What do you think?
Rate this book
The Last Woman Standing
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…
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.
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…
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.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2011
About the author
Thelma Adams
4 books187 followersThelma Adams is the author of the best selling 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 820 reviews
June 27, 2016
This is my June Kindle First pick and it's the first one I have picked since January that I haven't liked. I thought it sounded really good reading a fiction book about Wyatt Earp's common law wife told in her words. And the first few sentences of the book reeled me right in....
EXCERPT
Tombstone kicked my ass and I kicked back. No one expected that of a little Jewish girl from a no-name family.
So just from those words I thought it was going to be a butt kicking chic to rock it out with the Earp's. No. I mean, it could have been that since this is fiction right? No.
The only other part in the book that was worth writing about is a word from Doc Holliday.
EXCERPT
Doc wasted no time. The moment Mollie turned her back, the dentist leaned over toward my chair, his minty breath all that I could inhale, grabbed my wrist in the vice of his long fingers, and focused those intense eyes on mine. He said in a low and threatening voice: "If you mess with Wyatt, Miss Josephine, you will answer to me. As a dentist, I have the power to rearrange those pearly teeth in your mouth."
I didn't like Josephine's character. She came to Tombstone to marry a law man named Johnny and he was a crook and a bad man. He was just using her the whole time and she was too stupid to see it. She has her father wire her a good amount of money to build the house that was promised to her because her no account fiance only started the thing and then quit. He never intended to marry her and she was too stupid to see it. Until she walked in on him and another lady. She then goes on over to the brothel and was going to work there instead of going home to her parents. Hello? But Wyatt saves her. It's said in real life that she did work in a brothel and that is where she met Johnny but I don't know that for sure.
She liked handsome Wyatt right off the bat when she met saw him. She flirted with him when Johnny wasn't around. She flirted with a few men. The book dragged so much, I was waiting for something exciting to happen. Yeah, there was a fight out but it just didn't ... I can't even ... it's not worth mentioning.
After Josephine is with Wyatt and all of the stuff hits the fan with the bad buys including her ex Johnny (who was the sheriff) she finally goes home to her family. And eventually Wyatt comes and gets her.
There is like a whole big section of her getting her pictures taking by a lady named Mollie that Wyatt sent her too. It was pointless and boring with the exception of Doc being a boarder there and hanging around, but even he couldn't spice it up but for that one part.
I love the idea of what the author was trying to do but this book just wasn't for me. I hope to find something similar. There seems to be a lot of mixed reviews on the book so you may love it and you may not. That is for you to decide!
My 2 stars are for the idea of the book, it's a very good one!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
EXCERPT
Tombstone kicked my ass and I kicked back. No one expected that of a little Jewish girl from a no-name family.
So just from those words I thought it was going to be a butt kicking chic to rock it out with the Earp's. No. I mean, it could have been that since this is fiction right? No.
The only other part in the book that was worth writing about is a word from Doc Holliday.
EXCERPT
Doc wasted no time. The moment Mollie turned her back, the dentist leaned over toward my chair, his minty breath all that I could inhale, grabbed my wrist in the vice of his long fingers, and focused those intense eyes on mine. He said in a low and threatening voice: "If you mess with Wyatt, Miss Josephine, you will answer to me. As a dentist, I have the power to rearrange those pearly teeth in your mouth."
I didn't like Josephine's character. She came to Tombstone to marry a law man named Johnny and he was a crook and a bad man. He was just using her the whole time and she was too stupid to see it. She has her father wire her a good amount of money to build the house that was promised to her because her no account fiance only started the thing and then quit. He never intended to marry her and she was too stupid to see it. Until she walked in on him and another lady. She then goes on over to the brothel and was going to work there instead of going home to her parents. Hello? But Wyatt saves her. It's said in real life that she did work in a brothel and that is where she met Johnny but I don't know that for sure.
She liked handsome Wyatt right off the bat when she met saw him. She flirted with him when Johnny wasn't around. She flirted with a few men. The book dragged so much, I was waiting for something exciting to happen. Yeah, there was a fight out but it just didn't ... I can't even ... it's not worth mentioning.
After Josephine is with Wyatt and all of the stuff hits the fan with the bad buys including her ex Johnny (who was the sheriff) she finally goes home to her family. And eventually Wyatt comes and gets her.
There is like a whole big section of her getting her pictures taking by a lady named Mollie that Wyatt sent her too. It was pointless and boring with the exception of Doc being a boarder there and hanging around, but even he couldn't spice it up but for that one part.
I love the idea of what the author was trying to do but this book just wasn't for me. I hope to find something similar. There seems to be a lot of mixed reviews on the book so you may love it and you may not. That is for you to decide!
My 2 stars are for the idea of the book, it's a very good one!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
June 19, 2016
Tombstone kicked my ass and I kicked it back.
Here's the tale of a little Jewish girl from a no name family who ventures to Arizona in 1881 to become the bride of a charming lawman. There she meets outlaws and whores, and quickly discovers that life in Tombstone - a spot so desperate it was named after a grave marker - will be unlike anything she has known before.
This started out as a terrific five-star read for me. I enjoyed the author's descriptions of Tombstone, and the many fun characters that inhabited this legendary town that had a man for breakfast every morning. BUT, things went south about midway through the book when Josephine's intended turns out to be not quite so charming, and the story evolves from historical fiction into mushy romance. Whoever will she choose - the man she loves or the cad who still makes her tingle?
I love the idea of a wild west tale told from a woman's point of view, but I'd rather read about a heroine who aspires to being something other than some cowboy's wife.
August 16, 2016
The Last Woman Standing by Thelma Adams is a 2016 Lake Union Press publication.
I have been curious about Josephine Marcus since watching the wildly popular motion picture, “Tombstone.”
I know Hollywood often takes huge liberties with the facts, so I decided to do an internet search to see what information was available about Wyatt Earp’s common law wife. To be honest, there really isn’t a lot of absolutely, positively true and documented facts about ‘Sadie’ or ‘Josephine’. There are large gaps of her life that are murky and much speculation has developed over time. Josephine went to great lengths to keep her life in Tombstone from becoming public knowledge.
So, I was immensely curious how the author would present Josephine’s life story in this work of fiction. Naturally, the book is written in first person narrative, as Josephine looks back on her life leading up to her arrival in Tombstone, how she met Wyatt, and how the two ended up embarking on life’s journey together.
The author bravely taps into the black hole of time that Josephine worked so tirelessly to keep private for so many years.
I loved the way Josephine came to life, her voice raw, pure, and brutally honest, revealing her naïvete, foibles, bad luck with men, and how she was rescued from a harsh life not befitting her beauty and talent by Wyatt Earp.
I do believe Josephine was a woman ahead of her time, a true adventurer, but also a person who suffered through some real regrets for the poor choices she made in her youth. She did not live like many ‘respectable’ ladies, and never went through a formal, legal wedding ceremony, which was perhaps more common in some places, like Tombstone, but was still quite scandalous. She lived unconventionally, and was quite an interesting figure who lived life with gusto and was lucky enough to find her soul mate and true life partner in Wyatt.
This fictional accounting of Josephine’s life mixes a few documented facts in to create a plausible portrait of a legendary figure of the old west. I think it’s as good a guess as any about the enigmatic actress that captured the heart of Wyatt Earp. It was fun to see all the legendary historical figures we have come to know in film and countless documentaries and books, come to life in this fictional take on events in Tombstone, seen through the eyes of Josephine Marcus.
Overall, this in a provocative read, interesting and engaging. If you enjoy Historical Fiction, this book is one you may want to try.
4 stars
I have been curious about Josephine Marcus since watching the wildly popular motion picture, “Tombstone.”
I know Hollywood often takes huge liberties with the facts, so I decided to do an internet search to see what information was available about Wyatt Earp’s common law wife. To be honest, there really isn’t a lot of absolutely, positively true and documented facts about ‘Sadie’ or ‘Josephine’. There are large gaps of her life that are murky and much speculation has developed over time. Josephine went to great lengths to keep her life in Tombstone from becoming public knowledge.
