- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Viking Children's Books (May 10 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 067005884X
- ISBN-13: 978-0670058846
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.8 x 2.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 381 g
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–Willie Dwinelle has a score to settle with Ezra Nevin. Ezra not only compromised Willie's friend Elizabeth, but also left her unwed to go in search of gold. Always wanting to do what's right, Willie and his friend Ben leave Pennsylvania and set off for California in search of gold, and for Ezra. Their adventure begins in the Panama jungle, which they must walk across to reach the boat destined for San Francisco. There, they confront disease, thievery, bribery, and death. Halfway through the journey, Ben abandons Willie to pursue promises of wealth with a family of actors and romance with their beautiful daughter. Uncertain of their honesty and committed to his quest, "Reverend Willie" carries on to the hills of California in the company of new friends. Finally, he catches up with Ezra but instead of confronting him about Elizabeth, he is forced to face down Ezra's killer. Cadnum has an uncanny ability to formulate character descriptions through creative analogies and well-thought-out first-person perspectives. This novel is fast paced, and although it is peppered with numerous people and places, the narration is easy to follow. Additionally, the well-realized settings, which range from remote wildernesses to sprawling cities, create colorful backdrops for Willie's adventure. An enticing read.–Kimberly Monaghan, formerly at Vernon Area Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 7-12. Cadnum's latest foray into historical fiction offers readers a gripping adventure set during the 1849 California gold rush. The story opens in the steamy, danger-filled jungles of the Isthmus of Panama. Eighteen-year-old William Dwinelle and Ben Pomeroy, his friend and traveling companion, are the odd men out among the party of fortune seekers traveling through the risky, little-used jungle route. William's quest is not gold; instead, he hopes to find the man who abandoned his friend Elizabeth. Surviving bandits, a cholera epidemic, and a harrowing ocean voyage to San Francisco, William encounters greed, murder, and revenge in gold rush-era California. Cadnum's painstaking attention to historical detail brings the setting vividly to life and skillfully captures both the obvious and obscure nuances of life in the era. Complementing the historical insight is an expertly crafted, fast-paced, engrossing adventure story full of fascinating characters. This is historical fiction that boys in particular will find irresistible. Ed Sullivan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent historical adventure, Jan 4 2006
By Beth A. Nieman - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Blood Gold (Hardcover)
"Blood Gold" is a fast-paced adventure story set during the California gold rush. Author Michael Cadnum does an excellent job of bringing to life the physical hardships faced by those traveling west, while maintaining a fast-paced and suspensful plot line that holds the reader's interest.
We follow the young William Dwinelle, whose unusual quest does not take him west searching for gold but rather seeking to avenge the honor of a young lady from back home in Philadelphia. His journey leads him to discover not only the virtually lawless world of the gold-seekers, but also to discover things about himself--that he is capable of overcoming obstacles, able to take care of himself and his friends, and that he is beginning to experience the first sparks of romantic feeling for a young woman he meets during his travels.
I particularly enjoyed the scene where William has convinced himself and the owner of a team of horses that he is fully capable of driving a team across extremely rugged terrain, when in fact he is not as experienced a driver as he represents himself to be. He finds himself plunging, terrified and barely in control of the team, down the backside of a steep hill, with another wagon behind him bearing down and threatening to overtake him.
I highly recommend this book for its historical flavor, its light and yet well-chosen language, and its exciting plot. Well done!
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Worst book I have ever read in my life!, Nov 25 2007
By Liliana Avila "*Lilypad*" - Published on Amazon.com
Just like my title this book is seriously the worst book I have ever read. I always like every book, some more than others, but this book is the only book EVER that I don't like. The story is so boring basically he goes to California and thats it. Nothing really happens, It is pointless. My usual reading speed is about 1 week for around 380 pages this book was around 200 and it had really big letters and it took me like 3 weeks to read it. I don't recommend it to anyone.
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