Bonita: A Tale of Early California by Carl R. Brush

Meet Bonita. Often reckless, often victimized, a deeply spiritual person who transforms herself from a rebellious adolescent into a prominent entrepreneur. When we meet her as a twelve-year-old in 1843, she is living a privileged life on a hacienda overlooking San Francisco Bay. But she discovers that she’s not who she’s been told, so she strikes out on her own to discover the truth. Along the way, she becomes immersed in the swirl of historic events that surrounds her-the Mexican-American war, the gold rush, California’s drive for statehood. An intense romance both complicates and enhances her quest. Her search and its discoveries create fresh challenges, challenges she meets with originality and boldness that by that point we’ve come to expect of this extraordinary woman named Bonita. Bonita is a strong-willed young heroine who discovers she has a hidden past and is determined to find out the secrets that lie behind it. Strong-willed and resolute, she fights for her rights as a woman in an era where patriarchy is upheld and revered.

-Lily Amanda of Hollywood Book Review