My book club, the IWBC (interesting women’s book club 😉 ) read Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart this month. This book is based on the Kopp sisters, and in particular Constance Kopp, one of the first female deputy sheriffs in America. Set in the early years of the 20th century, it is a good look into the role of women. The story revolves around a horse and buggy/automobile accident that the Kopp sisters were involved in. Their suit to receive damages from the accident turns violent with threats from the ones who ran into them. The book has a sub-thread that focuses on what women had to endure when they found themselves pregnant outside of marriage. That and other historical elements make this an interesting read. I especially liked the discourse on the media of the time — it seems not much has changed in 100+ years. 😉 The characters are fun and quirky as the book leans toward a cozy mystery vibe. I really liked this book, and as it happens I can get more of the Kopp sisters. There are 7 books available in the series.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(I downloaded the audiobook from my local library via Libby. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Constance Kopp doesn’t quite fit the mold. She towers over most men, has no interest in marriage or domestic affairs, and has been isolated from the world since a family secret sent her and her sisters into hiding fifteen years ago. One day a belligerent and powerful silk factory owner runs down their buggy, and a dispute over damages turns into a war of bricks, bullets, and threats as he unleashes his gang on their family farm. When the sheriff enlists her help in convicting the men, Constance is forced to confront her past and defend her family — and she does it in a way that few women of 1914 would have dared.
Amy Stewart is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen books, including the new Kopp Sisters series, which began with Girl Waits With Gun. The series is based on the true story of three remarkable sisters who lived in New Jersey a hundred years ago.
Amy has also written six nonfiction books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including the New York Times bestsellers The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Bugs, Wicked Plants, and Flower Confidential.
She lives in Portland with her husband Scott Brown, a rare book dealer. When she isn’t writing, she’s making art, which you can see on Instagram, or teaching art and writing classes online.
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