What starts out as a tale of peaceful domesticity takes a sudden turn when the protagonists are lured from Connecticut to California by the promise of striking it rich. This fascinating novella from American author Bret Harte is an engaging, easy read that will please fans of historical fiction or tales of the Old West. First published in 1888, it keeps the reader engrossed with its fast-paced narrative and surprising twists and turns in the plot. Francis Bret Harte was a prolific American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California. The spirit of Dickens breathes through the poems and stories of Bret Harte just as the spirit of Bret Harte breathes through the poems and stories of Kipling.