Book cover of The Browns of California

Book description

"Miriam Pawel's fascinating book . . . illuminates the sea change in the nation's politics in the last half of the 20th century."--New York Times Book Review

California Book Award Gold Medal Winner * Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize * A Los Angeles Times Bestseller * San…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Browns of California as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A sprawling family story that, thanks to the sheer effort and skill of its author, tackles four generations of a political dynasty’s history and shapes it into a history of modern California at the same time. We see the Browns both shaping California and in turn being inexorably shaped by it, and we come away knowing them and knowing the Golden State all the better for this book’s depth and ambition.

From William's list on family in California.

Miriam Pawel uses former California Gov. Jerry Brown and his ancestors, who were among the early White settlers of California, to tell the California story. I covered Brown’s second eight years as governor and his term as California attorney general, and knew him from his days as Oakland mayor. As well as I thought I knew him, Miriam Pawel offers new insights into one of the most fascinating political figures of our time. The book is more than a character study of the man who served 16 years as governor, first in the 1970s and early 1980s, and later from…

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These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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