The Last Woman Standing by Thelma Adams
At once an epic account of an improbable romance and a retelling of an iconic American tale, The Last Woman Standing recalls the famed gunfight at the O.K. Corral through the eyes of a spunky heroine who sought her happy ending in a lawless outpost—with a fierce will and an unflagging spirit.
Two decades after the Civil War, Josephine Marcus, the teenage daughter of Jewish immigrants, is lured west with the promise of marriage to Johnny Behan, one of Arizona’s famous lawmen. She leaves her San Francisco home to join Behan in Tombstone, Arizona, a magnet for miners (and outlaws) attracted by the silver boom. Though united by the glint of metal, Tombstone is plagued by divided loyalties: between Confederates and Unionists, Lincoln Republicans and Democrats.
But when the silver-tongued Behan proves unreliable, it is legendary frontiersman Wyatt Earp who emerges as Josephine’s match. As the couple’s romance sparks, Behan’s jealousy ignites a rivalry destined for the history books…
From the Publisher
Allow me to introduce you to a woman of the Wild West, a straight-talking, opera-loving, educated, and vivacious woman who was pivotal to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral despite never firing a gun or leading a posse. You may have heard of her husband—legendary lawman Wyatt Earp—but somehow this incredible lady has been given short shrift by history. But no longer, thanks to The Last Woman Standing, which paints such a compelling portrait of Josephine Marcus Earp that I found myself telling everyone about her, researching her life online, and feeling a bit sassier myself.
Not at all a typical Western novel, this is a wildly entertaining fictional story of a charismatic woman and wife on the American frontier. But underneath it all, it is one of the greatest love stories of all time. I was completely entranced by this spitfire who had one of history’s most famous gunslingers wrapped around her finger. Josephine and Wyatt Earp were devoted to each other for nearly fifty years.
If Josephine were alive today, I know I’d want to hang out with her, longing to be her best friend. I can’t believe this magnetic beauty has not cast a bigger shadow on history, but thanks to the efforts of author Thelma Adams, a film critic and acclaimed celebrity interviewer, I suspect we won’t soon forget her.
Thelma Adams is the author of the bestselling historical novel, The Last Woman Standing and Playdate, which Oprah magazine described as “a witty debut novel.” In addition to her fiction work, Adams is a prominent American film critic and an outspoken voice in the Hollywood community. She has been the in-house film critic for Us Weekly and The New York Post, and has written essays, celebrity profiles and reviews for Yahoo! Movies, The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Parade, Marie Claire and The Huffington Post. Adams studied history at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was valedictorian, and received her MFA from Columbia University. She lives in upstate New York with her family.
My Review
I purchased this book back in 2016 when it was first released. It promptly got buried in my Kindle – the main reason I prefer physical books. But as I was trying to clear my Kindle, I came across it and gave it a go. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could not put the book down.
When young Josephine Sarah Marcus, a good girl from a Jewish family, announces her intent to travel back to Tombstone, Arizona to be with Johnny Behan, her family literally disowns her. But young Josephine plucks up her courage and makes her way from San Francisco to the wilds of the Old West. It is there that she learns some pretty hard lessons about life. Eventually ditching the less than faithful and certainly underhanded Johnny, she falls in love with that icon of the Old West, Wyatt Earp. Shunned at first by Wyatt’s sisters-in-law while being welcomed by his brothers, Josephine finds that she’s willing to do anything to be with her man. Even if it means returning to San Francisco and to the family that wants nothing more to do with her.
Based on the true story of Josephine Marcus Earp, this is a love story wrapped in a Western and told with detailed attention to historical truth – even bearing witness to the famed shoot out at the O.K. Corral. This reader found the story riveting, especially as it is told from a feminine viewpoint. The Last Woman Standing opens up a window into the past where we are allowed to understand the grit and determination of those women who lived in the Old West and prospered there.
Rating: 5 stars
Moonlight Musings 