This biography of Dame Shirley (pen name of Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe) gives an accurate account of the rough and often barbaric life in the California gold mines. Dame Shirley's candid letters to her sister describing her experiences in Rich Bar were published and were very popular during her day. In Dame Shirley's voice, the author, James Rawls, described the drunken brawls and racism taking place at the mines. Somehow, even though Rawls (and Dame Shirley!) give a true picture of the Gold Rush, the book is still appropriate for children. John Holder's black and white drawings and a map add to the story. ( )