Book Blurb:
There are many books and movies about the OK Corral and the men and women made famous because of those deadly thirty seconds. But there is another whose life was deeply impacted by that event. A NEW YORK LADY IN HELLDORADO, this story with true crime appeal tells about the first woman to win a case in the US Supreme Court without a man's help. Sarah Herring, now forgotten, didn't get there overnight. It took hard work and guts.
Wild and politically divided, Tombstone is the last place a New York schoolteacher expects to find her purpose. Despite her mother's schemes, it's not marriage. When smart, intuitive Sarah is enlisted by her attorney father to help Wyatt Earp develop his defense testimony, her eyes open to new possibilities. While the sensational reports of Thomas Sorin of the Tombstone Epitaph make nationwide headlines, Sarah faces danger and threats from outlaws and Wyatt's jealous mistress. Revealing his truth, Wyatt helps Sarah find hers. Love for the law convinces her to become a lawyer. But Thomas is a surprise. She loves him, too.
Conflicting passions force a bitter choice. Choosing the law, Sarah feels lost when Thomas leaves to chase his mining dreams. Her father's cold refusal to tutor her in favor of her brother adds to her despair. And when Wyatt, the man she thought she knew, runs to escape the law he swore to uphold, she wonders who to trust. With few options for women, her hope of passing the bar seems impossible. Yet, when tragedy strikes, Sarah proves she is as ruthless and strong-willed as the men who expect her to fail.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/897ON2P
Author Bio:
V.C. Williams is a native Arizonan who makes her home high in the pines. She loves history and coming from a long line of pioneer women, writes Historical Fiction about strong, hardworking women who face the same demands women face today; juggling a desire for independence with marriage and motherhood. V.C. Williams has completed her next Historical Fiction about a strong woman who succeeds in a man's world without sacrificing those she loves. VC Williams is working on a cozy mystery and developing a Young Adult Historical Time Travel. Watch this space for updated information as it becomes available.
Editorial Review:
“Exhausted and bored, the rocking of the stagecoach to Tombstone lulled me into an uneasy sleep. I awoke when I was thrown against my younger brother, dozing beside me. I shifted and opened my eyes as the man seated opposite leered and winked. Feeling my face flush, I turned toward the open window and pulled a handkerchief to my nose and mouth. The dirt-filled air was choking. After a moment, I glanced back, and he winked again.”
The opening lines refer to the stagecoach to Tombstone, and just like that, this reviewer is hooked on this tale of the American Old West, of stagecoaches and pioneers and, well, the ultimate evocative setting of Tombstone, Arizona. “A New York Lady in Helldorado" by V.C. Williams immediately draws the reader in, as Sarah and her brother Howard Herring fend for themselves on the journey. The collection of characters on the stagecoach is one that every reader can picture (and predict!); the young-ish unaccompanied children starting a new life, the community stalwart, the ne’er do well and the gentleman who stands up for what is right. For those of us (this reviewer included) with an Old West bingo card to hand, there is early mention of Wyatt Earp and we are assured that whatever this tale will be, it will not be boring.
The story is told from Sarah Herring’s first-person account, and through her eyes we see her parents and siblings as the family, originally from New York, reunites in Tombstone in the immediate aftermath of a legendary gun battle. The narrative moves quickly to a Coroner’s Court, and the scenes here are well-written and suspenseful, with both compelling dialogue and immersive description of the courtroom and surrounds. Sarah is assisting her father by taking notes of the proceedings, and his paternal caution about the language she may hear will no doubt make the modern reader smile. Sarah meets the menfolk connected with the inquest with some alacrity, and the reader is already given a hint of a potential romantic interest, and even, some competition in that regard. Sarah, though, is focused on impressing her father through her note taking, and reconnecting with her family after time apart.
The first section of the novel is based around the inquest and related court proceedings, as well as the resulting upheaval in Tombstone. This setting and timeframe allows ample illustration of life in old Arizona. The gun battle casts a long shadow, and Sarah must contend with a range of social and personal challenges as she tries to adapt to life in the West while dealing with her mother’s expectations of how a daughter should behave (hint: appropriate behavior does not include Wyatt Earp buying a horse for unchaperoned outings!).
“The prosecution team sat stiffly to our right. After the witness was sworn in, Mr. Price stood and asked him where he was on the day of the shooting. Mr. Allen replied he was at the Alhambra Saloon where he heard that Wyatt Earp pistol-whipped Tom McLaury that morning for no reason. Mr. Fitch rose immediately and objected, stating, “Hearsay, your Honor.” Judge Spicer sustained the objection. I looked at Mr. Allen, who appeared confused by what had taken place. Mr. Price, a tall, spare man of about thirty-five, paced back and forth as he considered his next question.”
Sarah is developing that dreaded word for any female of the 1800s – agency. She is hoping to involve herself in her father’s law office, and move away from the strictures of expectations. This is a central – and welcome – theme of the book, and the reader will realise that Sarah is in fact the Sarah Herring who (under her married name) became Arizona’s first female lawyer, and subsequently argued a case in the Supreme Court – without assistance from an accompanying male counsel. The novel also covers these later years of Sarah’s life, and her strength of character and resulting achievements are a highlight of the narrative. Another standout in the novel is the depiction of Wyatt Earp. This reviewer is left wanting to know more about this complex and mythical historical figure.
““No, Sarah, I never made such a promise! I promised to consider allowing you to study law with the idea of possibly joining my practice but as a clerk only. Not to help you pass the bar. Not to allow you to join my firm as a practicing attorney. No. I made no such promise.”
His words stunned me beyond comprehension. If he had slapped me I would not have felt its sting more deeply. I stepped back in alarm at his words, furiously trying to understand their meaning. “You— you never intended to help me become a lawyer, did you? After all my hard work, after the long days and nights—” I stumbled back to a chair and fell into it, acknowledging the depth of my father’s duplicity. “You probably laughed at my ambitions behind my back! Oh, you think I’m a clever girl, but still, just a girl who can’t possibly become a lawyer, isn’t that right? You know my work meant something!” His eyes dropped and I continued, “But you still think of me as that wide-eyed sixteen-year-old with a frivolous dream of working with her father.” I gripped the armrests as I leaned forward, piercing my father’s eyes with fury.”
The epilogue of “A New York Lady in Helldorado” is poignant, but does draw all threads of the novel to a close.
“A New York Lady in Helldorado" is a fascinating insight into the fabled history of Tombstone, Arizona, and the exploits of the Earp brothers. More than that, its enduring central narrative is the absorbing story of Sarah Herring, a teenager and woman who fights for what she believes in and who ultimately overrode her father’s disapproval to follow him into legal practice. Sarah leaving an enduring legacy for the advent of women in the practice of law and all who seek to assist those who are wronged. A wonderful read.
*****
"A New York Lady in Helldorado” by V. C. Williams receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction
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