If this book doesn’t reaffirm in you the need for women’s rights, about how the society from the onset has been prejudiced against women then I don’t know what will. It is based on a true story of a womam who was forced into prostitution for a living and was later killer by the man who married her and seemed to her like an escape from being a ‘fallen woman’. But she was killed by that man and this book takes you through the case which eventually followed. Reading this made me feel really bad about her and about all the women whose lives were cut short just because the world was run by men and for men. Do read it because it really was one of those books that made you think and later read up more on the topic.

Incredibly well researched and compelling historical fiction. I was deeply invested in Bessie and couldn’t put this book down. I felt the first half of the book was much stronger than the second, but the afterword saved it for me. You can tell this was a passion project for the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

Stories such as these suffer in my expectations and desires of historical fiction. Knowing nothing about the ties to the true events this story was based on I had no idea where it was going and was thoroughly enjoying the first half of the book immensely. Backing Bessie as she figure out who she was in the time of suffragists and the plight of the female of the species. Rooting for her victories, lamenting her losses, hoping she would see a way out of her situation and make something special out of her life - after all she was the main character.

I certainly did not expect that to change as drastically as it did (won't spoil it) but once we were focused on Abe and "justice" I found my heart just wasn't in it. The sidebars and tangents, the social customs and complexities of the law and who it pertained to, the arrogance .... it felt like Bessie took a backseat and I no longer cared. Don't misunderstand, it wasn't bad or disjointed or horribly written, it just ended up not my cup of tea.

I know many people in my book circle who would adore this story and how it is written, but would not recommend for my high school library.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The lives of Dimond Bessie by Jody Hadlock is an entertaining read and a fictional account of the real life of Annie More nicknamed Diamond Bessie. It is also her debut novel.
Buffalo, New York 1866, Sixteen-year-old Annie gets pregnant out of wedlock. So, her mother sends her away to a nunnery. But she is mistreated and when she wakes up after the birth, she finds out her child has been taken away. She then escapes the nunnery and hopes to get a job and when she can be reunited with her child. But them times there is not a lot of work for women and the only option she has is to become a prostitute to survive. Which leads her across the country when her life re she meets Abe Rothchild. Thinking that her life will get considerably better she marries him. But the happy marriage that she is expecting. Isn’t to be.
Thank you, Spark Press, for a copy of The lives of Diamond Bessie. I wasn’t aware this was based on a true story until I finished the book. I really enjoyed this tale of Bessie and her life and the hardships she endured and even in her death taking out revenge on those who harmed her. This is great retelling of her story that I couldn’t put down. 4 stars from me.

The Lives of Diamond Bessie is an intriguing work of historical fiction. It follows the life of Annie Moore, a woman not well known in history but whose story of grit and tragedy moves your heart. I have a BA in History and appreciated the glimpse into the lives of women during the Gilded Age. While it was a time of great prosperity for the select few, many others acutely felt the suffering of this time in the US. Annie's story highlights the difficulties faced by women and the cultural standards set upon both males and females. The author, Jody Hadlock, does a superb job giving historical context and listing the changes she made while writing Annie's tale. I will definitely recommend this book.

The Lives of Diamond Bessie
By Jody Hadlock

Based on a true story, this book is fascinating on many levels. Annie Moore, a young girl pregnant out of wedlock, is sent to a home run by nuns to have her baby. As so often happened in that day and age, her daughter is taken from her and Annie must become a prostitute in order to survive.

Left with no other option, Annie – now known as Bessie Moore – becomes a demi-mondaine or high class call girl. Her only way out of these circumstances is to marry. Unfortunately, Annie hooks up with a charming but dissolute character named Abe Rothschild. While Annie loves Abe, he is only after what she can earn.

The book splits into two parts – Annie's life and her afterlife. The author has done a credible job with this concept. Following Annie after her death allows the reader to be present at her killer's murder trial and what happens thereafter.

