Haslam's Valley

by Gerald Haslam

Stories and essays from the champion of the ''other'' California Gerald Haslam picks up where Mark Twain left off in this career-spanning collection brimming with life and humor--but this is Kern County instead of Calaveras, Oildale instead of Nevada City, a great alligator hunt instead of a celebrated jumping frog. While Haslam's stories entertain, his essays gesture at the sweeping diversity of the Central Valley and the richness of community to be found there. Here too is a darker side of California's heartland, where a Japanese family bids good-bye to an America they thought they knew, and where Okies are shunned as second-class citizens. Haslam tackles problems of racism, social class, and environmental issues that are plaguing the Valley, as well as crafting whimsical tales full of local color.

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Christine Granados · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Everyone of these short stories is carefully crafted, poignant. I'd say this dude's an even better writer than Steinbeck. He writes about Califas honestly and with knowledge that comes from experience. Essays are good too. Don't know why more people don't know about him.