So, I was immensely curious how the author would present Josephine’s life story in this work of fiction. Naturally, the book is written in first person narrative, as Josephine looks back on her life leading up to her arrival in Tombstone, how she met Wyatt, and how the two ended up embarking on life’s journey together.
The author bravely taps into the black hole of time that Josephine worked so tirelessly to keep private for so many years.
I loved the way Josephine came to life, her voice raw, pure, and brutally honest, revealing her naïvete, foibles, bad luck with men, and how she was rescued from a harsh life not befitting her beauty and talent by Wyatt Earp.
I do believe Josephine was a woman ahead of her time, a true adventurer, but also a person who suffered through some real regrets for the poor choices she made in her youth. She did not live like many ‘respectable’ ladies, and never went through a formal, legal wedding ceremony, which was perhaps more common in some places, like Tombstone, but was still quite scandalous. She lived unconventionally, and was quite an interesting figure who lived life with gusto and was lucky enough to find her soul mate and true life partner in Wyatt.
This fictional accounting of Josephine’s life mixes a few documented facts in to create a plausible portrait of a legendary figure of the old west. I think it’s as good a guess as any about the enigmatic actress that captured the heart of Wyatt Earp. It was fun to see all the legendary historical figures we have come to know in film and countless documentaries and books, come to life in this fictional take on events in Tombstone, seen through the eyes of Josephine Marcus.
Overall, this in a provocative read, interesting and engaging. If you enjoy Historical Fiction, this book is one you may want to try.
4 stars
July 18, 2016
Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, Doc Holliday, Tombstone, O.K. Corral and Boot Hill. these are names and places that probably ring a bell. For me this book made me realize how little I really knew about the person Wyatt Earp. So, I was thrilled to participate in a blog tour for this book.
This book starts with Josephine Marcus now old and reminiscing her life. Most of the ones from her days in Tombstone are dead, including her beloved Wyatt. And, now she has only memories of her days as a young woman who risks everything to travel from San Francisco to Tombstone to marry Johnny Behan. Only, it never got to be her and Behan, he strung her along and she had enough after finding him in bed with another woman. But, there was Wyatt and a love that would last until the day he died.
I think love stories are best when they are real. When it's about real people that either found love for a few passionate years or a lifetime. Thelma Adam's book about Josephine Earp is engrossing and I loved reading the book. One thing I found so fascinating is that it's not that long ago, it was just at the end of the 1900-century, not several hundred years ago, but still it feels odd to know that Wyatt Earp lived until 1929. I have always felt that Tombstone and The Gunfight at O.K. Corral were much longer ago.
I instantly found Wyatt Earp charming and I can understand Josephine's first reaction in the book to seeing him the very first day in Tombstone. I loved every moment they had together and the scene in the brothel when she thought that she would have to sell her body to support herself is absolutely wonderful. Yeah, I know that sounds very weird, but read the book and you will see why I feel that scene is great.
I could probably go on and on about what I loved about the book, but I will end this review with a quote from the book from the very first moment, Josephine saw Wyatt:
As Johnny roped his horse to Harry’s wagon and Kitty nagged her stoop-shouldered husband, I felt a weight on one cheek. I sensed eyes staring at me. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it happened just that way, as real as the feeling of sunshine while your eyes are closed. That was the first time I saw Wyatt. He was looking straight at me. I stared right back. He was dead handsome with an athletic build on a six-foot frame, made taller by perfect posture. His hair was blond and thick like his younger brother’s, with a matching mustache and unflinching eyes, the same blue as Morgan’s but twice as intense.
This book starts with Josephine Marcus now old and reminiscing her life. Most of the ones from her days in Tombstone are dead, including her beloved Wyatt. And, now she has only memories of her days as a young woman who risks everything to travel from San Francisco to Tombstone to marry Johnny Behan. Only, it never got to be her and Behan, he strung her along and she had enough after finding him in bed with another woman. But, there was Wyatt and a love that would last until the day he died.
I think love stories are best when they are real. When it's about real people that either found love for a few passionate years or a lifetime. Thelma Adam's book about Josephine Earp is engrossing and I loved reading the book. One thing I found so fascinating is that it's not that long ago, it was just at the end of the 1900-century, not several hundred years ago, but still it feels odd to know that Wyatt Earp lived until 1929. I have always felt that Tombstone and The Gunfight at O.K. Corral were much longer ago.
I instantly found Wyatt Earp charming and I can understand Josephine's first reaction in the book to seeing him the very first day in Tombstone. I loved every moment they had together and the scene in the brothel when she thought that she would have to sell her body to support herself is absolutely wonderful. Yeah, I know that sounds very weird, but read the book and you will see why I feel that scene is great.
I could probably go on and on about what I loved about the book, but I will end this review with a quote from the book from the very first moment, Josephine saw Wyatt:
As Johnny roped his horse to Harry’s wagon and Kitty nagged her stoop-shouldered husband, I felt a weight on one cheek. I sensed eyes staring at me. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it happened just that way, as real as the feeling of sunshine while your eyes are closed. That was the first time I saw Wyatt. He was looking straight at me. I stared right back. He was dead handsome with an athletic build on a six-foot frame, made taller by perfect posture. His hair was blond and thick like his younger brother’s, with a matching mustache and unflinching eyes, the same blue as Morgan’s but twice as intense.
February 4, 2017
This book reads like what I imagine a romance novel to be like. The story is set against a historical backdrop of the old American West. Historical facts and people are woven in to give it a bit more substance than a woman falling in and out of love. (Why are so many of us guys such rotten creeps in these stories?)
There was some creative writing on the author's part. I got a kick out of the character cutting a steak with a serrated knife big enough to kill an Apache. And the slick lady-killer being able to talk a chicken out of its feathers! Now that is the kind of thing the character would be thinking back then.
I suppose I only gave it 3 stars being as there was more romance than action for my taste, but it was still worth the time I spent reading it.
There was some creative writing on the author's part. I got a kick out of the character cutting a steak with a serrated knife big enough to kill an Apache. And the slick lady-killer being able to talk a chicken out of its feathers! Now that is the kind of thing the character would be thinking back then.
I suppose I only gave it 3 stars being as there was more romance than action for my taste, but it was still worth the time I spent reading it.
September 22, 2018
I loved this book from start to finish! Horses, guns, and cowboys? Yes please. I would not have complained if this book was way longer
April 17, 2017
I read this too fast. I finished reading it last night and I wasn't ready to leave Tombstone or say goodbye to the Earps. All good things must end and I'm a tad bit more knowledgeable about Wyatt Earp and his beautiful, vivacious wife, Josephine Sarah Marcus Earp. Because Josephine fiercely protected her privacy, very little was known about her real life spent in Tombstone, and even those facts are questionable. Thelma Adams does a remarkable job of filling in the blanks. Josie, or Sadie (as she was often called), is a woman filled with passion, emotion, an adventurous soul, and a deep love for a man she spent nearly fifty years with. Adams recreates a love story that would make Josephine more than proud. Who needs to play a meager roll in H.M.S Pinafore when you're already starring in real life, with a living legend? Matter of fact, I would enjoy seeing a movie version of this book, but only if Adams writes the screenplay.
Josephine is a lovable character who seeks adventure at an early age. She runs away twice, once to join a dance troupe and again to marry Johnny Behan in Tombstone. While stepping off the stagecoach in Tombstone, Josie spots the tall, attractive Wyatt Earp. She is immediately bowled over by his stature and great looks but her hand is promised to Behan. Initially, things look promising for Josie and Johnny. Champagne flows in the nicest restaraunts and Johnny is attentive, kind, and loving. But, it isn't long before Josephine realizes that her life with Johnny is a sham. Does she love Johnny Behan or the idea of love? Besides, the real man behind that beautiful smile is not what he promised. Josephine begins to question her choices. What was she thinking, coming to this rugged outpost with no family, no money, and nothing but her looks to support her. Josie was beautiful, the Belle of Tombstone. She was foolish to believe that her beauty was enough. She had left her family behind, in San Francisco, in complete disgrace. However, Josephine Sarah Marcus would rather sell her soul than return to a coward like Johnny Behan. Madame Mustache, the notorious French bawd, had offered a room. What were her choices in Tombstone? Enter Wyatt Earp. Josephine's real adventures have just begun.
