Heroes, Villains, and Ghosts: Folklore of Old California

Other chapters deal with: - Juanita, the first woman executed in California - Joaquin Murrieta, the Robin Hood of California - Bigfoot - The Monster of Blue Lake - The Lost Ship of the Mojave Desert - Camels of the American West - La Llorona - Many, many other colorful stories

It's a shame that this book is out of print. I first read it years ago and it changed the way that I thought about my home in California. The 21 chapters are each devoted to a colorful character out of California's frontier past, and Lee's writing is easy-going and entertaining. I was particularly fascinated with Joaquin Murrieta and this book spurred me into further research on this Mexican Robin Hood. Another chapter, for example, deals with the story of La Llorona -- a story that is well-known to the Mexican population of California -- about the weeping ghost of a woman who wanders the streets looking for her child. Anyone who has ever lived in California will love this book!