Baby’s plight–from the wife of an unambitious, bitter drunk to mistress, to riches then back to nothing–highlights the role of women during this harsh time in American history. Baby was primed to be a good wife to Harvey, but he was ill-prepared to face a life of mining in the mountains, leaving it up to her to either pick up the slack or fail–and her grit refuses to let her give up. Liberally studded with tidbits of history that breathe life into the story, Burns’s narrative offers a rush of emotion in its portrayal of a time of contradictions, when the wave of moralistic movements was lapping at the mountains and making it challenging for women just trying to survive.
Burns pays loving attention to period detail, and her extensive research and investment in what it would actually be like to live in this milieu gives a nice balance to sometimes unlikable characters. While Baby’s determination is admirable, the coldly calculating aspects of her personality and her sense of entitlement may leave some readers with an uncomfortable sense of schadenfreude. However, the story’s twists and turns and larger-than-life personalities will leave fans of historical fiction breathless while offering a welcome glimpse into a captivating past
Takeaway: A whirlwind tale of triumphs and tragedies celebrating the Colorado gold rush era through the eyes of an infamous lady.
Great for fans of: C Pam Zhang’s How Much of These Hills is Gold, Francine Rivers’s Redeeming Love.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
