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Dreams of Earth and Sky: A Novel
A ranchero’s daughter in 1845 California fights for her home in a sweeping historical romance of rebellious love, family loyalty, identity, and sacrifice.
California, 1845. Mexican rancheros reign, and while American ambitions threaten their future, the Ávila family’s rancho, El Sueño, is for now a safe haven.
It’s time for twenty-year-old Mariana Ávila, the strong-willed daughter of a wealthy ranchero, to accept tradition and marry. Though Ramón, her childhood sweetheart, is her best prospect, Mariana bristles against convention and aims to follow her own path. When foreign settlers and US forces encroach on the Californios, Mariana meets Irish immigrant Patrick Murphy and is suddenly caught between two admirers and two worlds about to collide. As everything Mariana knows collapses around her, she must navigate the twists of fate to come and the devastating price of American conquest that threatens more than her beloved El Sueño.
Set against the epic backdrop of a tumultuous moment in California’s history, this is, at its heart, the intimate story of a young woman’s fight to protect her family’s legacy and search for love across an impossible divide.
California, 1845. Mexican rancheros reign, and while American ambitions threaten their future, the Ávila family’s rancho, El Sueño, is for now a safe haven.
It’s time for twenty-year-old Mariana Ávila, the strong-willed daughter of a wealthy ranchero, to accept tradition and marry. Though Ramón, her childhood sweetheart, is her best prospect, Mariana bristles against convention and aims to follow her own path. When foreign settlers and US forces encroach on the Californios, Mariana meets Irish immigrant Patrick Murphy and is suddenly caught between two admirers and two worlds about to collide. As everything Mariana knows collapses around her, she must navigate the twists of fate to come and the devastating price of American conquest that threatens more than her beloved El Sueño.
Set against the epic backdrop of a tumultuous moment in California’s history, this is, at its heart, the intimate story of a young woman’s fight to protect her family’s legacy and search for love across an impossible divide.
363 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
August 14, 2026
Quite honestly, one of the worst books I’ve ever read: I don’t DNF books, but oh how I dreaded picking this one up each day. I was surprised to read that the author has degrees in journalism. I’ve read better stories from middle schoolers.
I kept a list of my thoughts as I read:
- Slow as molasses
- The use of many Spanish words, without a lot of context clues, made the reading laborious.
- This felt a bit like Cinderella - 1800’s/western style
- The romance was rushed and seemed wrong for the time period
- The plot was very disjointed; the politics were confusing. Because there was no buildup, I was utterly confused the entire time.
- The characters were unlikable and inconsistent. Their actions contradicted themselves constantly.
- The dialogue was juvenile and embarrassing.
I will take great joy in deleting this from my Kindle.
I kept a list of my thoughts as I read:
- Slow as molasses
- The use of many Spanish words, without a lot of context clues, made the reading laborious.
- This felt a bit like Cinderella - 1800’s/western style
- The romance was rushed and seemed wrong for the time period
- The plot was very disjointed; the politics were confusing. Because there was no buildup, I was utterly confused the entire time.
- The characters were unlikable and inconsistent. Their actions contradicted themselves constantly.
- The dialogue was juvenile and embarrassing.
I will take great joy in deleting this from my Kindle.
August 6, 2026
What We Can Learn from the Past
Thank you to Amazon First Reads, a program for Kindle members that brings books pre-publication to us to select one or two once a month. Many thanks.
Dreams of Earth and Sky by Shirley Perez West will educate you, fascinate you and will break your heart. Starting out as a history of the great Mexican Rancheros in Californio, you get a personal look into the wealthy class of land owners in Mexican Californio.
I was struck by the similarities between early 1950 United States families and the 1880 Mexican Ranchero families. Both held values and family honor most important. Parents expected their children to marry well and pass on the family traditions. Why couldn't they see how much they had in common? Because GREED got in the way.
I grew up in Southern California and then Northern California, specifically the Bay area by San Francisco. I delighted in recognizing the origins of the names of the cities, streets and areas of Northern California.
However, it was so difficult for me to read a truthful account of the outright theft of the sumptuous lands of Mexican Californio by white men who thought they were entitled to the land by the superiority of their race. I confess to not knowing the origins of the place I hold so dear.
