""The Lady of the West; or, The Gold Seekers"" is a historical fiction novel written by John Ballou. The story is set in the mid-19th century during the California Gold Rush. The protagonist of the story is a woman named Marian Colfax, who inherits a large fortune from her father. She decides to travel to California to invest her money in the gold mines. On her journey, she meets a group of gold seekers who become her friends and protectors. Among...