MBR: The California Shelf
Midwest Book Review
Imperial
William T. Vollmann
Viking
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
9780670020614, $55.00 www.penguin.com
California's Imperial County covers deserts, date groves, and more -
it draws right across the Mexican border and generations of migrant
workers have roots and history tied to the county. This weighty study
of Imperial County offers an unprecedented survey of not just the
county but the social issues involved in illegal immigration and
border issues, considering the county's early history, its challenges,
its descent into poverty, and its immigration history and connections
with Mexico. Never has another county been given such thorough
historical and social analysis, making IMPERIAL a 'must' not just for
California collections, but for any library strong in immigration
issues.
Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com
Any collection strong in California's ethnic communities in general
and Portuguese community history in particular will find this latest
addition to the 'Images of America' set, Portuguese Community of San
Diego by the Portuguese Historical Center with Donna Alves-Calhoun
(0738570346, $21.99) to be absorbing and powerful, documenting and
preserving local San Diego photos of its community. The author is a
second-generation native to Point Loma and a director of the
Portuguese Historical Center: this gathering uses archival photos and
identifies the history and culture of the region, and is a top pick
for any California library. Also tops are Dolores Gomez and Christy
Thilmany's BRISBANE (0738570486, $21.99), telling of a small town just
outside of San Francisco that has been largely overlooked in regional
Bay Area history. The images from the Brisbane Library Historical
Collection begun in the 1970s make up the bulk of this book and
compliment photos from other local collections documenting Brisbane's
planning and history. A rare, invaluable peek at a nearly-forgotten
small town. Jay Jennings' KNOTT'S BERRY FARM: THE EARLY YEARS
(0738569216, $21.99) tells of Knott's Berry Farm, before Disneyland a
family attraction. It began as a small roadside berry stand in Buena
Park, California and grew to become one of the most popular amusement
parks in the world. This collection of some 200 rare images comes from
a Los Angeles native who has spent the last 25 years researching the
history of Southern California amusement parks as a whole, and
provides an outstanding collection of images perfect for any
California collection.
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