And what an adventure it was! From the first chapter to the very last, I was completely besotted with this story, with Josephine, Wyatt Earp, and the rough riding cowboys of Tombstone. One of my favorite scenes occurred when Josie met Madame Mustache, a character I won't forget any time soon. Of course, that was just one of many favorite parts of a richly imagined story from the past. I cannot thank Thelma Adams enough for introducing me to a history I knew very little about. Fascinating look at the woman behind one of the West's most famous lawmen. Adams brought all the characters to life, so much so that I can feel the dust on my neck. I got to experience Tombstone and witness the shootout at the O.K. Corral through Josephine's eyes. I had a front row seat. Most importantly, I got to meet Mrs.Wyatt Earp and it was a pleasure. I loved everything about this book.
Many thanks to Thelma Adams for sending me this gorgeous ARC, my latest book crush.
Thelma Adams is an established figure in the entertainment industry, covering film for the New York Post, US Weekly, and Yahoo Movies. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The Huffington Post, and O: The Oprah Magazine. She writes regularly for The Huffington Post, Marie Caire, and iVillage.com. Her debut novel, Playdate, won critical acclaim. Adams sits on the Hamptons International Film Festival Advisory Board and twice chaired the New York Film Critics Circle. As a respected film critic, Thelma has appeared on CNN, E!, Fox News Channel, NBC's The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, and CBS's Early Show. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a history from UC Berkeley and earned an MBA from Columbia University. She lives in Hyde Park, New York, with her family.
**This is my 2nd completed book for the May Clean Sweep ARC Challenge. I'm a little behind. What's new?! #CleanSweepARC
Josephine is a lovable character who seeks adventure at an early age. She runs away twice, once to join a dance troupe and again to marry Johnny Behan in Tombstone. While stepping off the stagecoach in Tombstone, Josie spots the tall, attractive Wyatt Earp. She is immediately bowled over by his stature and great looks but her hand is promised to Behan. Initially, things look promising for Josie and Johnny. Champagne flows in the nicest restaraunts and Johnny is attentive, kind, and loving. But, it isn't long before Josephine realizes that her life with Johnny is a sham. Does she love Johnny Behan or the idea of love? Besides, the real man behind that beautiful smile is not what he promised. Josephine begins to question her choices. What was she thinking, coming to this rugged outpost with no family, no money, and nothing but her looks to support her. Josie was beautiful, the Belle of Tombstone. She was foolish to believe that her beauty was enough. She had left her family behind, in San Francisco, in complete disgrace. However, Josephine Sarah Marcus would rather sell her soul than return to a coward like Johnny Behan. Madame Mustache, the notorious French bawd, had offered a room. What were her choices in Tombstone? Enter Wyatt Earp. Josephine's real adventures have just begun.
And what an adventure it was! From the first chapter to the very last, I was completely besotted with this story, with Josephine, Wyatt Earp, and the rough riding cowboys of Tombstone. One of my favorite scenes occurred when Josie met Madame Mustache, a character I won't forget any time soon. Of course, that was just one of many favorite parts of a richly imagined story from the past. I cannot thank Thelma Adams enough for introducing me to a history I knew very little about. Fascinating look at the woman behind one of the West's most famous lawmen. Adams brought all the characters to life, so much so that I can feel the dust on my neck. I got to experience Tombstone and witness the shootout at the O.K. Corral through Josephine's eyes. I had a front row seat. Most importantly, I got to meet Mrs.Wyatt Earp and it was a pleasure. I loved everything about this book.
Many thanks to Thelma Adams for sending me this gorgeous ARC, my latest book crush.
Thelma Adams is an established figure in the entertainment industry, covering film for the New York Post, US Weekly, and Yahoo Movies. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The Huffington Post, and O: The Oprah Magazine. She writes regularly for The Huffington Post, Marie Caire, and iVillage.com. Her debut novel, Playdate, won critical acclaim. Adams sits on the Hamptons International Film Festival Advisory Board and twice chaired the New York Film Critics Circle. As a respected film critic, Thelma has appeared on CNN, E!, Fox News Channel, NBC's The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, and CBS's Early Show. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a history from UC Berkeley and earned an MBA from Columbia University. She lives in Hyde Park, New York, with her family.
**This is my 2nd completed book for the May Clean Sweep ARC Challenge. I'm a little behind. What's new?! #CleanSweepARC
August 20, 2016
**1.5**
It felt like the author took a few details from Josephine's life and tried to stuff the character she wanted to create into that life. And it didn't fit.
Though details about Josephine's life are hazy, most accounts say that she was a prostitute at one point. Instead of embracing that person she most likely was, the author tried to write her as a romantic, (somewhat) virtuous heroine. And her attempt to reconcile the actual Josephine with the author's creation was...forced to say the least. The reasons used to explain the factual behaviors/actions didn't make any sense, were superficial or convoluted.
I also thought it was odd that the author spent 65% of the book on Josephine's relationship with Johnny Behan and almost no time developing Josephine and Wyatt's relationship. Wyatt felt tacked on on the end and their relationship completely shallow. There was such an opportunity to develop Wyatt and his brothers and it was competely lost.
I feel like I could go on and continue to mention smaller issues I had with the book as well, but I'll leave it at these two big problems. This book just completely missed the mark.
It felt like the author took a few details from Josephine's life and tried to stuff the character she wanted to create into that life. And it didn't fit.
Though details about Josephine's life are hazy, most accounts say that she was a prostitute at one point. Instead of embracing that person she most likely was, the author tried to write her as a romantic, (somewhat) virtuous heroine. And her attempt to reconcile the actual Josephine with the author's creation was...forced to say the least. The reasons used to explain the factual behaviors/actions didn't make any sense, were superficial or convoluted.
I also thought it was odd that the author spent 65% of the book on Josephine's relationship with Johnny Behan and almost no time developing Josephine and Wyatt's relationship. Wyatt felt tacked on on the end and their relationship completely shallow. There was such an opportunity to develop Wyatt and his brothers and it was competely lost.
I feel like I could go on and continue to mention smaller issues I had with the book as well, but I'll leave it at these two big problems. This book just completely missed the mark.
November 26, 2019
I really enjoyed this story based on the life and times of Josephine "Sadie" Marcus.The daughter of Jewish immigrants, Sadie had big dreams. Too big to be constrained by the conventions of the day.She tells her tale, warts and all about the the most important year of her life. The year she met and fell for the legendary Wyatt Earp.
There isn't an extensive biography on Sadie , so the author had plenty of room to improvise. I felt the story was very well done. I found myself engrossed and enjoying the bawdy down and dirty lifestyle of Tombstone and it's colorful residents.And having seen the movie Tombstone a few times, I saw the cast of characters living in this book.
There isn't an extensive biography on Sadie , so the author had plenty of room to improvise. I felt the story was very well done. I found myself engrossed and enjoying the bawdy down and dirty lifestyle of Tombstone and it's colorful residents.And having seen the movie Tombstone a few times, I saw the cast of characters living in this book.
July 15, 2016
I fell truly, madly,and deeply in love with this book. Set in the late 19th century USA, this book is a fictional account of the real life woman who loved Wyatt Earp. Josephine is unlike any other female protagonist of the time period. As Josephine recounts the events of the past, I felt myself carried back to the time of the Wild Wild West. Sensuality oozes from the pages in startlingly detail and there is little romanticism regarding how it was to live as an unmarried woman in lawless Tombstone.
