Mitzi's Reviews > The Prospectors

I picked up this book for 2 reasons. 1) I knew nothing of the Klondike Gold Rush and I really enjoy historical fiction and 2) I think it's really important to learn about the injustices that Native peoples experienced during different time periods with the hopes that we won't continue to let things like that happen. The Prospectors is based on the actual historical Bush and Berry families who started out as struggling fruit farmers in Selma, California and then went on to strike gold in Canada. There were many struggles that the white settlers experienced in the wilderness but it also brings to light the effect that the gold rush had on the lives and traditions of the First Nations peoples. An interesting tidbit is that 2 of the main characters are actually the author's great-great grandparents and she remembered pieces of their stories that she heard in her childhood. Top that with extensive research and you have a very interesting read indeed!