The Lives of Diamond Bessie
Book Feature - The Lives of Diamond Bessie by Jody Hadlock
HBL Note: Calling all fans of Emma Donoghue’s Frog Music and Paula Uruburu’s American Eve, I have a debut novelist you won’t want to miss! THE LIVES OF DIAMOND BESSIE by Jody Hadlock was inspired by a true crime, a 19th century murder of a demi-mondaine (or courtesan), as the women’s rights movement began to rise in America. With themes of betrayal, revenge, and redemption, and told from perspectives of both the living and dead, this novel is a must-read. Scroll down to read more.
Book Feature - The Lives of Diamond Bessie by Jody Hadlock
Book Feature - The Lives of Diamond Bessie by Jody Hadlock
From the publisher:
Pregnant out of wedlock, sixteen-year-old Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to find a way to be reunited with her daughter. But few rights or opportunities are available to a woman in the 1860s, and after failing to find a respectable job, Annie resorts to prostitution in order to survive.
As a highly sought-after demi-mondaine, Annie—now Bessie—garners many expensive gifts from her admirers, and eventually meets and marries the son of a wealthy jeweler. With her marriage, she believes her dream of returning to proper society has finally come true. She’s proven wrong when she suffers the ultimate betrayal at the hands of the man she thought would be her salvation. But Bessie doesn’t let her story end there.
Inspired by a true story and set amid the burgeoning women’s rights movement, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a haunting tale of betrayal and redemption that explores whether seeking revenge is worth the price you might pay.
Book Feature - The Lives of Diamond Bessie by Jody Hadlock
