The Dreamt Land

Chasing Water and Dust Across California

By: Mark Arax

Narrated by: Mark Arax

Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A vivid, searching journey into California's capture of water and soil - the epic story of a people's defiance of nature and the wonders, and ruin, it has wrought

Mark Arax is from a family of Central Valley farmers, a writer with deep ties to the land who has watched the battles over water intensify even as California lurches from drought to flood and back again. In The Dreamt Land, he travels the state to explore the one-of-a-kind distribution system, built in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, that is straining to keep up with California's relentless growth.

The Dreamt Land weaves reportage, history and memoir to confront the "Golden State" myth in riveting fashion. No other chronicler of the West has so deeply delved into the empires of agriculture that drink so much of the water. The nation's biggest farmers - the nut king, grape king, and citrus queen - tell their story here for the first time.

Arax, the native son, is persistent and tough as he treks from desert to delta, mountain to valley. What he finds is hard-earned, awe-inspiring, tragic, and revelatory. In the end, his compassion for the land becomes an elegy to the dream that created California and now threatens to undo it.

©2019 Mark Arax (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"There’s a new history of water use in California that’s fantastic. It’s called The Dreamt Land. It’s like John McPhee-level writing. It’s really worth it for the writing alone." (Linda Ronstadt)

"A mesmerizing new book that examines the nation’s most populous state through the prism of its most valuable resource: water. Call author Mark Arax, an award-winning journalist, historian and native son of the Central Valley, a Steinbeck for the 21st century." (Andy Kroll, Rolling Stone)

"The Dreamt Land is Arax’s grand history of California water, beginning before Spanish arrival and following the trail of man-made decisions that exacerbate the present.... Everyone can go back to pretending the land has been tamed as the fields and orchards once again expand. The Dreamt Land leaves us with the question: When the next dry spell comes, will we have gone too far?" (Gregory Barber, Wired)

worth the long read...

This is an enormously ambitious book, insignificant part because the Central Valley is so geographically and culturally complex, and while the themes may be common, the actual stories in each area are so varied. In a lot of ways this book could be seven or eight different smaller books. but having them all put together like this is still worthwhile and rewarding.

History of California…

I think this book should be required reading for every high school student in the state.

If you read only book on Calif water, read this!

If I were still teaching California water law, this would be the 'textbook' I'd use!

Fantastic

Who knew water distribution would be so riveting! Arax artfully weaves his own family history, California history, contemporary issues of labor and politics into this incredible book. Even though the book is absolutely packed with research, the writing style is far more interesting/literary than typical non fiction.
Bravo!

The whole truth of the San Joaquin Valley

If you have ever wondered why Water is such a topic for argument in Fresno and the Central Valley, Mark Arax has the receipts.

He tells the origins of brands you know like “Sun Maid, Cuties, Pom Wonderful and Halos.”

Great story and narration by one of our own

I loved it. I am a fifth generation farmer in the Valley, and while I don't agree with all of his conclusions, Mark understands who we are and he loves the Valley. This is a must read for anyone in California.

Should be mandatory reading for every citizen.

I loved this book. My story is this story. This is our history. This is my country and how it works. If more people want to understand how we got here, this book gives context and historical context. I will recommend it to everyone I know.

Damn Near Perfect!

"The Dreamt Land" is almost perfect. It takes a pretty mundane topic, agriculture in California's Central Valley, and weaves fascinating story full of memorable character in language that is often poetic. It is an ode to a simpler time in California, but it recognizes that in reality those halcyon days ended with the Gold Rush.

The audio version might even be better than the print version because of Arax's reading. Normally, I believe authors make a mistake when they do not turn over the reading to trained voice actors, but Arax is the exception that proves the rule. His reading actually adds to the text, because he verbally underlines the most important passages and brings out a deeper layer of meaning and emotion.

Just brilliant!

Fascinating

Everything you never knew you should know about California's water systems delivered as a riveting drama and cautionary tale, deftly narrated by the author.

Get the printed book

This book is great and I believe I would had enjoyed it even more in its printed version. It has a lot of numbers and names, so I think seeing them would have helped me to remember some more of those.