Thelma Adams writes men as well as she wrote her women. Wyatt Earp, Johnny Bohun, and Doc Holliday were written very well even though we do largely see them through Josephine's eyes. I, too, fell head over heels in love.
Here were some amazing lines that I hope made it into the final copy.
He stirred me in a way that made me hold my knees tighter together.
He's a charming storyteller who could talk Abraham Lincoln out of his beard, and persuade him to purchase slaves.
I held his heart in my hands, blowing light and life where there had been ashes and the tiniest of embers. Our kiss was a quiet breath held together
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced e-book galley in exchange for an honest review.
Thelma Adams writes men as well as she wrote her women. Wyatt Earp, Johnny Bohun, and Doc Holliday were written very well even though we do largely see them through Josephine's eyes. I, too, fell head over heels in love.
Here were some amazing lines that I hope made it into the final copy.
He stirred me in a way that made me hold my knees tighter together.
He's a charming storyteller who could talk Abraham Lincoln out of his beard, and persuade him to purchase slaves.
I held his heart in my hands, blowing light and life where there had been ashes and the tiniest of embers. Our kiss was a quiet breath held together
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced e-book galley in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2024
Just okay. Our heroine's vanity is tiresome, and she has little to show for her oft-repeated claims of boldness, independence, and big spirit. I didn't see any reason why all the men were so in love with her; she just seemed like a flighty teenager with hot pants, not the strong frontier woman she wanted me to believe she was. Although the book introduced me to some interesting characters and events I'd only been peripherally aware of, it was presented as more of a bodice-ripping love story than the wild west adventure I was expecting. Not really my cup of tea. But it was a quick read, and since I got it for free, I suppose I shouldn't complain.
July 14, 2016
The Last Woman Standing is gritty and blunt and paints a decidedly unromantic (probably more realistic) picture of the Wild West. Told from Josie’s perspective, almost as though she dictated her memoir to Thelma Adams, the narrative has a casual and easy cadence and I enjoyed the style of the writing voice. It felt like we were sitting down for a conversation and that’s my favorite kind of first person narrative.
The problem with the narrative being from Josie’s perspective is that Josie can be (is often) coarse and crude. In fact, I almost stopped reading after the first couple of chapters because her frankness and vulgarity was just too much for me. However, I gave it one more chapter since I’d committed to this review for a blog tour and the crudeness did lessen considerably so I decided to keep reading.
This kind of historical fiction brings to life in new ways the people we’ve read about in textbooks and/or watched in documentaries & movies. It gives them a different sort of humanity and always creates in me the urge to delve into further research like the history nerd that I am. I want to know more about Wyatt Earp and his brothers now after reading this book – they seem like the best sort of rogues. I also want to find out more about Johnny’s son Albert.
Sadly though, I didn’t connect with Josie. She’s extremely focused on her own beauty and sexuality (though I did love seeing her with Albert, in that softer selfless motherly role) and at the same time very naive. It’s like she wants the best of both worlds – innocence and experience – but for a good portion of the book she only winds up with the worst of each. I expected Josie’s story to be one where she fought for her own independence, a strong heroine who balked against the roles that society ordained for her. While there’s a smidgen of that element to Josie’s story, she really just goes from one man to another, and I never saw much spirit or fire in her except at the very beginning (and then that was too crude for me to enjoy).
Bottom Line: The Last Woman Standing will appeal to fans of the Wild West, especially anyone who loves the movie Tombstone. I wouldn’t recommend it, however, to anyone who is easily offended. As I said already, it’s blunt and uncomfortable. It will certainly give you a new perspective on the events at the OK Corral and on the players involved, but it’s not a pretty perspective. Like the dust on the streets of Tombstone, this book and its characters are gritty.
The problem with the narrative being from Josie’s perspective is that Josie can be (is often) coarse and crude. In fact, I almost stopped reading after the first couple of chapters because her frankness and vulgarity was just too much for me. However, I gave it one more chapter since I’d committed to this review for a blog tour and the crudeness did lessen considerably so I decided to keep reading.
This kind of historical fiction brings to life in new ways the people we’ve read about in textbooks and/or watched in documentaries & movies. It gives them a different sort of humanity and always creates in me the urge to delve into further research like the history nerd that I am. I want to know more about Wyatt Earp and his brothers now after reading this book – they seem like the best sort of rogues. I also want to find out more about Johnny’s son Albert.
Sadly though, I didn’t connect with Josie. She’s extremely focused on her own beauty and sexuality (though I did love seeing her with Albert, in that softer selfless motherly role) and at the same time very naive. It’s like she wants the best of both worlds – innocence and experience – but for a good portion of the book she only winds up with the worst of each. I expected Josie’s story to be one where she fought for her own independence, a strong heroine who balked against the roles that society ordained for her. While there’s a smidgen of that element to Josie’s story, she really just goes from one man to another, and I never saw much spirit or fire in her except at the very beginning (and then that was too crude for me to enjoy).
Bottom Line: The Last Woman Standing will appeal to fans of the Wild West, especially anyone who loves the movie Tombstone. I wouldn’t recommend it, however, to anyone who is easily offended. As I said already, it’s blunt and uncomfortable. It will certainly give you a new perspective on the events at the OK Corral and on the players involved, but it’s not a pretty perspective. Like the dust on the streets of Tombstone, this book and its characters are gritty.
June 2, 2016
I got this book through Kindle First. I am a fan of historical fiction and thought that this would be interesting at least. I haven't read a ton from the era in the novel and I enjoy alternative perspectives.
First strike was that this was in first person. I don't particularly enjoy reading in first person - for me, it breaks that suspension of disbelief because I would very rarely do all the things that the narrators do. In this case, I did not enjoy riding around in Josephine/Sadie's head. She is very blunt, but not in a charming way. Instead it's awkward, with far too many metaphors that seem scripted. The story did not feel natural, as first person generally tries to.
Second strike was that I just did not enjoy Josephine. I do not think we would have been friends. She seems pretty gullible and passive in many cases - moving to Arizona on the strength of a promise, borrowing money to build a house, waiting still to demand what she wanted, deciding to work as a prostitute rather than return to her parents' home (?!?), accepting Wyatt's promises because she loves him...the list goes on.
Last strike? I just hated the ending. When I was finally starting to see development and growth in Josephine, she reverts back to type when Wyatt returns to make an honest woman out of her. She also seems to want her independence, but not enough to actually be independent. She depends far too much on her relationship partner to give her instruction, which is odd because it seems like she wants to be her own person. Contradictions abound.
I'm glad it was free because I would have been mad if I had paid for it.
First strike was that this was in first person. I don't particularly enjoy reading in first person - for me, it breaks that suspension of disbelief because I would very rarely do all the things that the narrators do. In this case, I did not enjoy riding around in Josephine/Sadie's head. She is very blunt, but not in a charming way. Instead it's awkward, with far too many metaphors that seem scripted. The story did not feel natural, as first person generally tries to.
Second strike was that I just did not enjoy Josephine. I do not think we would have been friends. She seems pretty gullible and passive in many cases - moving to Arizona on the strength of a promise, borrowing money to build a house, waiting still to demand what she wanted, deciding to work as a prostitute rather than return to her parents' home (?!?), accepting Wyatt's promises because she loves him...the list goes on.
Last strike? I just hated the ending. When I was finally starting to see development and growth in Josephine, she reverts back to type when Wyatt returns to make an honest woman out of her. She also seems to want her independence, but not enough to actually be independent. She depends far too much on her relationship partner to give her instruction, which is odd because it seems like she wants to be her own person. Contradictions abound.
I'm glad it was free because I would have been mad if I had paid for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2021
Thelma Adams writes cinematically, with evocative descriptions, a gripping narrative, and fully developed characters, which reflect her years as an esteemed film critic. Here, she turns those powerful gifts to a lively hist fic tale of Josie Marcus, a free-spirited Jewish woman who leaves her San Fran immigrant family and ultimately moves to Tombstone, Arizona, where she falls in love with legendary lawman Wyatt Earp.
