Historical novels tell interesting stories about a time and its people, requiring authors to do extensive research so their writing accurately reflects the history. Using How Much of These Hills Is Gold, by C. Pam Zhang as the launching point, this class will offer a one-hour look at the role of Chinese laborers in the development of the American West, through the lens of immigration policy, the Gold Rush, and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, with the resulting discrimination and marginalization of Chinese immigrants. We will continue with a discussion of the novel as contemporary literature. Readers and history buffs welcome! You should read the novel before class.

Moderators: Stan and Diane Henderson are avid readers—Stan reads history, Diane fiction. In other lives, they would have been history and English professors. They now share their passions with us. Pre-retirement, Stan was Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Life at Univ. of Michigan-Dearborn, and Diane was an educational program planner/consultant. Both are currently failing retirement.