Entertaining Women—Actresses, Dancers, and Singers in the Old West by Chris Enss is a wonderful book that documents the struggles of strong, independent women of the 1800s. Beautifully organized and researched, the book invites readers into the world of women who defied the odds and broke the mold for future generations. Raised in a male-dominated society, they endured jealous husbands, scandalous divorce trials and shattered reputations to live their dream.
From wearing men’s trousers on stage, engaging in lesbian relationships, entertaining inmates in San Quentin Prison, to hunting bear and even sleeping in a coffin every night to prepare for “the final sleep,” the women’s lives are highlighted beautifully by author Chris Enss.
—Tracy Beach, author of My Life as a Whore: The Biography of Madam Laura Evans (1871-1953)
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