Westerns for women

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Mon January 24th, 2011, 2:02 am

[quote=""Elizabeth""]There's Gwen Bristow (Calico Palace, Jubilee Trail, Celia Garth)... these have been brought out in new editions recently by Chicago Review Press. I treasure my tatty old paperback copies.

Penelope Williamson is very good on the romance side. Ann Parker's Silver Rush mysteries (Silver Lies, Iron Ties, Leaden Skies) are set in Leadville, Colorado in the 1870s, if you'd like a taste of mystery with your wild west.

And don't forget the wonderful The Ballad of Cat Ballou by Roy Chanslor. NOTHING like the movie, and definitely your female outlaw.

[/quote]

I adore Bristow, but I'm fairly sure she won't appeal to Divia.

I did track down a copy of Cat Ballou. Very different from the movie, I'll agree with you there.

Ariadne · Post by **Ariadne** » Mon January 24th, 2011, 3:26 am

[quote=""EC2""]If you can get them through inter-library loans, take a look at Jeanne Williams. A Lady Bought with Rifles, and A Woman Clothed in Sun, or Home Mountain.[/quote]

I'm pleased you've also read Jeanne Williams! She was a favorite author of mine growing up. Many of hers were marketed as romances in the '80s but really aren't. My pick among her books is the Arizona Saga, beginning with The Valiant Women.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Mon January 24th, 2011, 4:09 pm

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende has significant portions set in Gold Rush California. Not sure that qualifies as "Western," but I always thought so. I quite enjoyed it.

chuck · Post by **chuck** » Mon January 24th, 2011, 5:07 pm

Few months ago I read a great book by Gil Adamson's "The Outlander".....Excellent story about a young Widow on the run through the Western Canadian Rockies and another one called "Ashland" which I have not read..... Check out her reviews......

annis · Post by **annis** » Mon January 24th, 2011, 8:28 pm

You might like Larry McMurtry's Buffalo Girls- the central character is Calamity Jane.

I was very taken with Outlander, too, Chuck. It's a haunting novel.
I started a thread about it somewhere- here it is:
http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... ht=ADAMSON

I think Ashworth is a collection of poetry rather than a novel. It took Adamson 10 years to complete Outlander, so goodness knows when we can next expect another novel from her!

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Mon January 24th, 2011, 9:10 pm

I read Karen Fisher's A Sudden Country a few weeks ago. It's about the 1840s migration to Oregon. The writing style tends toward the literary, with some stream of consciousness and such (not sure if you hate that or not).

I know you don't like male authors, but Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose is so very, very good, I'll recommend it anyway. (there's a very memorable female protagonist in this one).

Have you read any Willa Cather? Some of her novels might appeal.

Love History said: I'll let you know when I finish my western version of Pride & Prejudice.

Sounds fun!

Elizabeth · Post by **Elizabeth** » Mon January 24th, 2011, 10:44 pm

Another possibility is Elizabeth Crook. THE RAVEN'S BRIDE and PROMISED LANDS are straight historicals; THE NIGHT JOURNAL is a dual-time story.