Gold Digger
by Rebecca Rosenberg

Publication Date: May 28, 2019
Lion Heart Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 312 Pages

Genre: Fiction/Romance/Historical

 

 

 

One look at Baby Doe and you know she was meant to be a legend! She was just twenty years old when she came to Colorado to work a gold mine with her new husband. Little did she expect that she’d be abandoned and pregnant and left to manage the gold mine alone. But that didn’t stop her!

She moved to Leadville and fell in love with a married prospector, twice her age. Horace Tabor struck the biggest silver vein in history, divorced his wife and married Baby Doe. Though his new wife was known for her beauty, her fashion, and even her philanthropy, she was never welcomed in polite society.

Discover how the Tabors navigated the worlds of wealth, power, politics, and scandal in the wild days of western mining.

My Review

It’s April 1878, and young Lizzie McCourt is newly married to Harvey Doe. They’re moving west so Harvey can manage one of his father’s mines. In the first couple of pages of Gold Digger, readers get an immediate idea of these characters. If other readers are like me, they’ll be impressed with Lizzie’s determination and figure Harvey for a bit of a wimp (or something similar). And this is the way the narrative continues: Lizzie “Baby Doe” Tabor consistently comes across as a likeable and sympathetic personality. The term Gold Digger isn’t so much a slight on her character as a hint of her occupation. She really does (and did) go down in the mines and work to support the men in her life, be they Harvey Doe or Horace Tabor.

Baby Doe Tabor was real, as were her husbands, but Gold Digger reads like a pure work of fiction that sprang from the author’s mind. A number of other real life historical personalities also make an appearance, such as Doc Holliday and Oscar Wilde, because they spent time in Leadville, Colorado. Since I read an Advanced Uncorrected Copy there wasn’t a bibliography. It left me wondering what was true and what was embellished. I also expected the story to continue until her death. It doesn’t, but the author shares news of a sequel – Silver Dollar – to be released next year.

Two things stood out to me in the narrative. Firstly, there was a great emphasis on Baby Doe’s Catholic faith. There are several descriptions of her holding and praying the Rosary. Her faith caused problems with her Doe in-laws. She then found it difficult to find a priest willing initially, to preside over her marriage to Tabor and, later, to baptize her first daughter. Despite the difficulties, she stuck to her faith, and felt guilt for some of her actions.

The other massive element was the role of money and riches. Gold Digger asks what it means to be rich: is it money or relationships? Baby Doe’s family disowned her after her divorce, until she began sending them money. Then they wanted more. She only got a priest to baptize her daughter after Tabor made a substantial donation to the church. She was a social outcast, but found joy in being charitable. Giving money wasn’t just about what the Tabors could get in return. Lizzie remembered where she’d come from, and wanted to ensure others didn’t endure her hardships. Meanwhile, I got the impression that Horace was a workaholic, and his family life suffered as a result. In his story, we perhaps get the answer to the above asked question.

With thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and the publisher for my copy of Gold Digger. The above review consists of my own thoughts and opinions on this title.

(note: this review was originally posted to my other blog, ProverbialReads)

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Praise for Gold Digger

“Rosenberg’s rollicking Western adventure strikes gold with a gutsy, good-hearted spitfire of a heroine and action aplenty.” —THELMA ADAMS, bestselling author of Bittersweet Brooklyn and The Last Woman Standing

“Gold Digger tells the true story of Lizzie ‘Baby Doe’ Tabor, a beautiful young woman who in 1878 marries the son of a wealthy miner in order to save her family from penury. Shrewd and stubborn, Lizzie fights back-biting Victorian society, wins and loses vast fortunes, and bests conniving politicians in her larger-than-life story. A twisting tale worthy of Mark Twain, with a big-hearted heroine at the center.” —MARTHA CONWAY, author of The Underground River

About the Author

A California native, Rebecca Rosenberg lives on a lavender farm with her family in Sonoma, the Valley of the Moon, where Jack London wrote from his Beauty Ranch. Rebecca is a long-time student of Jack London’s works and an avid fan of his daring wife, Charmian London. The Secret Life of Mrs. London is her debut novel.

Rebecca and her husband, Gary, own the largest lavender product company in America, selling to 4000 resorts, spas and gift stores. The Rosenbergs believe in giving back to the Sonoma Community, supporting many causes through financial donations and board positions, including Worth Our Weight, an educational culinary program for at-risk children, YWCA shelter for abused women, Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center to provide performances for children, Sonoma Food Bank, Sonoma Boys and Girls Club, and the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home.

For more information, please visit Rebecca’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads. Visit the Facebook page for The Secret Life of Mrs. London.

Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, May 15
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Thursday, May 16
Review at Passages to the Past

Friday, May 17
Review at View from the Birdhouse

Monday, May 20
Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, May 21
Excerpt at Donna’s Book Blog

Friday, May 24
Feature at Just One More Chapter

Monday, May 27
Review at Orange County Readers

Tuesday, May 28
Excerpt at Kimber Li
Review at Diana_bibliophile

Wednesday, May 29
Review at 100 Pages a Day
Review at Oh, the Books She Will Read

Thursday, May 30
Review at A Bookish Affair
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Friday, May 31
Interview at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Monday, June 3
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, June 4
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages

Wednesday, June 5
Review at A Book Geek

Thursday, June 6
Review at Comet Readings

Friday, June 7
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Saturday, June 8
Interview at Comet Readings

Monday, June 10
Review & Guest Post at Clarissa Reads it All

Tuesday, June 11
Excerpt at Old Timey Books

Wednesday, June 12
Interview at T’s Stuff
Review at Proverbial Reads

Thursday, June 13
Review at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Saturday, June 15
Review at Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Monday, June 17
Author Spotlight at RW Bookclub

Tuesday, June 18
Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Thursday, June 20
Review at A Holland Reads

Monday, June 24
Review at RW Bookclub
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Thursday, June 27
Review at Mama’s Reading Corner

Friday, June 28
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Cover To Cover Cafe

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away a copy of Gold Digger, a gold facial mask & soap set, and recipe brochure to five winners. Three winners will receive an ebook of Gold Digger.

To enter, please use the giveaway link below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Gold Digger Giveaway (external link)