This is a simple sort of historical fiction that provides an in-depth view of its subject’s life. In this case, it is the story of the first woman who was America’s first female professional croupier of modern-day blackjack.
It is the mid-1800s, and North America does not look as it does now. There are different borders, and the people inhabiting the wildlands of the west are varied and have many faces. Into their mix, a woman comes along who is running from a past and does not want to take the typical role a woman plays in the mining cities. She starts a trend that defines her. The author’s note at the end provided an improved understanding of the rest of the text, as she talks of the information she found and which parts were fiction.
The narrative voice was interesting, as were some of the situations Simone found herself in. As I mentioned earlier, her travels are used to show the country of the time. I found the pacing a little uneven, enough to throw me off. Some things happened very quickly, and at other times we move through the years. This is just one minor issue I had with it. It is still a quick read, probably a couple of sittings, and I would recommend it to readers of this genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Superfluous Reading 