Adams’ take on the iconic shootout at O.K. Corral adds a new perspective that I found fascinating. I also loved her imaginings of the soul-mate connection between the lovers. An engaging story that felt so real that I was lost in the pages, intrigued by Josie’s bold choices and her adventures in the Wild West. Out now.
5 of 5 Stars
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
Adams’ take on the iconic shootout at O.K. Corral adds a new perspective that I found fascinating. I also loved her imaginings of the soul-mate connection between the lovers. An engaging story that felt so real that I was lost in the pages, intrigued by Josie’s bold choices and her adventures in the Wild West. Out now.
5 of 5 Stars
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 18, 2019
Set during the late 19th century, Josephine Marucs tells her story. She runs away as a teenager from San Francisco to Arizona. She is lured by marriage promise to one of Arizona’s famous lawmen, Johnny Behan. Her love interest also includes Wyatt Earp.
Josephine’s voice sounds very flat and monotonous. She comes across as a very bold person, starting on page 1, “Pardon me for spreading my legs so soon. You hardly know me. But you will.” Continuing on page 2, “Men are funny that way. They put a brand on your ass and expect you to behave while they’re out lassoing another man’s wife.”
She is not a likeable person. Books like this one make me wonder, what is the point of writing such story, so called historical romance?
Josephine’s voice sounds very flat and monotonous. She comes across as a very bold person, starting on page 1, “Pardon me for spreading my legs so soon. You hardly know me. But you will.” Continuing on page 2, “Men are funny that way. They put a brand on your ass and expect you to behave while they’re out lassoing another man’s wife.”
She is not a likeable person. Books like this one make me wonder, what is the point of writing such story, so called historical romance?
January 29, 2019
Rip-roaring, kick-ass portrayal of Wyatt Earp and his Jewish common-law wife who has more than enough gumption for the two of them. So fun to read Western fiction, thanks for bringing it back! Thelma Adam's voice is humorous and strong, not to be missed.
March 29, 2024
A spellbinding western for women starring a spunky real-life pioneer woman: Josephine (or Sadie--as she's later known) Earp.
When young Josephine Marcus comes to Tombstone on a cramped stagecoach, her head full of romantic notions concerning the man she's betrothed to, she isn't expecting all of her innocent dreams to crumble at her feet. Her fiance, Johnny Behan, is certainly handsome and charming--too charming. It doesn't take Josephine long to discover he's a smooth-tongued, lying philanderer full of empty promises. But then she meets Wyatt Earp--tall, stoic, with a strong moral compass set towards justice, and Josephine's whole world tilts on its axis. With the reputation of being the most beautiful--and envied--woman in Tombstone, allies are hard for Josephine to find and jealousies run hot as the Arizona sun, erupting in a cataclysmic showdown at the O.K. Corral.
Carried along by Thelma Adams' clever, witty prose, you'll fall for Wyatt right along with Josie. This is at once a love story and an inspiring ode to strong-willed women like Josephine who made the Wild West their own.
When young Josephine Marcus comes to Tombstone on a cramped stagecoach, her head full of romantic notions concerning the man she's betrothed to, she isn't expecting all of her innocent dreams to crumble at her feet. Her fiance, Johnny Behan, is certainly handsome and charming--too charming. It doesn't take Josephine long to discover he's a smooth-tongued, lying philanderer full of empty promises. But then she meets Wyatt Earp--tall, stoic, with a strong moral compass set towards justice, and Josephine's whole world tilts on its axis. With the reputation of being the most beautiful--and envied--woman in Tombstone, allies are hard for Josephine to find and jealousies run hot as the Arizona sun, erupting in a cataclysmic showdown at the O.K. Corral.
Carried along by Thelma Adams' clever, witty prose, you'll fall for Wyatt right along with Josie. This is at once a love story and an inspiring ode to strong-willed women like Josephine who made the Wild West their own.
June 10, 2017
The Last Woman Standing: A Novel by Thelma Adams has over two thousand reviews on Amazon, a fact that garners my admiration to the author for eliciting such passion. Were I so fortunate has to collect anywhere NEAR as many reviews for my historical fiction, I would be positively elated- even if numerous patrons criticized the work or harangued my research. As the book’s title states, Adams has presented a novel; it is as work of historical fiction based on the life of Josephine Sarah Marcus. As a fiction, it is of course, a romanticized version of actual facts. It is the author’s right to use creative license in presenting her interpretation; I don’t understand the opposition, the condemnation, of the author’s work based on what Wikipedia or Google suggests as truth. My attraction to this novel was based on my interests in Jewish protagonists in “period dramas” and my curiosity of pioneer or frontier women. I had a somewhat “Hollywood” understanding of what occurred at the O.K Corral and needless to say; those portions of the book where the author details the orchestrated movements of villains and heroes, were skimmed over with a blasé eye. I did, however, find the politics interesting. I didn’t remember or I didn’t know that the antagonists of the story- the bad cowboys- were “Confederate Democrats” and that the Earp brothers were “Lincoln Republicans.” That bit of information helped make some sense of the contention between the opposing parties. Having said all that, I return to my main interest- the Jewish protagonist in a period drama.
Josephine- or Sadie, as she was also known- was not my “typical” heroine by any means. This book presents a teenage, Victorian-era, girl coming of age within the constraints of a religious, Jewish, immigrant home. She is portrayed as rebellious and adventurous; the content of the book clearly defines the work as NOT a Clean Read, but given the context of a young woman, sheltered and over protected, I overlooked the cringe-worthy sexual coming-of-age aspect. The family is said to be Prussian; her mother is a devout Jew, her father appears to be less so, assimilated- working on Shabbat, but culturally identifying with his faith. There is a nod to the hierarchy within the immigrant Jewish community with comments regarding the German Jews looking down upon the poileshe (Polish and/or Russian). This bullying provided yet another reason for Josephine to shy away from her heritage. As an author myself, I found it interesting that Adams includes Yiddish vocabulary and religious traditions without providing a glossary or explanation for the terms. I enjoyed the yiddishkeit within the Victorian backdrop, but was curious to know how non-Jews would absorb these details.
Josephine, as any teenage girl would, questioned her fate; she rebelled against the limitations imposed upon her by society at large, and her bitter, stern mother in particular. She was a thrill-seeker and eager to break away from a home which she found stifling and a family which she held as stagnate. She was not a particularly religious young lady, but rather, as very common in today’s society; Josephine seemed to simply identify as a Jew. She stated she would never enter a church, “kneel beneath a crucifix or hear ‘Jesus’ in the same breath as ‘Our Lord and Savior’.” In probably the most illuminating portion of the book (for me), Josephine comes to terms with her Judaism and her roots. “In a world of flux, the Earp brothers rooted themselves in one another…I saw my future as an Earp, but the summer had proved I was a Marcus too. Navigating a way to remain connected to Hennie and my family was nearly as important as my desire to put miles between us… Still, there was strength in roots. I was a Jewish immigrant in a country of choice and opportunity.”
Our heroine had a big heart, she was known to be nurturing and caring when given the opportunity. She took motherless, Albert Behan, under her wing, apparently establishing a lifelong relationship with the boy. She was also a very confused young lady and unfortunately had to learn some difficult life lessons- learning the difference between true love and lust, being chief among them. As she matured, as one MUST when facing horrific situations and dire consequences, I enjoyed seeing how Josephine became less self-centered. She began to realize that Mama and Papa were people in their own right; they too had hopes and dreams- they had suffered great losses and experienced first loves.
