This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Miriam Pawel's panoramic history of California, from the Gold Rush to Silicon Valley, is told through the lens of the Brown family political dynasty. When Governor Jerry Brown finishes his fourth term at the end of 2018, he will have served as both the youngest and the oldest governor of California. His father, Pat Brown, served two terms starting in 1959. Almost half of the state's modern history has happened under a Governor Brown. As Pawel weaves a narrative that is essential to understanding California and the way it has shaped our nation, she brings to life four generations of the Brown family. Pawel also offers correctives for those who confuse stereotypes and legends for history. She opens new vistas for readers only vaguely familiar with the state habitually viewed from afar with a mix of envy, awe, disdain and fascination.