lucy recognizes the value of appearances and using one’s charms to one’s advantage. “Beauty is a weapon” is a lesson Lucy’s mother teaches her at an early age.

Considered Teacher Leigh’s star pupil, Lucy enjoys going to school. She also likes reading storybooks. Much to her father’s disappointment, she derives no satisfaction from mining or prospecting. One of Lucy’s major character flaws is that she is ashamed of her family and of her origins.

Sam

Sam is Lucy’s only sibling. They are a year younger than their sister. Even though Sam inherited their mother’s beauty, they prefer to keep their hair short and dress themself in men’s clothing. In part 3 of the novel, they have fully committed to presenting themself as male, as they claim it helps them be taken seriously.

Stubborn and ill-tempered, Sam is the opposite of Lucy in temperament. Unlike their sister, Sam despises school and other such dreary conventions of the civilized world. They prefer to spend their time outdoors, as they feel a connection with the wilderness. Sam enjoys going off to mine and prospect for gold with their father.

Ba

Ba is the father of Lucy and Sam. He is a Chinese man who grew up an orphan with no memory of his parents. He walks with a limp, which he claims is the result of a tiger attack. Although he and Ma frequently argue, he loves her and gives in to her every whim. When he is left to care for Lucy and Sam alone, Ba becomes a temperamental alcoholic who hits Lucy and calls her “big mouth.” He is much closer with Sam than he is with Lucy.

Ma

Ma is a beautiful Chinese woman who, along with 199 others, is lured to America under false promises of riches. She eventually goes off with Ba, with whom she has Lucy and Sam. Even though she comes from humble origins, she has high ambitions for herself and her family. She is cunning and proves to be shrewd with their finances. She is much closer to Lucy than she is with Sam, imparting to Lucy various life lessons.

Teacher Leigh

Teacher Leigh is the schoolmaster at the only school in the mining community the family lives in. He is hinted to be European. Well-off and sophisticated, he takes a liking to Lucy, who impresses him when she demonstrates that she knows how to read. He wishes to interview both Ma and Lucy extensively for the book he is writing.

Anna

Anna is the friend Lucy makes in the town of Sweetwater. As the daughter of a very successful prospector, she lives comfortably in a house with a vast garden and more than twenty rooms. She is always tailed by armed men, all of whom her father hired to protect her. Although Anna is a well-meaning person, she is also haughty and frivolous.

Charles

Charles is Anna’s fiancé. Like Anna, he is also very wealthy. Although Charles is a member of high society, he prefers to spend his time in saloons and gambling dens. He meets Lucy in the disreputable part of Sweetwater and immediately sets his sights on her. He lashes out when Lucy does not reciprocate his advances.

Elske

Elske is the proprietor of the brothel Sam leads Lucy to. A shrewd entrepreneur who...