As many other readers indicated, I also became restless by the end of the novel with the erotic episodes, the "photography sessions" and the shoot-out scenes, but there was something about this book that touched me. Don’t get me wrong. I do not rejoice in the manner with which the protagonist lives her Judaism. I DO rejoice in the fact that when I did a content search for JEWISH, FRONTIER, I actually got a book with something relating to Jews in the Frontier. I do not say that with any sarcasm. When I searched JEWISH, HISTORICAL FICTION, I found a Georgette Heyer novel which only referenced Jews when speaking of villainous, money lenders. Not exactly what I call Jewish Historical Fiction. Josephine experienced her connection to Judaism in subtle ways; baking strudel and lekach (honey cake) reminded her of happy times with her father. She communed with G-d through the beauty and serenity of the desert’s evening sky. I don’t require a pristine Jewish princess in my reading material; I seek a protagonist that lives with her faith-even struggles with her faith-while living in a (gentile) historical period. I have mostly enjoyed this novel and have taken it for what is- a fictionalized accounting of a young, Jewish woman and her experiences in the Wild West.
Josephine- or Sadie, as she was also known- was not my “typical” heroine by any means. This book presents a teenage, Victorian-era, girl coming of age within the constraints of a religious, Jewish, immigrant home. She is portrayed as rebellious and adventurous; the content of the book clearly defines the work as NOT a Clean Read, but given the context of a young woman, sheltered and over protected, I overlooked the cringe-worthy sexual coming-of-age aspect. The family is said to be Prussian; her mother is a devout Jew, her father appears to be less so, assimilated- working on Shabbat, but culturally identifying with his faith. There is a nod to the hierarchy within the immigrant Jewish community with comments regarding the German Jews looking down upon the poileshe (Polish and/or Russian). This bullying provided yet another reason for Josephine to shy away from her heritage. As an author myself, I found it interesting that Adams includes Yiddish vocabulary and religious traditions without providing a glossary or explanation for the terms. I enjoyed the yiddishkeit within the Victorian backdrop, but was curious to know how non-Jews would absorb these details.
Josephine, as any teenage girl would, questioned her fate; she rebelled against the limitations imposed upon her by society at large, and her bitter, stern mother in particular. She was a thrill-seeker and eager to break away from a home which she found stifling and a family which she held as stagnate. She was not a particularly religious young lady, but rather, as very common in today’s society; Josephine seemed to simply identify as a Jew. She stated she would never enter a church, “kneel beneath a crucifix or hear ‘Jesus’ in the same breath as ‘Our Lord and Savior’.” In probably the most illuminating portion of the book (for me), Josephine comes to terms with her Judaism and her roots. “In a world of flux, the Earp brothers rooted themselves in one another…I saw my future as an Earp, but the summer had proved I was a Marcus too. Navigating a way to remain connected to Hennie and my family was nearly as important as my desire to put miles between us… Still, there was strength in roots. I was a Jewish immigrant in a country of choice and opportunity.”
Our heroine had a big heart, she was known to be nurturing and caring when given the opportunity. She took motherless, Albert Behan, under her wing, apparently establishing a lifelong relationship with the boy. She was also a very confused young lady and unfortunately had to learn some difficult life lessons- learning the difference between true love and lust, being chief among them. As she matured, as one MUST when facing horrific situations and dire consequences, I enjoyed seeing how Josephine became less self-centered. She began to realize that Mama and Papa were people in their own right; they too had hopes and dreams- they had suffered great losses and experienced first loves.
As many other readers indicated, I also became restless by the end of the novel with the erotic episodes, the "photography sessions" and the shoot-out scenes, but there was something about this book that touched me. Don’t get me wrong. I do not rejoice in the manner with which the protagonist lives her Judaism. I DO rejoice in the fact that when I did a content search for JEWISH, FRONTIER, I actually got a book with something relating to Jews in the Frontier. I do not say that with any sarcasm. When I searched JEWISH, HISTORICAL FICTION, I found a Georgette Heyer novel which only referenced Jews when speaking of villainous, money lenders. Not exactly what I call Jewish Historical Fiction. Josephine experienced her connection to Judaism in subtle ways; baking strudel and lekach (honey cake) reminded her of happy times with her father. She communed with G-d through the beauty and serenity of the desert’s evening sky. I don’t require a pristine Jewish princess in my reading material; I seek a protagonist that lives with her faith-even struggles with her faith-while living in a (gentile) historical period. I have mostly enjoyed this novel and have taken it for what is- a fictionalized accounting of a young, Jewish woman and her experiences in the Wild West.
July 14, 2018
I appreciate my friend Amy for recommending this book to me as she knows I want to read more Western but there are better Westerns out there; this is more historical fiction and romance. That being said I have so many feelings about this book that it is rather complicated to explain. I'll do my best to explain why I give this book a 2-2.25rating.
The book starts out with an older and wiser Josephine Marcus aka "Josie" aka "Sadie"(her nickname depends on who she's with at the time) returns to Tombstone, AZ. She's reliving her past where she realizes now that she was a pain in the butt she was due to her naivety and vanity. This first chapter gave hope that this book would be about a woman who kicked butt and was different from most women at the time. Until about 56% of the book, Josephine was with Johnny Behan, who we already knew she would break up with, (for reasons we already knew and kept being told about throughout the book) and grow to hate him. I was growing old and bored with this plot and thought about DNFing this book a few times. However, I was promised a great romance between Wyatt Earp and Josephine Marcus and dang if I wasn't going to read about it.
When I did get to the romance, it did have very sweet moments and the romance was very touching at times but it happened at about 60% in the book. Wyatt actually went away for some of the latter parts of the book, which made sense to the story but bothered me to no end since I waited so long for them to be together. I was interested enough to keep reading this book because with the Wyatt and Josephine romance, things seemed to improve a bit but Ms. Adams just couldn't recover the story enough for me to be happy I read the book.
The author had some good writing at times but the story dragged a lot more than it should. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless you borrow it through Kindle Unlimited or buy it on sale like it I did. I actually still regret paying $1.99 for it and wish I could return it.
The book starts out with an older and wiser Josephine Marcus aka "Josie" aka "Sadie"(her nickname depends on who she's with at the time) returns to Tombstone, AZ. She's reliving her past where she realizes now that she was a pain in the butt she was due to her naivety and vanity. This first chapter gave hope that this book would be about a woman who kicked butt and was different from most women at the time. Until about 56% of the book, Josephine was with Johnny Behan, who we already knew she would break up with, (for reasons we already knew and kept being told about throughout the book) and grow to hate him. I was growing old and bored with this plot and thought about DNFing this book a few times. However, I was promised a great romance between Wyatt Earp and Josephine Marcus and dang if I wasn't going to read about it.
When I did get to the romance, it did have very sweet moments and the romance was very touching at times but it happened at about 60% in the book. Wyatt actually went away for some of the latter parts of the book, which made sense to the story but bothered me to no end since I waited so long for them to be together. I was interested enough to keep reading this book because with the Wyatt and Josephine romance, things seemed to improve a bit but Ms. Adams just couldn't recover the story enough for me to be happy I read the book.
The author had some good writing at times but the story dragged a lot more than it should. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless you borrow it through Kindle Unlimited or buy it on sale like it I did. I actually still regret paying $1.99 for it and wish I could return it.
January 13, 2017
Novel received courtesy of Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway
I LOVED this book! The first line drew me in and I was hooked! "Tombstone kicked my ass and I kicked back." What a great line!
This is the story of Josephine Sophia Marcus, daughter of Jewish immigrants, who had such a zest for life that she was lured from San Francisco to Tombstone, Arizona in 1880. She first went to Tombstone as part of a traveling show. While there she fell for Johnny Behan. Johnny sent for her and she returned to Tombstone to marry him. She learned quickly that the ways of the "civilized" world did not apply to the Wild West.
Although that marriage never happened, Sadie's life changed the day she met Wyatt Earp. Some in Tombstone even blamed her for the shoot-out at the OK Corral. To read Sadie's story is to be swept up in the lawlessness and wildness of Tombstone and to be swept up in her love and passion for Wyatt Earp. Thelma Adams' research and writing are spot on for this story. I cannot say enough that Sadie's is a story that MUST be read!
