Wayward Western Women

In Wicked Women: Notorious, Mischievous, and Wayward Ladies from the Old West, award-winning author Chris Enss offers a collection of 29 biographical sketches of female gamblers, madams, soiled doves and entertainers.

While her research and management of historical fact are evident in the introduction, chapters open with short “fictional tone” vignettes, that give way to well-investigated profiles of each woman’s life. Selections are readable and compelling with the depth of detail evidencing the full scope of study involved. Enss provides insight into these ladies’ motivations and many specifics about their lives, while shifting effortlessly between scholarly exploration and entertainment. This book is well worth reading.

—Pamela Nowak, author of Changes.