Blood Gold [Hardcover]

Michael Cadnum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2004

The rush to the gold fields of California is on in the lawless year of 1849, and Will Dwinelle has joined the adventurers. Will and his friend Ben brave the shorter but more dangerous route to the West&150across the isthmus of Panama, to the sultry menace of Panama City, and then by sea to San Francisco. Astonishingly, Will is not in search of gold in California. He's out to find and bring home the man who betrayed the honor of a girl back home. Will runs the gauntlet of cholera, snakes, and bandits on his quest. But the contagious greed for instant riches threatens to distract him from his intended mission of honor.

Editorial Reviews

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.

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (May 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067005884X
• ISBN-13: 978-0670058846
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,481,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Cadnum is the author of thirty-five books, including the National Book Award finalist The Book of the Lion.  A two-time Edgar Allen Poe Award nominee, and an award-winning poet, Cadnum's work is widely acclaimed.

He lives in Albany, California, across the bay from San Francisco, with his wife Sherina.

For more of the latest on Cadnum and his work visit his website www.MichaelCadnum.com
 

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical adventure, January 4, 2006

By 

Beth A. Nieman - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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!, November 25, 2007

By 

Liliana Avila "*Lilypad*" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Gold (Hardcover)

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.