The Underground Gardens (Further Reading)

Further Reading

• Cosco, Joseph P., Imagining Italians: The Clash of Romance and Race in American Perceptions, 1880 – 1910, State University of New York Press, 2003.

  Cosco draws on history, literary criticism, and cultural studies to explore the effect of Italian Americans on national identity and vice versa, during the years of 1880 – 1990, a time when many Italians immigrated to America.

• DiStasi, Lawrence, ed., The Big Book of Italian American Culture, Sanniti Publications, 1996.

  This book profiles the lives of many famous and ordinary Italian Americans, including a discussion of Baldasare Forestiere and his underground gardens.

• Guglielmo, Jennifer, and Salvatore Salerno, eds., Are Italians White?: How Race Is Made in America, Routledge, 2003.

  This thought-provoking collection of original essays examines how and why the concept of whiteness became important to Italian Americans, as well as how various immigrants have dealt with racism in American society. The book also explores the contributions that Italian Americans have made to American culture.

• Leffingwell, Randy, California Wine Country: The Most Beautiful Wineries, Vineyards, and Destinations, Voyageur Press, 2002.

  Although technically a photo travel guide, Leffingwell's book provides an in-depth, illustrated look at California's wine country, including the area of central California where "The Underground Gardens" takes place.

• McClurg, Sue, and Kevin Starr, Water and the Shaping of California: A Literary, Political, and Technological Perspective on the Power of Water, and How the Effort to Control It Has Transformed the State, Heyday Books, 2000.

  In "The Underground Gardens," Baldasare realizes that water is the key to growing his lush grapevines. This engaging, multifaceted documentary history of California's water dependence includes more than 200 photos and drawings that illustrate the unique political, economic, and social issues that have surrounded the state's water usage. The book also includes literary selections from some of California's best-known authors.

• McWilliams, Carey, Factories in the Field: The Story of Migratory Farm Labor in California, University of California Press, 2000.

  First published in 1939, McWilliams's landmark exposé explores the effect of corporate agriculture in California on migrant workers, labor groups and California's economy from the nineteenth century — when much of the available land in California was snatched up — until the 1930s.

• Starr, Kevin, Americans and the California Dream: 1850 – 1915, Oxford University Press, 1986.

  In this first book of a multi-part series, Starr explores the early history of California, including the many alluring factors that drew people to the region, such as the Gold Rush. The book is thoroughly researched, and discusses both famous and little-known figures in California history.

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