I LOVED this book! The first line drew me in and I was hooked! "Tombstone kicked my ass and I kicked back." What a great line!
This is the story of Josephine Sophia Marcus, daughter of Jewish immigrants, who had such a zest for life that she was lured from San Francisco to Tombstone, Arizona in 1880. She first went to Tombstone as part of a traveling show. While there she fell for Johnny Behan. Johnny sent for her and she returned to Tombstone to marry him. She learned quickly that the ways of the "civilized" world did not apply to the Wild West.
Although that marriage never happened, Sadie's life changed the day she met Wyatt Earp. Some in Tombstone even blamed her for the shoot-out at the OK Corral. To read Sadie's story is to be swept up in the lawlessness and wildness of Tombstone and to be swept up in her love and passion for Wyatt Earp. Thelma Adams' research and writing are spot on for this story. I cannot say enough that Sadie's is a story that MUST be read!
July 28, 2016
3.5 This is told in a great first person narrative style and Josephine is plucky and outgoing. You can just see an actress on the stage reciting the story as her lines, it’s that conversational. Adams maintains this strength right about until she gets to the OK Corral and then things get a little fuzzy. It’s never very clear what exactly happens there but writing gunfight history is not the pull here. It is the life of Josephine Marcus and how she survives that is the story and with that in mind, the novel is a great and fun read. It made me want to know more about Marcus from a non-fictional standpoint as well as Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Johnny Behan and how they really interacted.
Copy Provided by publisher
Copy Provided by publisher
July 22, 2016
NOTE: Received as an ARC from Netgalley.
3.5 stars. I’ve been interested in the relationship between Josie Marcus and Wyatt Earp ever since I saw the movie "Tombstone," but this novel fills in much more of Josie's backstory, and how that influenced events. It slowed down a bit in the middle, perhaps because Josie wasn't an eyewitness to much of the action and so could only describe it thirdhand. However, the story did pick up in time for a very satisfying ending. As a lifelong Gilbert & Sullivan fan, I especially loved the idea of Pinafore on Wheels. I hope it’s true that Josie and Wyatt’s romance started partly because they were both so familiar with the lyrics from HMS Pinafore!
3.5 stars. I’ve been interested in the relationship between Josie Marcus and Wyatt Earp ever since I saw the movie "Tombstone," but this novel fills in much more of Josie's backstory, and how that influenced events. It slowed down a bit in the middle, perhaps because Josie wasn't an eyewitness to much of the action and so could only describe it thirdhand. However, the story did pick up in time for a very satisfying ending. As a lifelong Gilbert & Sullivan fan, I especially loved the idea of Pinafore on Wheels. I hope it’s true that Josie and Wyatt’s romance started partly because they were both so familiar with the lyrics from HMS Pinafore!
October 29, 2016
This was OK. Not bad, it kept me entertained, but I expected more historical background and less fiction. Some of the dialog was clearly 20th century. It did, however, make me want to watch the movie Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner, and that's not all bad :-)
June 29, 2022
Thought provoking
This is the story of Wyatt Earp's third wife, Josie and how she came to be in Tombstone at the time of the famous gunfight at the OK Corral. Its a story with an historical background. It intrigued me enough that I researched photographs from the time of the gunfight, which was quite interesting. Characters are a bit light but still good. An interesting read for anyone but especially for those intrigued by this era if the Old West.
This is the story of Wyatt Earp's third wife, Josie and how she came to be in Tombstone at the time of the famous gunfight at the OK Corral. Its a story with an historical background. It intrigued me enough that I researched photographs from the time of the gunfight, which was quite interesting. Characters are a bit light but still good. An interesting read for anyone but especially for those intrigued by this era if the Old West.
July 20, 2016
My Rating:
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
He might have been a man of few words, but every word counted.
When I took his hand, I felt an unfamiliar excitement. It was as if my life was actually happening to me, right then, and right there. This was why I'd left home: to end the agonizing wait for my life to begin. I might have been a failure onstage, but I intended to be the star of my own life...
I sensed eyes staring at me. I don't know how that's possible, but it happened just that way, as real as the feeling of sunshine while your eyes are closed. That was the first time I saw Wyatt. He was looking straight at me.
In Tombstone, everything on the street was a show, and a fight between two women always got a big audience, given the town's ratio of roosters to hens.
Here, in the soft light of etched- glass oil lamps, I had a chance to become who I really was. While I wasn't entirely familiar with that Josie yet, I could feel her at the edge of my fingertips.
...while Johnny may not have been the fastest draw in the West, or the bravest lawman, or the first on the scene, he could talk a snake out of its fangs.
My Review:
I enjoyed the casual and friendly tone of the narrative of Last Woman Standing; it was given from the single point of view as the widow Josie tells her story in an amusing and somewhat conspiratorial manner. The scenes were vividly detailed and the emotional feels well captured. I was pulled right into Josie's tale and was there with her in her impatience to escape her mother's hostility and control, her sense of wonderment and excitement in starting her new adventure, as well as the uncertainty and dustiness of her travel, which was followed by the bitterness of humiliation and shame from Johnny's betrayal, but all to trumped by her instant and intense infatuation with Wyatt Earp. Based on Ms. Adams words, I was just as enthralled with Wyatt Earp as Josie, and found myself Googling both of them as I read as well as after I had finished.
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
He might have been a man of few words, but every word counted.
When I took his hand, I felt an unfamiliar excitement. It was as if my life was actually happening to me, right then, and right there. This was why I'd left home: to end the agonizing wait for my life to begin. I might have been a failure onstage, but I intended to be the star of my own life...
I sensed eyes staring at me. I don't know how that's possible, but it happened just that way, as real as the feeling of sunshine while your eyes are closed. That was the first time I saw Wyatt. He was looking straight at me.
In Tombstone, everything on the street was a show, and a fight between two women always got a big audience, given the town's ratio of roosters to hens.
Here, in the soft light of etched- glass oil lamps, I had a chance to become who I really was. While I wasn't entirely familiar with that Josie yet, I could feel her at the edge of my fingertips.
...while Johnny may not have been the fastest draw in the West, or the bravest lawman, or the first on the scene, he could talk a snake out of its fangs.
My Review:
I enjoyed the casual and friendly tone of the narrative of Last Woman Standing; it was given from the single point of view as the widow Josie tells her story in an amusing and somewhat conspiratorial manner. The scenes were vividly detailed and the emotional feels well captured. I was pulled right into Josie's tale and was there with her in her impatience to escape her mother's hostility and control, her sense of wonderment and excitement in starting her new adventure, as well as the uncertainty and dustiness of her travel, which was followed by the bitterness of humiliation and shame from Johnny's betrayal, but all to trumped by her instant and intense infatuation with Wyatt Earp. Based on Ms. Adams words, I was just as enthralled with Wyatt Earp as Josie, and found myself Googling both of them as I read as well as after I had finished.
December 7, 2016
I read this as a reviewer for the Historical Novel Society. Review posted via their website at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
APPEARED IN: HNR Issue 77 (August 2016)
Josephine Marcus, teenage daughter of Jewish immigrants, is heading to Arizona to marry her fiancé, Johnny Behan. She arrives in the boomtown of Tombstone bright-eyed and hopeful, but soon realizes that while Johnny is full of flowery compliments, he’s also full of excuses and lies. After months without a wedding in sight, Josephine’s affections turn towards Wyatt Earp. In Wyatt, she sees a justice-seeking lawman willing to stand down a lynch mob, alone, in order to ensure another man’s right to a trial. In Johnny, she sees a politically-minded lawman who stands in a corner until conflict is resolved and then steps out to claim the glory of other men’s successes. Through the Earps’ example, Josephine learns that family should always stand by one another, no matter the cost.