It's sickening to me to think about the Mexican immigrant farm workers who scrabble for a living in the United States, under fear of deportation. These people are the descendants of the rightful owners of the State of California. They deserve better than the treatment most are given.
Shirley Perez West accurately portrays the dismantling of the beautiful culture of Californio, describing the initial foray of people looking for land to the flood of American Soldiers assuming ownership of the Ranches and just turning out the families on the street.
Dreams of Earth and Sky is an important book. More books like this need to be written and then read. The only way we can avoid the thoughtless mistakes of the past, is to look with truthful eyes upon history. Thank you Shirley Perez West for a beautiful, painful and hopeful book.
Thank you to Amazon First Reads, a program for Kindle members that brings books pre-publication to us to select one or two once a month. Many thanks.
Dreams of Earth and Sky by Shirley Perez West will educate you, fascinate you and will break your heart. Starting out as a history of the great Mexican Rancheros in Californio, you get a personal look into the wealthy class of land owners in Mexican Californio.
I was struck by the similarities between early 1950 United States families and the 1880 Mexican Ranchero families. Both held values and family honor most important. Parents expected their children to marry well and pass on the family traditions. Why couldn't they see how much they had in common? Because GREED got in the way.
I grew up in Southern California and then Northern California, specifically the Bay area by San Francisco. I delighted in recognizing the origins of the names of the cities, streets and areas of Northern California.
However, it was so difficult for me to read a truthful account of the outright theft of the sumptuous lands of Mexican Californio by white men who thought they were entitled to the land by the superiority of their race. I confess to not knowing the origins of the place I hold so dear.
It's sickening to me to think about the Mexican immigrant farm workers who scrabble for a living in the United States, under fear of deportation. These people are the descendants of the rightful owners of the State of California. They deserve better than the treatment most are given.
Shirley Perez West accurately portrays the dismantling of the beautiful culture of Californio, describing the initial foray of people looking for land to the flood of American Soldiers assuming ownership of the Ranches and just turning out the families on the street.
Dreams of Earth and Sky is an important book. More books like this need to be written and then read. The only way we can avoid the thoughtless mistakes of the past, is to look with truthful eyes upon history. Thank you Shirley Perez West for a beautiful, painful and hopeful book.
August 1, 2026
What a stunning book! I knew nothing about the history of "the Californios" and the American takeover of what was once Mexican land before reading DREAMS OF EARTH AND SKY. West masterfully captures the courage of the Mexican ranchers and their families as they faced the invaders who came for their homes.
Mariana Avila and Patrick Murphy come from two different worlds, but their story is much more than that of star-crossed lovers. This is also a story about the love of family and its legacy -- and the losses that the American conquest engendered. And it is full of surprises. However, what carries this story forward is the brilliance of the writing. For example, West's descriptions of ancient redwoods: "their bark as shaggy as his winter coat, their shadows swallowing the moonlight" or fog sweeping "over the ridgeline, hazing the evening sky, muffling the birds" create such a vivid picture of the natural world that it's impossible not to find yourself immersed in this world so different from our own. Bravo!
Mariana Avila and Patrick Murphy come from two different worlds, but their story is much more than that of star-crossed lovers. This is also a story about the love of family and its legacy -- and the losses that the American conquest engendered. And it is full of surprises. However, what carries this story forward is the brilliance of the writing. For example, West's descriptions of ancient redwoods: "their bark as shaggy as his winter coat, their shadows swallowing the moonlight" or fog sweeping "over the ridgeline, hazing the evening sky, muffling the birds" create such a vivid picture of the natural world that it's impossible not to find yourself immersed in this world so different from our own. Bravo!
August 13, 2026
Outstanding Historical Novel
This story held my interest and touched my heart. It felt like, even though it is a novel, it was loaded with historical interest. Highly recommend this as an excellent family history of early California, Mexico and United States.
This story held my interest and touched my heart. It felt like, even though it is a novel, it was loaded with historical interest. Highly recommend this as an excellent family history of early California, Mexico and United States.
August 18, 2026
I was very disappointed
This book tried to be an epic about old California, but it ended up being more like a YA Book that was mostly about the love stories. Neither were good. There were so many plot holes, time jumps, and little character development.
This book tried to be an epic about old California, but it ended up being more like a YA Book that was mostly about the love stories. Neither were good. There were so many plot holes, time jumps, and little character development.
