Pasadena Public Library Selects Lisa See’s ‘On Gold Mountain’ for 25th One City, One Story

Pasadena Public Library has chosen Lisa See’s memoir “On Gold Mountain” for its 2027 One City, One Story program. The citywide reading project will expand to two months for its 25th anniversary.

The choice puts a Los Angeles family story at the center of Pasadena’s annual reading project. Programs and book discussions are planned for March and April. The season will end with a public conversation with See on Saturday, April 10, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

The library announced the selection in a Nov. 2 news release. It said a 20-member committee of community volunteers, led by Senior Librarian Christine Reeder, spent months choosing the 2027 title.

Pasadena began One City, One Story in 2002 to bring residents together around one book. The 2026 program, built around Laila Lalami’s “The Dream Hotel,” was its 24th year.

First published in 1995, “On Gold Mountain” traces the history of See’s Chinese American family in California and Los Angeles. See’s official website says the book grew from stories she heard at her family’s antiques business in Los Angeles Chinatown. She spent about five years researching the family history. Her work included interviews with nearly 100 relatives and research at the National Archives and historical societies. Her official site also identifies the memoir as a national bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book.

The book follows generations of the family, starting with See’s great-great-grandfather’s move from China to the United States. Her website says he worked on the transcontinental railroad as an herbalist. His son later married a white woman and became a prominent figure in Los Angeles Chinatown.

The family history later moved beyond the page. The Autry Museum of the American West mounted “On Gold Mountain: A Chinese American Experience” from July 23, 2000, through Jan. 1, 2001. The exhibition used four family generations to explore Chinese immigration and exclusion in the United States.

The exhibition later traveled to the Smithsonian Institution. It ran there from May 18 through Sept. 30, 2001. Smithsonian records describe a show spanning six generations. It used objects, photographs, archives and art from more than 50 collections.

See also wrote the libretto for an opera based on the book, with music by Nathan Wang. The work returned in 2022 at The Huntington’s Chinese Garden in San Marino through a partnership with LA Opera. The Huntington presented eight outdoor performances from May 5 through May 15.

See’s other books include “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan,” “Shanghai Girls” and “The Island of Sea Women.” They also include “Lady Tan’s Circle of Women” and “Daughters of the Sun and Moon.” Her newest novel was released in June 2026 and returns to 19th-century Los Angeles and Chinese immigrant history.

For Pasadena’s anniversary program, the library said “On Gold Mountain” will remain the central text. Discussions also will draw from other books in See’s career. The library said the two-month format will give readers more time with the memoir and See’s other work.

The author conversation is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd.

NEED TO KNOW
Event: Conversation with the author. When: Saturday, April 10, 2027. Time: 2 p.m. Where: Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. For more, visit https://cityofpasadena.libguides.com/onecityonestory.