The True Life Story of Swiftwater Bill Gates

"The True Life Story of Swiftwater Bill Gates" by Iola Beebe is an early 20th-century biography retelling the life of Swiftwater Bill, a complicated man chasing both gold and romance in the Klondike. Told from his mother-in-law's perspective, the book follows Swiftwater Bill through his many relationships and financial ups and downs, within the Alaskan gold rush. The story begins in a Yukon roadhouse where Bill washes dishes until he catches wind of a major gold discovery. Trading the dishes for dynamite, he sets off toward the claim, showing the reader his ambition, but also foreshadowing the wild, unpredictable ride that will define his life.