Ms. Hadlock has presented Bessie's story in a fair way, never allowing Bessie to escape her own culpability in what happens to her throughout her life, but also presenting a true picture of the plight of women who had no protection – and received all the scorn of society of the time. This book should be a must read in a course for women's studies.

In this book you follow the life of Annie (Diamond Bessie) and it's not an easy life. It starts when she has to give up her baby, then she turns to "one of the oldest trades", and finally gets married to a gentleman whom she thinks is a good man, bit it turns out he is a bastard of the highest level. There's is a twist I did not see coming. Very good book and excellent writing. If you have ever felt held back by a man, I think you'll relate to this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The reader follows the life of 16-year-old Annie as her dreams of marrying the local boy go up in flames when she discovers she is pregnant and he is already engaged to another woman. Her Irish immigrant family cannot abide the shame she has brought upon them and they send her away to Buffalo to the Good Sisters to work off her penance for her sin. While there, she gives birth to a baby daughter who is quickly taken away from her and put up for adoption. Vowing to find a way to get her daughter back, Annie sneaks out of the Convent, takes a train and collapses on the sidewalk outside of a "parlor" house. Nursed back to health, the women of the house help her to see that she is in no way qualified for any jobs other than the trade that they ply. Regretfully, Annie comes to realize that she can make more money faster as a "woman who entertains" than working in the mills. As her popularity with the male customers grows, Annie is renamed "Diamond Bessie" for the diamond rings and earrings she has purchased for herself realizing that her dream of raising her daughter will never come to fruition.
Readers follow Annie/Bessie through the ups and downs of her life, always following the restrictions placed upon her by the men in her world. When the one man she trusted to change her life into that of a respectable married woman betrays her immediately after their marriage and a few days later kills her, Bessie's spirit vows she will seek revenge. A good sense of the times and places in Bessie's life are portrayed as are the secondary characters. The restrictions placed upon women in the years before they are granted the vote are front and center and the reader is frustrated right along with Bessie as she struggles to control her own destiny.

OOOOOOH gosh I love some strong historical fiction. This book centers around Annie Moore (spoiler alert - Diamond Bessie) who is sent to a convent, gets her daughter taken away and turns to sex work all within the first part of the book. The pacing of this book is great, and it's character-driven. I think going into this blind was a good thing for me, and I'd recommend doing the same. Overall, this book is fun, a little spooky, and compelling. Recommend!

This story made me cry, It's the heartbreaking live of Annie, name changed to, Bessie, she was forsaken by her family because she was pregnant, without being married, which was not her fault, she thought the man loved her. Annie is living in a convent, for uneed mothers, the Nuns took her baby from her and sold it, she starts out with nothing on her mind except earning enough money so she can get her Daughter back, she falls into a shameful life, but she is making very good money, with lots of extras, she goes through so much heartache, then she meets a man from a rich family, she thinks she can finally have a happy married live she dreamed of, once again, heartbreak. The story takes a very unexpected turn in these last few chapters, all I can say, she finally has the last word. I received this book from NetGalley, I agreed to give my honest review, I read this book in 2 days, It was so interesting I couldn't put it down. The story takes place in 1860s, It was a very hard time for women to earn a living, there were very few options for the unmarried who were banished from family, the Author did an amazing job with detail and with Characters. I loved it

This debut novel by Jody Hadlock is a fictionalised account of Annie Moore, a “fallen” woman at the tender age of 16, sent to a convent where her child is taken. Hoping to retrieve her daughter, Annie escapes and is introduced to the world of the high-class demi-mondaine in the 1860’s. I found the descriptions and details about “boarding” routines and habits fascinating and it made me realise that a great many women would have ended up in similar situations through a whole variety of reasons, unable to make a living any other way. Annie, who changes her name to Bessie becomes successful and amasses diamonds from her admirers hence her nickname. Unfortunately she doesn’t see her wealth as a means to escape but longs for a “ respectable” marriage. Intro Abe, essentially a travelling salesman with a penchant for debt, who takes up with our heroine and her diamonds. Will the resultant marriage be a happy ending or a dreadful mistake? “Be she alive, or be she dead”, we follow and learn.
The characters, rich historical background and detail kept me engrossed and proved yet again that truth can be stranger than fiction or vice versa! Thanks to NetGalley, SparkPress and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review..

