THE MAN WHO BEAT DEATH VALLEY

This children’s historical graphic novel recounts a perilous 19th-century journey through Death Valley.

In 1849, William Lewis Manly embarks on a 2,500-mile trip from Mineral Point, Wisconsin, to California, bent on joining the Gold Rush. He is supposed to set out with his friends Asahel and Sarah Bennett, but after returning from an expedition, he finds they have already left and taken his equipment with them. Lewis joins a group going west, finally catching up (after several difficult and dangerous episodes) with the Bennetts and their party in October near Springville, Utah. Along with a few others, Lewis and the Bennetts decide to follow a map promising to shave weeks from the journey. It leads them through a harsh land of canyons and desert until, already near starvation, they reach Death Valley in December. The party’s women and children can go no farther, so on Jan. 14, 1850, Lewis and his friend John Rogers volunteer to scout the route to a settlement. After an arduous 26-day journey, they finally reach Rancho San Francisco in Southern California, obtain provisions, and return to lead the settlers back along the route, arriving on March 7, 1850. In her second graphic novel, Fox tells an action-packed story that’s all the more intriguing for being based on fact. Not just an adventure, the tale also considers friendship, betrayal—a framing story points out Asahel’s untrustworthiness—and love, with a poignant connection between Lewis and Sarah. The author’s graphics contribute greatly to the storytelling through dynamic compositions, expressive figures, and well-detailed landscapes. Colorist Post provides eye-catching, richly saturated hues. Ample resources, such as a glossary and historical notes, give the work depth and could spark further research.

An absorbing, exciting tale of perseverance, courage, and determination.