Blood and Silver
Vali Benson
Publisher : Tellwell Talent
Language : English
Hardcover : 142 pages
ISBN-10 : 0228827558
ISBN-13 : 978-0228827559
Item Weight : 11.7 ounces
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
Description
What is a twelve-year-old girl to do when she finds herself in the silver boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona, in 1880, and her only hope is a brothel and her only parent is a drug-addicted mother? If she is Carissa Beaumont, she outsmarts the evil madam and figures a way out.
Carissa has no choice but to go to the powerful woman for help. Many say that China Mary is the one who really controls Tombstone. China Mary admires Carissa's brave spirit and uses her influence to get her a job at the new Grand Hotel, which will free Carissa from her many duties at Miss Lucille's. She will work along with Mary's twelve-year-old niece, Mai-Lin. The two girls become fast friends. Then, disaster strikes, and the two girls must work together to stay alive.
With a host of colorful characters and meticulous attention to period detail, Blood and Silver is a story of the best and worst of human nature, the passion for survival, and the beauty of true friendship.
I received a copy of this book through the generosity of the author for my honest review.
Review: Blood and Silver by Vali Benson
I am often drawn to books because of their description but in the case of Blood and Silver, I was enticed by the front cover. It depicts a young girl, Carissa, breaking free from the old West. There is something about her woebegone appearance that attracted my attention-making me want to learn more about this story.
When Carissa Beaumont and her mom Lisette travel to Tombstone, in the Arizona Territory, there are shops of all kinds set between saloons. In this area, it was not uncommon to see flashy gamblers, skilled gunfighters, and ladies in elegant dresses which were steamed and pressed daily. And if you looked outside you might find mule teams hauling silver while inside men were bedding women.
While some notable people used laudanum as a painkiller, Miss Lucille used it in order to better control her ladies, and Carissa's mother, Lisette, was one of those ladies. Carissa feels she needs to find a way to help her mom overcome her addiction and break free from the life she was living at Rose Reds.
Carissa soon meets China Mary who is a woman of great influence. Mary ran Tombstone from her store in Hoptown. Mary takes a liking to Carissa and gets Carissa a job at the new Grand Hotel, which frees Carissa from her work duties at Miss Lucille's. Carissa becomes friends with Mary's twelve-year-old niece, Mai-Lin and the two girls must work together to stay alive.
Benson's prose is so beautifully descriptive, one really can imagine Carissa attempting to escape her life at the brothel and survive the bullies, thieves, and murderers of the old west.
About the Author
Vali started and sold two successful businesses before she decided to pursue her real passion for writing. She published several articles in a variety of periodicals, including History Magazine before she decided to try her hand at fiction. She grew up in the Midwest and now lives in Tucson with her husband, two sons, and two grandchildren.