Josephine, the narrator, comes off superficial at times, occasionally getting distracted by her own breasts and men’s broad shoulders. She describes her love interests mostly by their reactions to her breasts and their actions in bed. Josephine also disappoints during the chapter in which she visits Johnny to beg him to free Wyatt from jail… dressed as a seductress. Josephine’s personality does develop throughout the story, but I would have liked more thoughtful actions/reactions and less physical ones.
One discrepancy I noticed involves Josephine’s departure from Tombstone. It’s generally believed she left Tombstone after Morgan Earp was killed. Ms. Adams has Josephine leaving beforehand. Otherwise, everything is quite well researched. The well-known historical scoundrels and lawmen of Tombstone come alive in this book, from Curly Bill and the Clantons to Doc Holliday. These men are vividly portrayed. The phrases used and conventions of daily life feel authentic to the 1880s. Overall, Josephine’s voice is strong and bursting with personality. It makes for an engaging narrative, despite the occasional distraction.
APPEARED IN: HNR Issue 77 (August 2016)
Josephine Marcus, teenage daughter of Jewish immigrants, is heading to Arizona to marry her fiancé, Johnny Behan. She arrives in the boomtown of Tombstone bright-eyed and hopeful, but soon realizes that while Johnny is full of flowery compliments, he’s also full of excuses and lies. After months without a wedding in sight, Josephine’s affections turn towards Wyatt Earp. In Wyatt, she sees a justice-seeking lawman willing to stand down a lynch mob, alone, in order to ensure another man’s right to a trial. In Johnny, she sees a politically-minded lawman who stands in a corner until conflict is resolved and then steps out to claim the glory of other men’s successes. Through the Earps’ example, Josephine learns that family should always stand by one another, no matter the cost.
Josephine, the narrator, comes off superficial at times, occasionally getting distracted by her own breasts and men’s broad shoulders. She describes her love interests mostly by their reactions to her breasts and their actions in bed. Josephine also disappoints during the chapter in which she visits Johnny to beg him to free Wyatt from jail… dressed as a seductress. Josephine’s personality does develop throughout the story, but I would have liked more thoughtful actions/reactions and less physical ones.
One discrepancy I noticed involves Josephine’s departure from Tombstone. It’s generally believed she left Tombstone after Morgan Earp was killed. Ms. Adams has Josephine leaving beforehand. Otherwise, everything is quite well researched. The well-known historical scoundrels and lawmen of Tombstone come alive in this book, from Curly Bill and the Clantons to Doc Holliday. These men are vividly portrayed. The phrases used and conventions of daily life feel authentic to the 1880s. Overall, Josephine’s voice is strong and bursting with personality. It makes for an engaging narrative, despite the occasional distraction.
July 12, 2016
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
The Last Woman Standing is a western historical fiction novel about the gunfight at the OK Corral. Josephine Marcus is a rebellious young woman who doesn’t want to settle down with a nice Jewish boy. She’s lured to Tombstone, Arizona by the promise of Johnny Behan, a local sheriff. Josie arrives in Arizona naive and full of hopes, but quickly has to learn the ways of the world. Johnny keeps promising her the world, but stops short of actually marrying her. And Josie begins to develop feelings for Wyatt Earp, one of Johnny’s friends/rivals who symbolizes everything that Johnny is not. But Tombstone itself is brimming with tension and resentment that’s about to boil over into violence, and Josie finds herself caught in the middle between her old and new loves.
As the book progresses, Josie really comes into her own. At first, her primary goal is getting out of San Francisco and establishing a life for herself. Once she gets to Tombstone, she encounters a world that’s totally different from her sheltered upbringing. At first she trusts in Johnny, but then as she begins to see through him she manages to build her own life and friendships without him and finds a place in Tombstone by her own right. Finding Wyatt was the icing on the cake.
The Last Woman Standing really made me appreciate modern life, and the variety of choices that modern women have and often take for granted. After being with Johnny, Josie found herself in a predicament where she was no longer considered marriage material by proper society, and had limited options for supporting herself. Josie began to realize that her only real social capital was her beauty and its leverage with men, and it was a hard realization for her to make.
Overall, I enjoyed The Last Woman Standing, and would definitely recommend it. It’s filled with romance and adventure amidst a backdrop of possibility.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
The Last Woman Standing is a western historical fiction novel about the gunfight at the OK Corral. Josephine Marcus is a rebellious young woman who doesn’t want to settle down with a nice Jewish boy. She’s lured to Tombstone, Arizona by the promise of Johnny Behan, a local sheriff. Josie arrives in Arizona naive and full of hopes, but quickly has to learn the ways of the world. Johnny keeps promising her the world, but stops short of actually marrying her. And Josie begins to develop feelings for Wyatt Earp, one of Johnny’s friends/rivals who symbolizes everything that Johnny is not. But Tombstone itself is brimming with tension and resentment that’s about to boil over into violence, and Josie finds herself caught in the middle between her old and new loves.
As the book progresses, Josie really comes into her own. At first, her primary goal is getting out of San Francisco and establishing a life for herself. Once she gets to Tombstone, she encounters a world that’s totally different from her sheltered upbringing. At first she trusts in Johnny, but then as she begins to see through him she manages to build her own life and friendships without him and finds a place in Tombstone by her own right. Finding Wyatt was the icing on the cake.
The Last Woman Standing really made me appreciate modern life, and the variety of choices that modern women have and often take for granted. After being with Johnny, Josie found herself in a predicament where she was no longer considered marriage material by proper society, and had limited options for supporting herself. Josie began to realize that her only real social capital was her beauty and its leverage with men, and it was a hard realization for her to make.
Overall, I enjoyed The Last Woman Standing, and would definitely recommend it. It’s filled with romance and adventure amidst a backdrop of possibility.
July 26, 2016
I received an ebook copy of The Last Woman Standing from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. Thank you so very much!
I really loved this book. It is told by Josephine Marcus, Wyatt Earp's wife. It is a story of how they met in Tombstone and fell in love. It tells about Josephine's early life, how she went to Tombstone, dating and eventually living with Johnny Behan, then meeting Wyatt and falling in love. It is a story of bravery, family, and love. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a wonderful love story to read and a book you hope doesn't end!!!
I really loved this book. It is told by Josephine Marcus, Wyatt Earp's wife. It is a story of how they met in Tombstone and fell in love. It tells about Josephine's early life, how she went to Tombstone, dating and eventually living with Johnny Behan, then meeting Wyatt and falling in love. It is a story of bravery, family, and love. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a wonderful love story to read and a book you hope doesn't end!!!
October 16, 2016
I received this as an ARC and was worried because I have never been into cowboys! Wow I was surprised and impressed by this author!
Go back on a historical journey to meet Josephine Marcus when she leaves home in CA to move to Tombstone to marry. But at a young age she learns that all is not what she expected. She also meets Wyatt Earp. Learn about the Wild West in this entertaining, fun and sometimes sad novel! I recommend to all historical fans, love story fans and of course those who loved Gunsmoke
Go back on a historical journey to meet Josephine Marcus when she leaves home in CA to move to Tombstone to marry. But at a young age she learns that all is not what she expected. She also meets Wyatt Earp. Learn about the Wild West in this entertaining, fun and sometimes sad novel! I recommend to all historical fans, love story fans and of course those who loved Gunsmoke
March 30, 2016
Loved this book! It transports you back in time, a time of corsets, Cowboys, saloons, and gunfights, all terrifying and exciting in their own way, but I want to be there.
I felt like I was w Josie w every gunshot, Apache call and horse hoof. You're in it with her through the good and the bad, the funny the sad, and the love and the heartbreak.
Thelma really brings Josie's story to life. It's funny, it's exciting, it's juicy, and it's wonderful!
I felt like I was w Josie w every gunshot, Apache call and horse hoof. You're in it with her through the good and the bad, the funny the sad, and the love and the heartbreak.
Thelma really brings Josie's story to life. It's funny, it's exciting, it's juicy, and it's wonderful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 820 reviews