First published 1994
In 1851, a war erupts in the land that will become Yosemite, pitting settlers against the indigenous people. A century later, the U.S. government ignites a new war, testing nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert. Rebecca Solnit weaves these two battles into a powerful exploration of the West's mythic landscapes - our national Eden and Armageddon. Through vivid storytelling and sharp insight, she reveals the real human costs of this fraught history, challenging our romanticized notions of the American frontier.
Genres: history, 20th-century, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction
Setting: Nevada, West (U.S.), Yosemite National Park (Calif.)
Period: 1851, 20th-century
401 pages · Hardcover · Random House, Inc.