At a Glance
It’s National Library Week, and after two decades delighting Road Scholars with tales of great San Francisco characters, artists and events — author James Dalessandro discusses his own journey in penning "1906: A Novel." An epic story of the devastating 1906 earthquake, the San Francisco Chronical called Dalessandro a 2004 “publishing sensation.” The novel, along with "The Damnedest, Finest Ruins," — his award-winning documentary about the earthquake — convinced the city’s Board of Supervisors to dismiss the 100-year-old death count of 478 and replace it with 3,000+, a resolution that made worldwide news. The digital edition of "1906: The Novel" went on to become a #1 national bestseller in historical fiction — twice — in 2016.