Wanton West: Madams, Money, Murder, and the Wild Women of Montana's Frontier

Providingnewinsightsintowomen’sstruggleforequality,thishistoricalstudyshowsthetruestoryofthewomenofoldMontana.Withfewcareeroptionsavailableinthe19thcentury,manyofthemostindependentandenterprisingwomenturnedtotheworld’soldestprofessionforalucrativesourceofincome.AuthorLaelMorganbringstolifethelivelyandeccentriccharacterswhotamedtheWest'swildestregionfromthetimeofthegoldrushtotheelectionofthefirstwomantoU.S.Congress:ChicagoJoe,withheraddictiontohandsomemenandhighfinance;YowKum,anenslavedChineseprostitute;theenterprising,successfulblackprostitutenamedLizzieHall;andCarmen,a"fullblossomedSpanishrosewhowouldjustassoonstickastilettointoyourgizzardasstandatthebarandhaveadrinkwithyou."AnunbiasedexplorationofanopensocietyandanunforgettabletimeinAmericanhistory,thisworkshowcaseshowsomeoftheseremarkablecharacterssufferedthefateofdisease,violence,andalcoholanddrugaddiction,whileasurprisingnumberprospered.