The Grumbling Gods: A Palm Springs Reader

by Peter Wild (Editor)

Home to former presidents and to movie stars, Palm Springs and its surrounding deserts are among the fastest growing and wealthiest areas of the U.S. But beneath the glitter lies a story of turmoil and a pattern of excess that prefigures many of the issues that face the nation.
The Grumbling Gods surveys the history and allure of Palm Springs, beginning with the Cahuilla Indians, the first historical residents of the region. It includes accounts from the early explorers, a report of mysterious shipwrecks amidst the sand dunes, and selections from the grimly rollicking writings of Raymond Chandler. It penetrates the tinsel of casinos and the placidity of gated golf communities to reveal the painful beauty of deserts and mountains under assault.
Francisco Patencio, the last of the traditional Cahuilla Indians, warned his white neighbors to be careful, that the grim gods inhabiting the canyons around Palm Springs were angry. It is their grumbling, at once chilling and prophetic, and yet sometimes humorous, that we hear from the pages of this book.

264 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2007

Reviews

[Stephanie Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in conjunction with a trip out to Palm Springs. It's a collection of works on the topic, ranging from turn-of-the-century and its original inhabitants, to the Hollywood invasion of the '40s and beyond. Some parts are drier than others (ha!) but the author's intros to the various book excerpts are well written and there are tons of interesting details about the history of this peculiar place.