Ted Barone

California Calypso Ted Barone

The Golden State's origin story is profound and multicultural. It's a tale rarely told despite California's transcendent influence on global trade and culture. CALIFORNIA CALYPSO is this story. It's the late-1840's--a period of explosive change globally and locally. Three adolescents- a Chinese refugee, a Mexican (Californio), an American immigrant-and a Yokuts medicine man, struggle to shape their moral and physical destiny against the onslaught of American westward migration. Within its historic backdrop of war, the gold rush, and the birth of the state, CALIFORNIA CALYPSO is a coming-of-age novel of idealism and hypocrisy, ambition and destruction. CALIFORNIA CALYPSO captures the sweeping drama of a monumental six years. It challenges readers to imagine the place and time, and question, as did Joshua, whether they would have succumbed to the desperation of the Donner Party. Would they have fought for women's rights like Antonía, sacrificed their lives to help their people fight disease like Tukwhel, or demonstrated Wai-man's resiliency in the aftermath of tragedy? The book's themes of immigration, racial and gender prejudice, and environmental destruction shine a light on parallel concerns in our nation today.