“Bay Lands is a marvelous window into this young [Californio] woman’s journey and provides the reader with a much deeper understanding of the issues that families such as Marisol’s had to confront.”—Rose Marie Beebe, professor emerita of Spanish literature at University of Santa Clara and editor of the Before Gold: California under Spain and Mexico series

“Bay Lands is a historical tour de force.”—Elizabeth Cobbs, New York Times best-selling author of The Hamilton Affair

“Brown delivers this novel at the exact right historical moment: Readers are likely eager to sink their teeth into a story that features industrious, ahead-of-their-time women who manage to stand up to patriarchal profit. A historical saga rich in setting and character . . .”—Kirkus Reviews

“A vivid, deeply human novel that depicts the birth of modern California and brings the 1870s roaring to life. What emerges in this gripping tale of fraud, ambition, and survival, is a captivating exploration of real history. A truly impressive achievement.”—Jacqueline Friedland, USA Today best-selling author of Counting Backwards and Breathing Under Water

“In her vivid new novel, Theresa Donovan Brown transports readers to the unforgettable world of nineteenth century California. Epic, ambitious, and touchingly human, Bay Lands is a rich and complex novel about a richly complex place.”—Ginny Kubitz Moyer, author of The World at Home and A Golden Life