Paperback I 496 Pages

An Oprah Book Club selection!

“Allende has created a masterpiece of historical fiction that is passionate, adventurous, and brilliantly insightful. . . . suspenseful and surprising.” Denver Post

From the reveredNew York Timesbestselling author ofThe House of the SpiritsandA Long Petal of the Seacomes a passionate tale of one young woman’s epic journey to save her lover, set against the chaos, greed, and promise of the 1849 California Gold Rush.

Raised in the British colony of Valparaso, Chile, English orphan Eliza Sommers meets and falls in love with the wildly inappropriate Joaqun Andieta, a lowly clerk with ambitious dreams. When gold is discovered in the hills of northern California, Chileans, including Joaqun, head north to seek their fortune. Eliza, pregnant with Joaquns child, leaves behind everything she knows to follow her lover.

In the rough-and-tumble world of San Francisco, Eliza must navigate a society dominated by greedy men. But with the help of her natural spirit and a good friend, Chinese doctor Tao Chien, Eliza soon comes to discover that her search for love has become a powerful coming of age story and a quest of personal freedom.

• A BEAUTIFUL PACKAGE WITH FLAPS:Featuring French flaps and a unique vivid cover design, each book in the collection is published as a deluxe trade paperback that is a part of a stunning series look.
• HARPER COLLINS AMERICAN CLASSICS:This series includes timeless novels, poetry, childrens books, and groundbreaking nonfiction that has shaped American thought, literature, and identity across generations.
• AMERICAS PUBLISHER:Since its founding in 1817, no American publisher has been so entwined in the history of American letters. Our books enrich, challenge, and defined the American spirit.
• AMERICA 250:The HarperCollins American Classics arrive in time for Americas 250th anniversary celebrations.