This Golden Valley [Paperback]

Francine Rivers (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Jove (February 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515068233
• ISBN-13: 978-0515068238
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,087,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market, and her books were highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, a mother of three, and an established romance novelist. Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote "Redeeming Love" as her statement of faith. First published by Bantam Books and then rereleased by Multnomah Publishers in the mid-1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea, set during the time of the California Gold Rush, is now considered by many to be a classic work of Christian fiction. Redeeming Love continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association's top-selling titles, and it has held a spot on the Christian best-seller list for nearly a decade. Since "Redeeming Love," Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes--all best sellers--and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America's Hall of Fame. Francine's novels have been translated into over 20 different languages, and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Francine and her husband, Rick, live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their three grown children and taking every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. Francine uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A better than average romance with some very good moments., October 24, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: This Golden Valley (Paperback)

This_Golden_Valley is the first book Francine Rivers wrote that hinted at the talent she would show in later works.
The heroine is lively and attractive, and the hero is appropriately intriguing.
The writing style is easy to read with none of the hyperbole and exaggeration that is typical of the genre.
However, if you get this one, prepare yourself for a disappointing ending.
(Can you say "Deus Ex Machina")
Just the same, the disappointment of the destination is allayed by the enjoyment of the scenery along the way.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars (3.5) Enjoyable fluff, February 7, 2011

By 

Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: This Golden Valley (Paperback)

Moira Cavendish may be the belle of Charleston, but her plans do not include marriage to the most eligible suitor. Her brother Daniel is headed for California's gold country to make his fortune and she's determined to follow him and find their missing elder brother Jack (he hasn't been heard from in over a year). Moira buys passage on Daniel's ship without his knowledge and once at sea it's too late to turn back and Daniel's forced to make the best of it, along with looking out for her virtue - a virtue most especially at risk from handsome sailor Random Hawthorne. Random makes Moira's heart go all a-flutter, but he always draws away from her at the last minute (just what deep dark secret from his past is he hiding from?).

The voyage is rocky, but they all land safely in San Francisco, and soon find that Moira's female status in a town filled with lonely men is a serious obstacle, one that she solves by cutting her hair and dressing in men's clothing. She and Daniel set out for the gold fields in search of their brother (although Daniel's more interested in finding gold and poker games), and they soon learn that three other mystery men are trailing Jack as well, hell-bent on discovering the secret to the Valley of Gold.

I really don't want to tell much more, but let's just say that our intrepid heroine has a most definite knack for getting herself into one pickle after another, leaving her in constant need of rescuing from the ever-so-handsome Random Hawthorne. "Stay put and out of trouble" or "don't go out into dangerous conditions" are words that are not in Moira's vocabulary and her "cute escapes" wear very thin by the end. I liked the character of Random Hawthorne, although I couldn't quite understand his immediate passion and true love for self-centered selfish Moira (it took her long enough to see the forest through the trees). Still, the mystery of the gold intrigued me and silly or not I had a hard time putting it down until the big reveal at the end. A nice, quick easy read for a rainy day when one's mind isn't up to more challenging tasks. 3.5/5 stars.

5.0 out of 5 stars PL46, September 10, 2011

By 

Margaret E. Lagasse "Peggy" (Dexter, ME United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: This Golden Valley (Paperback)

I love Francine Rivers books and this one was no exception. I loved it. I can't wait for her to write more books. I have read all of them so far and look forward to reading more.