The Way Here: Tale of a Wandering Bastard

By Kevin McLean Bailey

The Way Here

Salvador Zavala is an orphaned bastard raised by Franciscan missionaries in California. Salvador thought he had a future as a priest at the Mission San Miguel where he grew up, until he fell in love with a Salinan girl. Cast out of his life with the Franciscan brotherhood, he wandered the Salinas Valley and central coast of California, finding work as a vaquero, whaler, and miner.

In 1848, nine innocent people were massacred at the mission. The killers robbed a precious gemstone from the chapel where it had been hidden by Salvador's mentors over 20 years before. As part of a posse chasing the killers, Salvador recovered the stone, only to have it stolen again by the outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez. Thus began his dangerous quest to regain possession of the jewel.

In the path of his life, Salvador witnessed the dramatically changing social and environmental landscape of California brought on by the Gold Rush of 1849, waves of immigrants, and wars. The Way Here is an epic tale of California history from 1824-1874.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DZCSD31T
• ISBN13: 9798306820552
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"