Bodie Gone

Frances Tip DeQuill -- affluent housewife, mother, and sometimes newspaper writer -- was mortified when the iron door clanked shut. Yes, she was locked up in the Bridgeport jail. Imprisonment marked the beginning of the price she would pay for investigating a sequence of ominous, unlikely events that had occurred close to Bridgeport and the nearby ghost town of Bodie, California.Frances had been obsessed trying to unravel the mystery of the strange things that had happened, much like prospectors who had been driven to seek Bodie's Veda Madre. No warnings, no threats, and not even jail could divert her attention. Her quest for a story would take her back in time to the gold rush days and urge her to chronicle the stories of eight strangers who had struggled to reach Bodie seeking gold, love, lust, adventure or revenge. Her strangers would interact with some of the best known characters from the Old West and they would experience many historical happenings. But nothing they suffered would prepare them for their bizarre departure from Bodie.Would Frances find the truth? Could she escape her hunters? Would she have time to expose the cover-up and find the real meaning of Bodie Gone?

Residents of a mining camp in California have named their community "Body" after William Body, a smithy who deserted his family in New York, moved to California, located a mine, and perished in a blizzard. But citizens are tired of jokey references to the spelling of the name, and elders in the camp decide to change the town's name to "Bodie." To mark the occasion, they recover Body's remains and schedule a funeral and town rechristening on the Fourth of July. News of the grand event makes its way to New York and sets off a battle in Daniel Owen's household, a battle which becomes intense when Billie Owen discovers she's the sole offspring of William Body. A plucky gal with Dime-novel credentials, Billie rebels and heads west to honor her true father. Upon arriving in camp, Billie learns her father died from a radial fracture to the head. Within days, Billie's friend Rusty winds up at the end of a rope. Suddenly, there are killers on the loose and vigilantes in the streets. Can Billie discover the truth behind the deaths of her father and her friend in time?

The mid-19th century mining town of Bodie, California located at 8,369 feet, atop the Sierra Nevada Mountains, just 3 1/2 miles from the Nevada border, was considered one of the richest gold and silver mining towns in the west. Geologists who know of its present rich ore deposits, say it could have been again, but since it became a California historic state park in 1962, that possibility was terminated. The old town, now the best preserved ghost town in the Nation, is maintained in a state of arrested decay by the State of California, meaning it will never be restored to its once rough and tough condition of the 1870s, but it is prevented from further deterioration through a system of constant repair. The public is encouraged to visit the old town, and this book is a compilation of stories, news items, historic information, and reports of its past, some true, some possibly true, and some probably outright lies by citizens of the past and news reporters who wrote for the many old newspapers that described life as it was lived in the years immediately following the Civil War. Authors Jim Watson, photographer, and Doug Brodie, former newspaper reporter, have obtained items heretofore never explained nor described in writings about the old town. Their research has made this book a one of a kind publication.

Ranch owner Cane Kirk lost more than his arm in the war. He lost his way, battling his inner demons by challenging any cowboy unfortunate enough to get in his way. No one seems to be able to cool him down, except beautiful Bodie Mays. Bodie doesn't mind saving Cane from himself, even if he is a little too tempting for her own peace of mind. But soon Bodie's the one who finds herself in need of rescuing—only, she's afraid to tell Cane what's really going on. How can she trust someone as unpredictable as this fierce cowboy? When her silence only ends up getting her into even deeper hot water, it's up to Cane to save the day. And if he does it right, he won't be riding off into the sunset alone.

"An elegant coming-of-age story that brings real heart to the American heartland. The book may be set during World War II, but the questions it asks—about love, loyalty, and the meaning of life—are timeless ones." —Elliott Holt, author of You Are One of Them As her Wisconsin community endures a long season of drought and feels the shockwaves of World War II, fifteen-year-old Cielle endures a more personal calamity: the unexpected death of her father. On a balmy summer afternoon, she finds him hanging in the barn—the start of a dark secret that threatens her family’s livelihood. A war rages elsewhere, while in the deceptive calm of the American heartland, Cielle’s family contends with a new reality and fights not to be undone. A stunning debut, The Driest Season creates a moving portrait of Cielle’s struggle to make sense of her father’s time on earth, and of her own. With wisdom and grit, Kenny has fashioned a deeply affecting story of a young woman discovering loss, heartache, and—finally—hope.

The Bodie Mining District was established in 1860 after the discovery of gold deposits in the area. Bodie's largest boom ended just over twenty years later, but the town survived into the twentieth century supported by a few small but steady mines. Mining ended with World War II. What remained of the town became a state park in 1964. In Bodie's Gold, author Marguerite Sprague uncovers the original sources of information whenever possible, from the first mining claims to interviews with former Bodieites. Enhanced with numerous historic photographs and extracts from newspapers of that period, as well as by the reminiscences of former residents, the book offers a fascinating account of life in a Gold Rush boomtown. The book is now available in a new, easier-to-handle paperback edition that will make it more convenient for readers who want to carry if with them in a car or backpack.