People who trekked out to California after learning gold had been found didn't often strike it rich. Instead, they were greeted with poor living conditions, bad food, and lots of time to sift through gravel for something shiny. This book not only introduces readers to the circumstances of the gold rush, but also augments the social studies curriculum with surprising facts about the time period and the forty-niners' lives. Detailed photographs and illustrations of life in California gold country will engage readers on their journey through the goldfields, while fascinating fact boxes invite them into the lives of immigrant and American fortune seekers.