Hers the Kingdom - by Shirley Streshinsky (Paperback)

About the Book

When beautiful young Willa Reade first saw the wild California coast called the Malibu, she knew she had come home. It was here, with her handsome aristocratic husband, Owen, and her crippled sister Lena, that Willa would build her empire, an empire that would grow to shelter the generations of a mighty California dynasty.
Through the boom days of the railroads, from the dance halls of San Francisco, to the revolutionary fires of China, through the bitter losses of war and the terrible secrets of a forbidden love, Willa would fight. For pride, for passion, for her children and her men . . . for the vast cherished acres of the Malibu, her kingdom, her home, her destiny.

Book Synopsis

When beautiful young Willa Reade first saw the wild California coast called the Malibu, she knew she had come home. It was here, with her handsome aristocratic husband, Owen, and her crippled sister Lena, that Willa would build her empire, an empire that would grow to shelter the generations of a mighty California dynasty.
Through the boom days of the railroads, from the dance halls of San Francisco, to the revolutionary fires of China, through the bitter losses of war and the terrible secrets of a forbidden love, Willa would fight. For pride, for passion, for her children and her men . . . for the vast cherished acres of the Malibu, her kingdom, her home, her destiny.

Review Quotes

"Streshinsky's writing is consistently effortless . . . reminiscent of the very best of Willa Cather. A remarkable story, an evocative novel." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Broad in scope and rich in detail, this is an intelligent and enjoyable book." --Publishers Weekly

"'A superior saga' . . . What has been wrought here is a strong and absorbing story full of people who thunder along in interesting ways, surrounded by the trappings of wealth, grabbing for power or struggling against it, savoring passion, covering their tracks. A great California novel." --Los Angeles Times

"This gracefully written saga combines early California history with an absorbing tale of two sisters--each strong and flawed in her own way . . . an episodic narrative covering six decades which encompasses a devastating fire, the Great Depression, World War I and the urbanization of the West--a satisfying and imaginative novel." --Los Angeles Herald Examiner

"An absorbing, large-scale story of strong women and the land that gives them sustenance . . . Grabs the imagination. Highly recommended." --Library Journal

"The epic saga you've been looking for." --Glamour

"[Streshinsky's novels] are the best historical fiction being written in America." --John Jay Osborn, Jr., bestselling author of Paper Chase

"A cast of indomitable characters and a portrait of a state coming of age are the attractions in this sprawling saga that stretches from the rolling plains of the Midwest to the untamed shores of California." --Chattanooga Times

About the Author

Shirley Streshinsky is a critically acclaimed author of three works of nonfiction and four historical novels. As a journalist and travel essayist, she has written extensively for a wide range of national magazines such as "Redbook, Glamour, Preservation, American Heritage, The American Scholar, "and "Conde Nast Traveler. "She is the recipient of the Society of Magazine Writers' Award for Excellence and the National Council for the Advancement of Education Writing award, and was cited by The Educational Press Association of America for "superlative achievement in features." Her travel essays have been a feature on National Public Radio. She was married to the late photojournalist Ted Streshinsky and resides in Kensington (Berkeley), California.