The Lives of Diamond Bessie
A Novel
by Jody Hadlock
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Pub Date Apr 05 2022 | Archive Date Jul 11 2022
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Description
“This affecting tale of a 19th-century American woman struggling to prove her worth other than as a marriage prospect leaves a lasting impression.” --Publishers Weekly
The Lovely Bones meets the Wild, Wild West in this haunting tale inspired by a true story.
Pregnant out of wedlock, sixteen-year-old Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to find a way to be reunited with her daughter. But few rights or opportunities are available to a woman in the 1860s, and after failing to find a respectable job, she resorts to prostitution in order to survive.
As a highly sought-after demi-mondaine, Annie—now Bessie—garners many expensive gifts from her admirers and eventually meets and marries the son of a wealthy jeweler, a traveling salesman with a gambling problem. With her marriage, she believes her dream of returning to proper society has finally come true. She’s proven wrong when she suffers the ultimate betrayal at the hands of the man she thought would be her salvation. But Bessie doesn’t let her story end there.
Set against the backdrop of the burgeoning women’s rights movement, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a captivating tale of betrayal and redemption that explores whether seeking revenge is worth the price you might pay.
"As fascinating as it is riveting as it is original, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a compelling novel of historical suspense. Bessie is a character who will haunt you for all the right reasons—for her determination, her heart, and her soul. I was enthralled." NYT bestselling author M.J. Rose, The Last Tiara
Advance Praise
“In Hadlock’s genre-bending debut novel… [t]here’s an impressive deliberateness in the way that Hadlock presents her themes… The novel also skillfully uses foreshadowing to create a suspenseful atmosphere without giving the game away… An often engaging and inventive character study.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a picaresque, a courtroom drama, and a ghost story rolled into one, celebrating the heart and soul of a woman done wrong.” —Mark Beauregard, author of The Whale: A Love Story
“Fast-paced, richly observed, and populated with vibrant characters, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is un-put-downable.” —Adrienne Brodeur, bestselling author of Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
"As fascinating as it is riveting as it is original, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a compelling novel of historical suspense with a paranormal twist that will have you shivering. Bessie, both alive and as a ghost, is a character who will haunt you for all the right reasons—for her determination, her heart, and her soul. I was enthralled." —New York Times bestselling author M.J. Rose, The Last Tiara
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781684631179 |
| PRICE | $16.95 (USD) |
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