The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales With Condensed Novels, Spanish and American Legends, and Earlier Papers

"The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales" by Bret Harte is a collection of short stories set during the California Gold Rush, mixing funny and sad moments to reveal the distinctive culture and people of the rough frontier. Readers are transported to Roaring Camp, a wild mining town, witnessing the transformative effect an infant has on a group of tough miners. The story begins as Cherokee Sal endures a difficult birth, which surprisingly unites the initially uncaring men who start to support her. After Sal's death, the orphaned baby, Tommy Luck, is adopted by the camp, who think he will bring them luck. As the story moves forward, the baby's presence slowly changes the men's wild ways, signifying the possibility of redemption in a place filled with disorder.