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Book Review *PLUS* a Giveaway: Gold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor by Rebecca Rosenberg

Tuesday, November 5, 2019



Happy Tuesday, My Lovelies!  This week I put away all of our Halloween decor and decorated for Thanksgiving.  There's still lots of pumpkins around here, and while I've been enjoying the cooler weather here in Central Alabama and plenty of PSLs, I've also read a few fantastic books.  One of them is Gold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor by Rebecca Rosenberg.

According to Goodreads:

GOLD DIGGER, The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor!

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.

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

My Review:

My mother taught me about Baby Doe when I was a little girl.  I've also vacationed many times in Colorado, so I've always been interested in Colorado history.  When I was asked to read and review Gold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor, I was more than happy to do it.  Rebecca Rosenberg researched her subject very well, and her use of foreshadowing makes the narrative more interesting for the reader.

Lizzie McCourt marries Harvey Doe at twenty after a tragic loss ruins her family financially.  Harvey's mother does not approve of the match, so Mr. Harvey sends his son and new bride to Colorado where Harvey will oversee one of his goldmines.  Harvey's character is so weak, yet Baby's is not.  She wants to work and help out in the mines rather than sitting at home.  She is also misunderstood by the ladies in the Methodist Church's sewing circle (Lizzie is Catholic).  I was shocked by how Lizzie (Baby) and Harvey's marriage ended, as well as her first pregnancy.  There is quite a bit of drama in Baby's life, and I can't blame her for wanting to divorce Harvey.  When Harvey's father pushes Baby to come back to Harvey, she responds:  "Your son was dismal at mining but worse at marriage."

Her affair with "The Silver King" Horace Tabor is scandalous, however this isn't Baby's first rodeo.  As a divorced woman, she is "a non-entity...an unspeakable."  Cruel to him when they first meet, she later tries to sell him a mine her father-in-law had given her as alimony.  Tabor tells her that he will provide miners and they can split any earnings.  Eventually, she moves to the penthouse of Tabor's Denver hotel (where Tabor's erstwhile wife Augusta lurks behind columns in the lobby).

There are many things to like about this book other than Baby Doe's delightful spirit.  One thing I enjoyed are the colorful secondary characters, especially her brother Peter.  He brings quite a bit of drama to Baby Doe's life, and she's not putting up with his shenanigans!  The book does not end with Baby Doe's death.  There is a sequel in the works, Silver Dollar, which also happens to be Baby Doe's youngest daughter's nickname.  I'm looking forward to reading it!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the author via TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.






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Until next time...

Happy Reading!
Ricki Jill







5 comments

  1. My kind of book, with strong women characters!

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  2. I've never heard of Baby Doe, so thanks for the review -- and the new info!

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  3. Sounds like a fun read! Did you ever go to Baby Doe's restaurant near The Club, it was such a cool restaurant! Thanks for the review and book suggestion!
    Jenna

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  4. Sounds like a wonderful read RJ. I'm not familiar with the book but sounds like one I'd enjoy. I remember the restaurant Baby Doe's as well. I'd forgotten all about it until this post!
    Roll Tide..........

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  5. I don't know anything about Baby Doe but now I want to! Thank you for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours

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I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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