I was waaay out of my comfort zone with this from the begining so it's a classic case of "It's not the book, it's me".
I was intrigued tho and that's whay I wanted to give it a go.

The first half of the book, where we were following Bessie along through the unsettling events of her life I was 100% in even tho I was not sure where this was going.
The lack of common sense is what was starting to irritate me and a little bit later came the twist.
A twist I was certainly not expecting and can't say I liked much either.

The rating goes for the writing which was flawless and engrossing.

Thank you NetGalley & SparkPress for the digital ARC.

Such a good book! I love true stories and it don’t necessarily love historical books. Wow have I changed my mind after this one! Such a great story of a mothers love and what a mother will do for their children. Read this!

Once I started this book I didn’t put it down - it was that interesting! This novel follows Annie Moore “Diamond Bessie” through her short but exciting life & in the end, we follow Bessie through her last moments. This book compelled me to continue reading due to how interesting Hadlock had made Bessie, and the fact that this is partially a true story.

Dare I say I wanted the book to be longer? I really could not get enough of all the dynamic characters throughout this novel - they were so easy to connect with and follow through their lives.

If reading this, all I can recommend is that you go in blind. There are twists that make the reading experience so much better!

Being this based on a true story I enjoyed  the little twist that the author added to the story. Bessie lived in a time where one  mistake would change the course of her life forever. Her story was captivating and heartbreaking to read.

The Lives of Diamond Bessie follows young Annie Moore after she's sent to a convent for being pregnant out of wedlock. Suffering through having her daughter taken from her, she escapes and vows reunite with her at any cost. Eventually, the cost resorts to her becoming a high-end prostitute. Doing what she must to survive, Annie still dreams of getting married and leaving the life she has behind. When the opportunity arrives, she encounters the ultimate betrayal. Mixed with a paranormal twist, Hadlock writes a very creative historical fiction novel.

This book left me conflicted when it comes to my rating. I really appreciated the blending of the paranormal with historical fiction. It is extremely creative and well researched, with appropriate gaps to fill in the areas where we have no written history to go off on. I would love to see more hist. fiction with a new type of twist, such as this one. Unfortunately, I did not feel connected to the characters. I did not feel there was enough character development through intimate details and backgrounds, especially in the beginning. It felt too fast paced at times, more like factual explaining rather than becoming close friends with the character through their struggles. Overall, though, this was an entertaining read and I am excited for more to come from the author.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was amazing. Read it in 2 days and highly recommend.

I found the first part of the book enjoyable, getting a sense of what it was like for many women of that era who had no means of making a living and being independent other than selling themselves. The second part of the book is where I had a problem and was not longer interested in reading more. However, I did since I had invested my time from the beginning. Paranormal literature holds no interest for me, I'm not a fan!!! My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a 16 year old girl named Bessie that got pregnant and put in a catholic home. They took her child away and she runs away and becomes a prostitute. The story pulls your in and is a quick read. It was a good story and I wanted to keep reading to see what happens. Lots of big emotions.

<i>The Lives of Diamond Bessie</i> was one of the most captivating, riveting novels I have read in a long time. Based on a true story, this novel revolves around Annie “Bessie” Moore, who, after having a child out of wedlock, was forced into a life of prostitution.

The reader follows Bessie through her time in New York, Chicago and New Orleans brothels, where she searches for what most women in her position are looking for — a man to love and marry her.

There is a remarkable twist in the novel that I thought truly would ruin the story, but instead, it makes the tale even more poignant and interesting.

The author does a fantastic job of keeping true to Bessie’s real life story and it is quite a journey. I found myself drawn to this book, even though I’m not quite a fan of period pieces - because this doesn’t feel like one. I encourage everyone to pick this novel up as this is going on my Top 10 this year.