September 1, 2026
This is story of struggle. It is set in the late 1840’s in a time when California was a part of Mexico. Mexican Ranch owners in the San Francisco area were proud of their culture and heritage. The story centers on a young woman, Mariana, whose mother died when she was a child. When her father remarried, Mariana struggled as a stepchild. She struggled with the traditions. She was expected to marry a man she did not love. She was torn between what was expected of her and her love for a “foreigner”. Through all of this, California was being taken over by the US and Mariana’s family was in danger of losing their ranch. This was an historical novel that brings to light the reality of California’s struggles to keep its identity and gives new meaning to the Spanish names of so many cities.
September 1, 2026
Fantastic story
I loved reading about the lives of the Californios and the impact of the expansion of the United States westward. Truly a book I could hardly put down, I was extremely pleased with the quality of writing. High praise also for the way the story line was developed, for the character development, and for the resolution of the crises.
I loved reading about the lives of the Californios and the impact of the expansion of the United States westward. Truly a book I could hardly put down, I was extremely pleased with the quality of writing. High praise also for the way the story line was developed, for the character development, and for the resolution of the crises.
October 10, 2026
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a free digital copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
There's something especially disappointing about a book that begins with so much promise, only to then go completely off the rails. Such was the case with Dreams of Earth and Sky, an historical romance set in 1840s California, on the eve of war between Mexico and the United States. The setting is unique and rich for exploration--most 19th century conflicts are overshadowed by the Civil War in both American academia and pop culture--and the premise is one long favored in romances: two people from completely different backgrounds who cross paths by happenstance and are inexplicably drawn towards one another thereafter. For Mariana, the daughter of a wealthy Mexican ranchero, and Patrick, an Irish immigrant, this happens almost right at the jump, eschewing a long exposition. The writing is somewhat more reminiscent of YA than adult literature, but this isn't a major hindrance, at least not at first. Mariana is sassy and Patrick is sweet, and for the first quarter or so, Dreams of Earth and Sky unfolds like a tender-hearted love story.
It was not meant to last. Despite the initial burst of momentum, the story soon falls into a plodding sequence of repetition. An exorbitant amount of time is devoted to Mariana's horse getting traded, then returned, then given away, then stolen, then taken again. The same characters are continually getting attacked and injured, and the frequency with which they keep coincidentally crossing paths feels rather silly in a place as big as California. All this is only made worse by Dreams of Earth and Sky's quick descent into a telenovela.
One aspect of Dreams of Earth and Sky that I did appreciate was the realism afforded to Mexican culture, and the nuances of the Californian community. Perez West doesn't whack us over the head with machismo, but it's definitely present; Mariana and the other girls may be independent and headstrong, but they still must conform to a strict, patriarchal structure. Xenophobia hinders Patrick's attempts to buy land and to join the Mexican army, and his lack of citizenship often leaves him legally adrift. The Mexican characters are understandably aghast at the American invasion, while also acknowledging that the Mexican government has failed to account for the northern part of the country for several years. Religion is an integral part of the characters' lives, and Catholicism is one of the things that draws Patrick and Mariana together.
As the novel progresses, the story naturally focuses more on Mariana's family's perspective on the war, and the disdain for the Americans who have come to infringe on their land. This makes sense from a character perspective, but it is somewhat undermined by the Author's Note. The very last thing written in this book is that California was inhabited by Native tribes prior to Spanish colonization. And indeed, that's one of the peculiar things about the Mexican-American War, that it was between two countries that were newly emancipated from imperial European powers. Yet this is never mentioned whenever someone laments the invaders who have come to take their land because "they think they're better than us." Perez West probably felt compelled to include a line about Indigenous peoples in her Author's Note, but doing so without any incorporation into the story itself is really just lampshading.
This appears to be the author's first novel, so I have hope that she'll work out these kinks with time. On the bright side, I got to write another impassioned review, which is always fun.
(Side-note: For those of you familiar with American Girl. . . that's Josefina on the cover, right?)
