CALAMITY JANE: Her Life and Her Legend

by Faber Doris ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1992

Martha Jane Cannery may have died a drunk, but tales about Calamity Jane live on. Trying to sift through the facts, Faber ends up with a lot of speculation and might-have-beens that will give many readers a craving for more to sink their teeth into. Did Calamity marry Wild Bill Hickok? History has only her word for it, and Faber (without offering her own conclusions) presents plenty of evidence for just how flimsy that word was. Did she have a daughter, raised in England? Faber implies that people liked to think so. Readers will have to make up their own minds what to believe about this frontierswoman whose elusiveness is also suggested by her conspicuous absence in the illustrations: among the mostly generic b&w photos of the West here are just three shots of her (including one of her coffin) and one drawing. List of further reading; bibliography, index.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1992

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 62

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1992

Categories: CHILDREN'S