Barbara Worth was a literary heroine so famous that everything from a school to a citrus brand were named for her. Today, few people know her character’s story or the name of the author who imagined her. Harold Bell Wright’s The Winning of Barbara Worth, set in California’s Imperial Valley, captured a titular moment in American history—and became a runaway hit. But the setting of Wright’s bestseller now finds itself at a crossroads, no longer a booming example of Golden State promise but a region struggling to find success once again. Alta Journal contributor Peter Fish and historian Deborah Thornburg join Alta Live to explain the surprising impact of this once-popular Golden State novel and detail the treasures and troubles of the Imperial Valley.
About the guests:
Peter Fish is a San Francisco writer, editor, and teacher. He was Sunset Magazine’s travel editor for many years. Currently, he regularly reviews books for the San Francisco Chronicle and teaches travel and nature writing for Stanford Continuing Studies. His fiction has appeared most recently in the Sewanee Review.
Deborah Thornburg was born and raised in the Imperial Valley. An educator, she taught eighth grade at Pine School, a small country school, for 38 years. After Thornburg retired, she served as president of the Woman’s Club of Holtville, was a member of the Imperial Valley Choral Society’s Master Chorale, and volunteered as a board member for the Imperial County Historical Society. Recently, Thornburg was a historian for the ICHS’s Pioneers’ Museum. She is currently working on the committee to further develop the museum’s educational programs.•
