Book excerpt: Immigrants, Natives and nervous Spanish land barrons crash and collide just before the California Gold Rush of 1849. During the birth and death of one nation two other nations go to war. Maddie's Chronicle is the story of a young woman who moves to the sleepy village of Yerba Buena and witnesses history unfold. Like many immigrants, the people and events she encounters test her Christian faith. While the Mexican-American War, Fremont's Bear Flag Republic, and a Mormon Battalion flood the land, Maddie sees the California Dons, the Franciscan Padres and the missions fade. She meets Hudson Bay Fur trappers at Yerba Buena (soon to be renamed San Francisco) and travels to Sutter's Fort to await the outcome of the Donner Party. Romance, an ancient tribal mystery, and the beauty and diversity of her new home captivate Maddie. She chronicles her experiences with a candor emboldened by youth.