There's something especially disappointing about a book that begins with so much promise, only to then go completely off the rails. Such was the case with Dreams of Earth and Sky, an historical romance set in 1840s California, on the eve of war between Mexico and the United States. The setting is unique and rich for exploration--most 19th century conflicts are overshadowed by the Civil War in both American academia and pop culture--and the premise is one long favored in romances: two people from completely different backgrounds who cross paths by happenstance and are inexplicably drawn towards one another thereafter. For Mariana, the daughter of a wealthy Mexican ranchero, and Patrick, an Irish immigrant, this happens almost right at the jump, eschewing a long exposition. The writing is somewhat more reminiscent of YA than adult literature, but this isn't a major hindrance, at least not at first. Mariana is sassy and Patrick is sweet, and for the first quarter or so, Dreams of Earth and Sky unfolds like a tender-hearted love story.
It was not meant to last. Despite the initial burst of momentum, the story soon falls into a plodding sequence of repetition. An exorbitant amount of time is devoted to Mariana's horse getting traded, then returned, then given away, then stolen, then taken again. The same characters are continually getting attacked and injured, and the frequency with which they keep coincidentally crossing paths feels rather silly in a place as big as California. All this is only made worse by Dreams of Earth and Sky's quick descent into a telenovela.
One aspect of Dreams of Earth and Sky that I did appreciate was the realism afforded to Mexican culture, and the nuances of the Californian community. Perez West doesn't whack us over the head with machismo, but it's definitely present; Mariana and the other girls may be independent and headstrong, but they still must conform to a strict, patriarchal structure. Xenophobia hinders Patrick's attempts to buy land and to join the Mexican army, and his lack of citizenship often leaves him legally adrift. The Mexican characters are understandably aghast at the American invasion, while also acknowledging that the Mexican government has failed to account for the northern part of the country for several years. Religion is an integral part of the characters' lives, and Catholicism is one of the things that draws Patrick and Mariana together.
As the novel progresses, the story naturally focuses more on Mariana's family's perspective on the war, and the disdain for the Americans who have come to infringe on their land. This makes sense from a character perspective, but it is somewhat undermined by the Author's Note. The very last thing written in this book is that California was inhabited by Native tribes prior to Spanish colonization. And indeed, that's one of the peculiar things about the Mexican-American War, that it was between two countries that were newly emancipated from imperial European powers. Yet this is never mentioned whenever someone laments the invaders who have come to take their land because "they think they're better than us." Perez West probably felt compelled to include a line about Indigenous peoples in her Author's Note, but doing so without any incorporation into the story itself is really just lampshading.
This appears to be the author's first novel, so I have hope that she'll work out these kinks with time. On the bright side, I got to write another impassioned review, which is always fun.
(Side-note: For those of you familiar with American Girl. . . that's Josefina on the cover, right?)
August 9, 2026
I wasn't sure how I was going to like this novel when I started reading but found a strong woman who had to face so many obstacles in a year. The war between Mexico and the settlers arriving from the United States put even more pressure on this family and her in particular. She definitely rose to the challenges before her.
August 9, 2026
A Better Understanding
First off, I have to say that I truly hope the American invaders were not as barbaric as portrayed. But the Latinx perspective was illuminating and bettered my understanding of the Mexican perspective in those times. I live in a town with a large population of Latinx persons. This book has helped me understand their perspective a little better. I'm glad I was reading on a Kindle as there are a lot of Spanish words to look up.
First off, I have to say that I truly hope the American invaders were not as barbaric as portrayed. But the Latinx perspective was illuminating and bettered my understanding of the Mexican perspective in those times. I live in a town with a large population of Latinx persons. This book has helped me understand their perspective a little better. I'm glad I was reading on a Kindle as there are a lot of Spanish words to look up.
September 14, 2026
I was pretty much underwhelmed by this book. The first half was painfully slow although the historic aspects were interesting. The story at that point was mostly her losing her horse to someone else several times and people getting injured repeatedly.
It finally did pick up but there was not much of a plot and the characters were many but none were fully developed. Mariana had to fight to save her family’s ranch with many loved ones lost along the way and losing her prized arabian stallion at every turn and then getting him back. Her love for Ramon was lukewarm and then just like that he was the life of her life and then he’s gone. In the end she lost him for good but appears that she ended up with Patrick who all along was her secret attraction. This love story really was half baked.
The title of the book seems like it’s misplaced. It doesn’t really have an obvious tie to the story and seems too general and random.
