The Alice Saga: Volume 1, 1923

The great farm depression of the 1920s brought a mass migration of bankrupt farmers from the Midwest and mountain states to California. In ''The Alice Saga,'' Max C. Norton artfully blends fact and fiction to portray the lives of these people, who came to the West so full of hope but found that California had problems of its own.

Having conducted extensive research on the time period, Norton derives his characters and their plight from memoirs, public documents, news accounts, and oral interviews. The gripping account which results follows the struggles of a handful of these unfortunate farmers. As they work to adjust to a new land and culture, California itself must adapt to a new era of farming. Thanks to irrigation and the Don Pedro Dam, the great ranch lands are giving way to dairy farms, vineyards, and orchards.

The experiences of John, Jennie, Bob, and Alice reflect those shared by many others during this chapter of American history. ''The Alice Saga'' brings the drama of these courageous people to life through a richly detailed and engrossing narrative.