Bound for Gold: A Peter Fallon Novel of the California Gold Rush (Peter Fallon and Evangeline Carrington, 6) Mass Market Paperback – October 29, 2019

Just finished Bound for Gold by William Martin, and what a terrific reading experience. Part historical fiction and part modern day mystery, it spans 170 years from the discovery of gold at Sutter's fort to a modern day search for a lost manuscript. Rare book appraiser Peter Fallon is retained to locate and authenticate a seven part journal that belonged to the last surviving member of a prominent San Francisco family. The journal was written by James Spencer who left Boston for California in 1849, accumulated wealth, and sired one of the City's founding families. Spencer's description of the six month voyage from Boston down the Atlantic, around Cape Horn to the Pacific and north to San Francisco is realistic and stomach churning. Travelers included educated Bostonian gentlemen from well-to-do families, hardy sailors, and a ne'er do well Irish immigrant. Upon arrival in San Francisco, the real adventure begins, and Martin's compelling writing makes this book impossible to put down. He's a master of plot development, scenic descriptions, dialogue, and character analysis. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of San Francisco, a city I thought I knew intimately, yet I learned bits of history that were new to me. The 52 story office building where I worked was built on land that was filled by sunken vessels. The mention of Dupont Street was puzzling, until I googled and learned it was renamed Grant Street after the 1906 earthquake. Grant Street runs through Chinatown. Martin is a stickler for historical accuracy. This is a tour de force read with illuminating details about prospecting for gold in Amador County, prostitution in mining camps and San Francisco, ill treatment of Chinese miners and Mexican land owners who were cheated out of their fortunes, exponential population growth, and the planting of early vineyards with Zinfandel grapes from Croatia. Throw in some modern day money laundering for good measure.

I loved the historical part of this book where the characters are living in the 1850’s gold rush. The character development was great, the plot line intriguing, and the descriptions and dialogue made you feel like you were there. However, what didn’t work for me was trying to keep track of all the characters in the modern-day plot line. I know the author was probably trying to tease readers with a number of potential ‘bad guys’ —- but it was TOO much and just became confusing. Having said that, I’d still recommend.

In fair and full disclosure, as a fan of historical fiction I enjoy reading William Martin. That stated, let us consider his latest offering "Bound for Gold." The book reunites the antiquarian book seller Peter Fallon and his paramour Angeline Carrington, placing them in San Francisco for yet another adventure. The adventure is two-fold however, as the book also brings us back to the California Gold Rush of the last century.We as Americans labor under the fantasy that at Sutter's Mill in 1848 some Walter Brennan type shouted: "There's gold in them thar' hills!" People traveled overland in their Conestoga wagons or sailed around Cape Horn to arrive at the San Franciscocoast to prospect and mine for the riches of gold. We do not consider the many difficulties of that arduous journey: the ever-present human foibles of avarice, envy, ego, racism, wrath, bullying, and lust. The author's narrative therefore takes us on two adventures in two different centuries. What is masterful in William Martin's writing is his ability to turn a phrase, inject a subtle literary reference, make his point without clubbing anyone over the head. This author is a terrific story teller and an artistic craftsman. His use of language often reads like music.The only quibble I might have is the lack of illustrative maps of the geographic mining area and of San Francisco and its growth over time. Other than that, WilliamMartin's "Bound for Gold" is the perfect summer read and defines the term "page turner".

History, mystery, and an exciting adventure is the formula for my favorite bedside reader and this book won the gold for that literary cocktail. There are two grabber storylines: a young Irishman, James Spencer, from Boston “making history” during the Gold Rush, and the present time with scholar Peter Fallon and girlfriend Evangeline searching for a missing journal Spencer wrote that might reveal the way to a river of gold. It’s easy to come up with exciting premises and where this book shines is how the author delivered on the roots of the gold rush, the creation of a great city, even throwing in vineyards and Chinatown as fascinating bonuses. I first met Peter Fallon in Back Bay, one of my favorite books of all time, and he has never failed to deliver a story that keeps me turning pages. I was raised in California gold rush country, my father was a hard rock miner, as a kid I foolishly explored rough mine shafts left by gold seekers; even today when I go back there I see gold sluice boxes in rivers. Peter Fallon says, “history matters.” I agree. It mattered to me that the history and story were credible and fascinating.

Bill deliver what may be his best book ever and that’s quite an acomplishment. Peter and Evangeline leave the comfortable New England/New York environment for the eclectic culture of Northern California. His search for a journal from the Gold Rush take the reader from Boston Harbor down the coast of South America around Cape Horn and up to California. Out to Gold country and back to San Francisco. AT each stop Bill delivers enthralling adventures. A real page turner. As usual, Bill paints the landscapes with vivid reality that puts you there. This is a perfect summer read. Not only will you experience a wild ride through the nascent history of Northern California and specifically San Francisco, you will as always with Bill learn a great deal about the people, competing cultures and the goods and evils that make up mankind,

Loved this historical novel. Very well written.