Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
Synopsis
This is the fictionalized true story behind the first female sheriff in the US. In 1914, Constance Kopp and her two sisters are driving into town on their buggy when an automobile crashes into them. The vehicle belongs to no other than Henry Kaufman, a rich and powerful no-good owner of one of the local silk factories. When Kaufman refuses to pay for damages, Constance sues. As a result, she and her sisters are threatened and harassed by Kaufman's gang. Going to the police, Constance finds a friend in Sheriff Heath, who is determined to help the sisters and bring Kaufman in. One of the things he does is give each of the women a revolver and teaches them how to shoot it to defend themselves. Constance also stumbles across another mystery concerning one of the factory worker girls and her son and seeks to solve it.
Review
I really enjoyed this book. Constance Kopp is an impressive lady (and I like that she was six feet tall!). We learn more about her and her past as the story goes on. She is not a lady who takes things sitting down, but fights to defend herself and those she loves. She was a feminist ahead of her time, though I doubt she would have recognized herself as such. The fact that Constance stood up to a man, which was so rare for women to do at the time--and even other men wouldn't have stood up to a rich and influential man like Henry Kaufman--shows her determination and spunk.
It was interesting to see Constance and her sisters go against the normal societal conventions of the time: three single women who live on their own on a farm. Constance is quoted as saying: "Some women prefer to stay at home and take care of the house. Let them. There are plenty who like that kind of work enough to do it. Others want something to do that will take them out among people and affairs. A woman should have the right to do any sort of work she wants to, provided she can do it."
Written from Constance's point of view, we get her commentary--at times very humorous--on events and people, but we also understand the gravity of the situation these sisters find themselves in. The writing is good, as well as the pacing, as the story covers about a year of events. Everything was kept tight and interesting and didn't drag.
The plot was interesting and, as I said, based on true events. The author uses actual quotes from newspaper articles surrounding the events in the book. I really like that, to know that the words the character was speaking on page was something possibly said by her in real life. The title of the book is actually the headline of an article written about Constance.
The reason I loved this book really was Constance herself. The feminist in me was happy to see a woman making her place in the world where she wanted it to be. I also loved how she stuck up for herself and defended her family. This is a really fascinating little story and I would highly recommend it!
An interesting article about how this story came to be written can be found here.
Rating
I give this book 4.5 stars
Details
Genre: Historical Fiction.
Sex: None.
Violence: Men threaten to harm the Kopp sisters and take steps to do so.
Language: Mild language, almost none.
Synopsis
This is the fictionalized true story behind the first female sheriff in the US. In 1914, Constance Kopp and her two sisters are driving into town on their buggy when an automobile crashes into them. The vehicle belongs to no other than Henry Kaufman, a rich and powerful no-good owner of one of the local silk factories. When Kaufman refuses to pay for damages, Constance sues. As a result, she and her sisters are threatened and harassed by Kaufman's gang. Going to the police, Constance finds a friend in Sheriff Heath, who is determined to help the sisters and bring Kaufman in. One of the things he does is give each of the women a revolver and teaches them how to shoot it to defend themselves. Constance also stumbles across another mystery concerning one of the factory worker girls and her son and seeks to solve it.
Review
I really enjoyed this book. Constance Kopp is an impressive lady (and I like that she was six feet tall!). We learn more about her and her past as the story goes on. She is not a lady who takes things sitting down, but fights to defend herself and those she loves. She was a feminist ahead of her time, though I doubt she would have recognized herself as such. The fact that Constance stood up to a man, which was so rare for women to do at the time--and even other men wouldn't have stood up to a rich and influential man like Henry Kaufman--shows her determination and spunk.
It was interesting to see Constance and her sisters go against the normal societal conventions of the time: three single women who live on their own on a farm. Constance is quoted as saying: "Some women prefer to stay at home and take care of the house. Let them. There are plenty who like that kind of work enough to do it. Others want something to do that will take them out among people and affairs. A woman should have the right to do any sort of work she wants to, provided she can do it."
Written from Constance's point of view, we get her commentary--at times very humorous--on events and people, but we also understand the gravity of the situation these sisters find themselves in. The writing is good, as well as the pacing, as the story covers about a year of events. Everything was kept tight and interesting and didn't drag.
The plot was interesting and, as I said, based on true events. The author uses actual quotes from newspaper articles surrounding the events in the book. I really like that, to know that the words the character was speaking on page was something possibly said by her in real life. The title of the book is actually the headline of an article written about Constance.
The reason I loved this book really was Constance herself. The feminist in me was happy to see a woman making her place in the world where she wanted it to be. I also loved how she stuck up for herself and defended her family. This is a really fascinating little story and I would highly recommend it!
An interesting article about how this story came to be written can be found here.
Rating
I give this book 4.5 stars
Details
Genre: Historical Fiction.
Sex: None.
Violence: Men threaten to harm the Kopp sisters and take steps to do so.
Language: Mild language, almost none.
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