Language: R (100+ swears, 6 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (Sexual references and discussion, sex vaguely described, underage drinking); Violence: R (Murder, abuse, sexual abuse, graphic imagery, animal cruelty)
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Infamous outlaw 19yo Belle King enchants audiences with performances that embrace her dark, shadow side. Nicknamed the Seamstress, Belle is known for murdering men, removing their hearts, and replacing them with diamonds. Then in Kansas during the summer of 1886, she lets herself be arrested. As she awaits trial and the noose, her abusive husband whom she left for dead appears and attempts to get her released on the grounds of her prior institutionalization for insanity. However, Belle does not want him to have power over her again, even if it means her death. In a series of flashbacks, Belle reveals her past as Alice Springer, her escape from the asylum, her time with a troupe who performs before hangings, and her experiences with a tiger.
I was initially drawn to this novel because of its unique subversion of a classic Western. I was not let down as Belle is a complex, dynamic antihero. The novel also does not shy away from the mistreatment and abuse women faced during this time period. That being said, the beginning of the novel is a bit choppy with the nonlinear timeline which may discourage readers, and some of the later plot points seem far-fetched. Readers who stick with it will be rewarded with action, violence, and a surprising twist. Overall, it's much more than a Western; it’s an exploration of female autonomy, power, and accepting the dark within us.
A secondary character, Mary Darker, is Black.
Megan, HS Librarian
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