What Made California the Golden State?: Life During the Gold Rush

Shing Yin Khor and Kass Gray explore a lesser-told side of California's Gold Rush in this graphic novel. The story follows two miners who found friendship while trying to strike gold and the many other communities following the promise of riches. It doesn't shy away from the harms that the Gold Rush held for Indigenous people in California, nor does it ignore the opportunities it held for immigrants and formerly enslaved people. Overall, an excellent title focused on a pivotal moment in California's history.