Two young men are swept into the California gold rush of 1849. Ulysses McQueen leaves his pregnant wife Susannah behind,and heads west, breaking his wife's heart. Stephen Jarvis, a discharged soldier in California, swiftly goes into business provisioning the miners. He discovers and loves Rita Concepcion Estrada, but is rebuffed by her family, which desolates him. Both young men struggle to find a good life in the rough and tumble of the gold fields, along with thousands of others who have crossed the continent in search of bonanza gold.

"With varying results, two young men seek their fortunes in California after America’s successful war against Mexico-- in another solid historical from the prolific Wheeler.... Absorbing and eventful, replete with authoritative details on the mortal risks, primitive conditions, and sometimes rich rewards awaiting those who joined the gold rush to California." ‒Kirkus Reviews

"We experience the adventure of the gold rush, but we also feel its undertow: families left behind and never seen again, loves lost, fortunes not made. A wonderfully mutifaceted portrayal of pioneer life." ‒Booklist

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