As someone who owns and loves horses the ending didn’t sit well with me. It’s unrealistic that this is how she solves the issue of losing the adobe, is by trading her beloved stallion. The ending was just a fade off of the story and not anything remarkable other than the jolt of her volunteering to give away her soul horse.
I’m giving three stars for the historical aspects of the book even though the plot was very weak. Otherwise for me it was two stars.
It finally did pick up but there was not much of a plot and the characters were many but none were fully developed. Mariana had to fight to save her family’s ranch with many loved ones lost along the way and losing her prized arabian stallion at every turn and then getting him back. Her love for Ramon was lukewarm and then just like that he was the life of her life and then he’s gone. In the end she lost him for good but appears that she ended up with Patrick who all along was her secret attraction. This love story really was half baked.
The title of the book seems like it’s misplaced. It doesn’t really have an obvious tie to the story and seems too general and random.
As someone who owns and loves horses the ending didn’t sit well with me. It’s unrealistic that this is how she solves the issue of losing the adobe, is by trading her beloved stallion. The ending was just a fade off of the story and not anything remarkable other than the jolt of her volunteering to give away her soul horse.
I’m giving three stars for the historical aspects of the book even though the plot was very weak. Otherwise for me it was two stars.
September 25, 2026
The audible is like nails on a chalkboard. The reader speaks every line like she’s reading dialogue in a particularly spicy bedroom scene. I need an audiobook at the moment so this one is going to have to wait until I can read it with my own two eyes.
August 12, 2026
The Old West
I loved the storyline and the western history. First time reading this author, but will look for more. The true grit of women. This book didn't disappoint.
I loved the storyline and the western history. First time reading this author, but will look for more. The true grit of women. This book didn't disappoint.
August 28, 2026
This story, set during the Mexican - American war, reads like a love letter to Old California. The atmospheric prose describes the beauty and pain of this time.
As did Patrick, I wish that the "loveliness of their way of life" could have continued without the pains caused by colonization. I appreciate learning this real history of my native state.
I'm grateful for the opportunity of reading this Prime First Reads book and highly recommend it to others.
As did Patrick, I wish that the "loveliness of their way of life" could have continued without the pains caused by colonization. I appreciate learning this real history of my native state.
I'm grateful for the opportunity of reading this Prime First Reads book and highly recommend it to others.
August 28, 2026
love this
Anytime you can read history about the side that did not “win” you learn volumes! Such a great read - beautiful characters and intertwined with real historical figure that they don’t teach our children about. Don’t miss the chance to broaden your knowledge of the history of this land we call home.
Anytime you can read history about the side that did not “win” you learn volumes! Such a great read - beautiful characters and intertwined with real historical figure that they don’t teach our children about. Don’t miss the chance to broaden your knowledge of the history of this land we call home.
September 7, 2026
Almost DNF’d multiple times but I kept wanting it to get better so bad!! Very disjointed and a little immature at times?? Felt like a young adult timeline for my Josephina doll.
August 24, 2026
3.5 rating. I enjoyed the historical aspects of life during the Mexican-American war. Mariano was a strong protagonist and I enjoyed following her family in the era of the Californios who migrated north from New Spain. I was glad I read this novel on my Kindle as there were plenty of Spanish words that I could easily translate. Nicely done.
August 23, 2026
Something different
I read a lot of historical fiction. However, this time period is new to me. I enjoyed reading a book set during this time in history. Highly recommend.
I AM BEGGING FOR A SECOND NOVEL.
I read a lot of historical fiction. However, this time period is new to me. I enjoyed reading a book set during this time in history. Highly recommend.
I AM BEGGING FOR A SECOND NOVEL.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dreams of Earth and Sky by Shirley Perez West was a wonderful read and an easy 5 stars for me. I loved how the author blended history, family, home, and romance into one compelling story. The historical backdrop was fascinating—I learned so much about a period of California history that I knew very little about and found myself stopping to look up people, places, and events along the way.
Mariana is a memorable heroine: spirited, independent, and unconventional, yet deeply connected to her family and culture. Following her journey as she comes of age and has two men who love her, and prepares for marriage during such a tumultuous time was both engaging and moving.
This is the kind of historical fiction I love—rich in detail, grounded in family and place, and filled with heart. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction, strong female characters, and a beautifully told love story.
