Laura

Laura is a biographical novel exploring the life of Laura Fair, a woman who shot and killed her married lover on a San Francisco ferry in 1870. The ensuing trial and media sensation rocked the city and sparked intense debate about gender roles, morality, and justice in the Gilded Age. The narrative follows Laura's path from her early years through multiple marriages, business ventures, and her fateful relationship with Alexander Crittenden. Through extensive research and historical detail, the book reconstructs both the crime and the social context of 1870s San Francisco. The legal proceedings and aftermath illuminate the period's complex attitudes toward women, highlighting the ways Laura's case challenged Victorian sensibilities. Her story intersects with broader themes of ambition, independence, social constraints, and the price of defying convention in nineteenth century America.

Readers found this to be a detailed biography that focuses heavily on Laura Ingalls Wilder's adult life and writing career rather than the Little House years. Several reviewers appreciated the exploration of the complex mother-daughter relationship between Laura and Rose, with one Amazon reader noting "it shows Laura as a real person, not just the character from the books." Many praised May's research and historical context but criticized the book's tendency to engage in speculation about Laura's thoughts and feelings. A Goodreads reviewer wrote, "The author makes too many assumptions without evidence." Some readers expressed frustration with the amount of attention given to Rose Wilder Lane, feeling it overshadowed Laura's story. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (375 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (31 ratings) Most reviews range from 3-4 stars, with readers valuing the biographical information but taking issue with the writing style and extensive focus on Rose.

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🌟 Laura Bullion, the subject of the novel, was nicknamed "The Rose of the Wild Bunch" and was one of the few female outlaws to ride with Butch Cassidy's infamous gang 📚 Author Antoinette May spent over three years researching Laura Bullion's life, including visits to locations where the Wild Bunch operated and access to historical archives 🏦 The real Laura Bullion participated in several major train robberies between 1893 and 1901, often disguising herself as a man to avoid detection 🎨 After leaving her outlaw life behind, Laura Bullion worked as an interior decorator in Memphis, Tennessee, under an assumed name until her death in 1961 💝 The novel explores Laura's complex relationship with outlaw Ben Kilpatrick (the "Tall Texan"), which began when she was just 15 years old and lasted through multiple prison terms