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Queen of the Salton Sea, Helen Burns and Me Perfect Paperback – January 1, 2018

by Donna Burns Kennedy (Author), William Linehan (Contributor)
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Donna Burns Kennedy combines memoir, biography and history to recapture the wonder years of Salton Sea Beach. It is a childhood story of pioneer living, adventure, love, loneliness, excitement, heat, insects, sand, water, salt and the dread of dancing in her Mom’s bar. (191 pages including 72 pages of photos and illustrations.)
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  1. Print length
    191 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Sagebrush Press
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2018
  5. ISBN-10
    0930704363
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0930704360
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sagebrush Press (January 1, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Perfect Paperback ‏ : ‎ 191 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0930704363
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0930704360
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.2 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
32 global ratings
Adventure at a Desert Sea
4 out of 5 stars
Adventure at a Desert Sea
“Queen of the Salton Sea: Helen Burns and Me” tells the story of a headstrong woman’s crusade to create a Hawaiian-style tropical resort in the harsh Southern California desert.Helen Burns was an indefatigable promoter of the Salton Sea, even if it often seemed that the sea was waging war against her. The book is exhaustively researched and written by Donna Kennedy, Helen’s daughter, and Donna’s husband, William Linehan.It is a 20th-century pioneer tale. Donna arrived at the sea with her mother, infant sister and maternal grandparents many years before any utilities reached their land. Through the years they had to move their homes and businesses several times because the rising sea repeatedly flooded them.The lively text is accompanied by equally fascinating period photographs and other illustrations.I worked with Donna for many years at The Press-Enterprise newspaper in Riverside, Calif., and heard her mention her upbringing at her mother’s bar at the Salton Sea on a few occasions. It seemed like it would be a fascinating story and this book bears that out.
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Top reviews from the United States

Barbara Burns
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the funniest histories of a California resort
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
Salton Sea is one of those places that isn’t there anymore (hardly). Which is what makes this hysterical, heartwarming, nearly heartbreaking tale of Helen’s Place, the heart of Salton Sea, such a delight to read. Helen’s daughter remembers their lives trying to make a resort out of the salty desert spot with love, humor, and nostalgia. Loved it!
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Jennifer S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book + customer service!
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2020
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Thank you for the great summer read and super customer service!
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J. Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for all Salton Sea lovers
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2018
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A must read for any Salton Sea lover. This book takes you back to the sea in her heyday.
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SMWillingham
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2018
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Words and pictures, what could go wrong
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Laurie Lucas
5.0 out of 5 stars A Deep Dive into the Strange, Disappearing Salton Sea
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2018
Donna Burns Kennedy’s wonderful memoir of growing up at the Salton also captures a vanishing resort created by her mother. Fleshed out by impeccable research, plot maps and a whoozwho of Salton Sea founders, tourists and waterskiing Santas, the narrative melds this quirky lake’s history with the story of Helen Burns. And it’s a fascinating one about a visionary who sacrificed nurturing her two daughters to fulfill her dream of a Hawaiian paradise in the desert. This memoir is an unsparing look at living as as outlier at the Salton Sea.
One person found this helpful
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nicholas corrigan
5.0 out of 5 stars Paradise lost
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020
A great read, even better pictures.
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Chris S Rubel
4.0 out of 5 stars queen of the Salton Sea is a daughter's honest, loving memoir. Enjoy!
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2018
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Loved it! There is so much Salton Sea history as a constant back story of the amazing, courageous, and creative life of Helen Burns, I found the book a page turner. This reader knows the region and some of the local recent history of California's Salton Sea. I also have known the author, a journalist and brave, colorful woman, Donna Kennedy, daughter of Helen Burns. Donna and her husband, Bill Linehan, have captured the saga of how local people, especially Donna's mother, Helen, managed to endure the constant challenges of the sea's rises and falls, providing a roadside and seaside attraction for many years. This book paints a mural of a pioneer family in modern times and the reader is drawn along on the trek through time and the desert and the relationships of many years of love, opportunities, failures that hurt, and resilience that inspires. Captivating, informing, and building an empathic bond with the author via her honest and crisp journal, a top notch memoir is here. Go for it! You'll be glad you did.
One person found this helpful
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