Dreams of Earth and Sky by Shirley Perez West was a wonderful read and an easy 5 stars for me. I loved how the author blended history, family, home, and romance into one compelling story. The historical backdrop was fascinating—I learned so much about a period of California history that I knew very little about and found myself stopping to look up people, places, and events along the way.
Mariana is a memorable heroine: spirited, independent, and unconventional, yet deeply connected to her family and culture. Following her journey as she comes of age and has two men who love her, and prepares for marriage during such a tumultuous time was both engaging and moving.
This is the kind of historical fiction I love—rich in detail, grounded in family and place, and filled with heart. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction, strong female characters, and a beautifully told love story.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I had the extreme pleasure of being able to read an advance copy of Shirley's historical fiction Dreams of Earth and Sky. What a wonderful story! Aside from learning about life in the mid-1800's, it's a beautiful story that completely draws you into the lives of Mariana and Patrick. I highly recommend.
August 26, 2026
BOOK REVIEW 4.5⭐s
Dreams of Earth and Sky by Shirley Perez West
Thank you @shirlwrites for the physical advance reader copy of your gorgeous debut novel Dreams of Earth and Sky. Thank you for trusting me to read and review your book.
This exquisitely written work of historical fiction is rich in the details of the land, people, and culture of the Mexican rancheros of California in the mid 1800s. The family saga tells the story of Mexican ranchero families trying desperately to secure their claims to their land as the Americans and European immigrants travel West seeking opportunity and to claim the land as their own. In the midst of this battle to save their homes and family legacies, FMC Marianna is caught between remaining loyal to her family, abiding by traditions and fulfilling expectations and carving her own path in life. A life where she must choose to marry her betrothed, Ramon or go against her family’s arrangement to chase the heart of Irish immigrant Patrick Murphy.
This story evolves slowly in great detail. I felt fully immersed in the lifestyle and landscape of the time. The entire duration of the story is twelve months allowing Perez West the luxury of diving deep into the history of the tensions and violence experienced between the Mexican rancheros and the descending Americans and immigrants. As the relationships amongst relatives and the family dynamics are tested and explored, I especially loved seeing the evolution of the relationship between Marianna and her stepmother over time. I also appreciate that the closed door love triangle of sorts does not play out in the formulaic way a reader expects. My one little “ding” that kept this from being five stars is the number of characters included in certain parts of the story that I had difficulty keeping straight.
This is a beautiful story of a specific time and place in the history of this country that I had limited knowledge of before reading. Perez West includes actual historic figures living during this time in her novel. I highly recommend reading the author notes at the end in which she states, “The Wild West has always been a fiction, promoting a pioneer narrative that had little room for nonwhite heroes. My hope for this book was to give voice to and acknowledge the people who came before me, the Californios”. In my opinion, Shirley Perez West accomplishes her goal.
Dreams of Earth and Sky by Shirley Perez West
Thank you @shirlwrites for the physical advance reader copy of your gorgeous debut novel Dreams of Earth and Sky. Thank you for trusting me to read and review your book.
This exquisitely written work of historical fiction is rich in the details of the land, people, and culture of the Mexican rancheros of California in the mid 1800s. The family saga tells the story of Mexican ranchero families trying desperately to secure their claims to their land as the Americans and European immigrants travel West seeking opportunity and to claim the land as their own. In the midst of this battle to save their homes and family legacies, FMC Marianna is caught between remaining loyal to her family, abiding by traditions and fulfilling expectations and carving her own path in life. A life where she must choose to marry her betrothed, Ramon or go against her family’s arrangement to chase the heart of Irish immigrant Patrick Murphy.
This story evolves slowly in great detail. I felt fully immersed in the lifestyle and landscape of the time. The entire duration of the story is twelve months allowing Perez West the luxury of diving deep into the history of the tensions and violence experienced between the Mexican rancheros and the descending Americans and immigrants. As the relationships amongst relatives and the family dynamics are tested and explored, I especially loved seeing the evolution of the relationship between Marianna and her stepmother over time. I also appreciate that the closed door love triangle of sorts does not play out in the formulaic way a reader expects. My one little “ding” that kept this from being five stars is the number of characters included in certain parts of the story that I had difficulty keeping straight.
