The first novel to feature a Mexican American hero: an adventure tale
about Mexicans rising up against U.S. rule in California, based on the
real-life bandit who inspired the creation of Zorro, the Lone Ranger,
and Batman
With a new foreword by Diana Gabaldon, the #1 New York Times
bestselling author of Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone and the rest of
the Outlander series
A Penguin Classic
An action-packed blend of folk tale, romance, epic, and myth, The Life
and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta tells the story of the Gold Rush-era
Mexican immigrant Joaquín Murieta, whose efforts to find fortune and
happiness are thwarted by white settlers who murder his family and drive
him off his land. In retaliation, Murieta organizes a band of more than
2,000 outlaws--including the sadistic "Three-Fingered Jack"--who take
revenge by murdering, stealing horses, and robbing miners, all with the
ultimate goal of reconquering California.
The first novel written by a Native American and the first novel
published in California, The Life and Adventures of Joaquín Murieta
speaks to the ways in which ethical questions of national security and
racialized police violence have long been a part of U.S. history. This
edition features excerpts from popular rewritings of the novel,
including Johnston McCulley's first novel about Zorro, The Curse of
Capistrano (also known as The Mark of Zorro).
For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher
of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than
2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best
works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers
trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by
introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary
authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning
translators.