This is a beautiful story of a specific time and place in the history of this country that I had limited knowledge of before reading. Perez West includes actual historic figures living during this time in her novel. I highly recommend reading the author notes at the end in which she states, “The Wild West has always been a fiction, promoting a pioneer narrative that had little room for nonwhite heroes. My hope for this book was to give voice to and acknowledge the people who came before me, the Californios”. In my opinion, Shirley Perez West accomplishes her goal.
September 23, 2026
****Many thanks to Netgalley for an advanced eArc in exchange for my honest opinion****
The glacial pacing of this book is atrocious. When I read the synopsis of this book I was incredibly excited! I had never read anything about California before it became a part of the 50 states. So seeing you get a in depth book about Californios I thought this would automatically be a 4 star read for me.
Pacing, the pacing was so slooooooowww. I felt like I would read a fairly good chunk of information, new characters would be introduced, main characters would go somewhere else, another injury occurs etc. And I look down at the percent of the book and it moved maybe 3%.... With what happens in the book overall I am confused as to how it is so slow. I mean the details are there, the details are what kept me moving through this. Beautiful, I felt like I was at the hacienda. Could see and feel the night mist on my face, hear the strong thudding hoofbeats of Araminto and hear the trees being cut down. We have major family players that could have helped the plotline along by expanding on their POV's, something.. anything else than what we got!
If some TLC was done it would have definitely been a 3.5-4 star book for me.
The glacial pacing of this book is atrocious. When I read the synopsis of this book I was incredibly excited! I had never read anything about California before it became a part of the 50 states. So seeing you get a in depth book about Californios I thought this would automatically be a 4 star read for me.
Pacing, the pacing was so slooooooowww. I felt like I would read a fairly good chunk of information, new characters would be introduced, main characters would go somewhere else, another injury occurs etc. And I look down at the percent of the book and it moved maybe 3%.... With what happens in the book overall I am confused as to how it is so slow. I mean the details are there, the details are what kept me moving through this. Beautiful, I felt like I was at the hacienda. Could see and feel the night mist on my face, hear the strong thudding hoofbeats of Araminto and hear the trees being cut down. We have major family players that could have helped the plotline along by expanding on their POV's, something.. anything else than what we got!
If some TLC was done it would have definitely been a 3.5-4 star book for me.
September 12, 2026
This story takes place in the 1800 around what is now San Francisco. It is written from the point of view of the Californio's which made it special. The ranch life, the problems when the Americano's came and wanted to take their land away from them. It was a very enjoyable read.
October 6, 2026
The story was interesting to the extent it takes place in the area where I live. It was not particularly well written,however, and I pretty much sped through the second half just to see how it ended.
September 7, 2026
I really enjoyed reading this book! It was easy to read and I enjoyed learned about a time in history that isn’t well covered I think
October 9, 2026
Learned a lot about the history of California republic & Mexico. One thing that hasn’t changed is people’s entitlement to things that don’t belong to them.
August 8, 2026
History Lesson
Beautiful long, lost history. And the story of people holding on to their homes. But sadly, as they took land from indigenous peoples, they, too, lost the land to the next wave of takers.
Beautiful long, lost history. And the story of people holding on to their homes. But sadly, as they took land from indigenous peoples, they, too, lost the land to the next wave of takers.
September 5, 2026
Four stars, lacking one because the ending was pretty predictable. However, I learned a lot about early California history. While I'm not sure there's historical accuracy to Mariana's constant fighting women's place in an upper-class family of the time, her spunk was enjoyable.
August 24, 2026
A Lost World
I love reading about hidden history--the kind that never gets into history books but tells forgotten truths. This novel reveals the lost paradise of the Californios and made me grieve that loss. Told through the story of a young girl, it is elegiac and moving. The story sagged a bit in early parts, but I couldn't read the last third fast enough. I highly recommend this fascinating work of historical fiction.
I love reading about hidden history--the kind that never gets into history books but tells forgotten truths. This novel reveals the lost paradise of the Californios and made me grieve that loss. Told through the story of a young girl, it is elegiac and moving. The story sagged a bit in early parts, but I couldn't read the last third fast enough. I highly recommend this fascinating work of historical fiction.
September 3, 2026
4.5⭐️ im so glad i came across this and went into it blindly. the way mariana’s story was told, knowing that so many people went through what she did, lost what she lost. it made it that much easier for me to connect with the characters.
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