Join Us
Our book choice for August 9th will be “The Lives of Diamond Bessie” by Jody Hadlock. Our featured winery is not a winery at all. We have managed to cover all the wineries on Leelanau Peninsula, save for a few that we are featuring when the season slows a bit for them. Therefore, we will be enjoying a special cocktail that pairs well with the book. This libation is just as unique as Diamond Bessie!
Along with each person’s RSVP, we will respond with the special recipe and the location of our meeting. We will be meeting virtually, as well as in-person for the first time. The zoom link will be sent as usual, Tuesday morning for those wish to join us that way!
Description
“This affecting tale of a 19th-century American woman struggling to prove her worth other than as a marriage prospect leaves a lasting impression.” Publishers Weekly
The Lovely Bones meets the Wild, Wild West in this haunting tale inspired by a true story.
Pregnant out of wedlock, sixteen-year-old Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to find a way to be reunited with her daughter. But few rights or opportunities are available to a woman in the 1860s, and after failing to find a respectable job, she resorts to prostitution in order to survive.
As a highly sought-after demi-mondaine, Annie—now Bessie—garners many expensive gifts from her admirers and eventually meets and marries the son of a wealthy jeweler, a traveling salesman with a gambling problem. With her marriage, she believes her dream of returning to proper society has finally come true. She’s proven wrong when she suffers the ultimate betrayal at the hands of the man she thought would be her salvation. But Bessie doesn’t let her story end there.
Set against the backdrop of the burgeoning women’s rights movement, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a captivating tale of betrayal and redemption that explores whether seeking revenge is worth the price you might pay.
“As fascinating as it is riveting as it is original, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a compelling novel of historical suspense. Bessie is a character who will haunt you for all the right reasons—for her determination, her heart, and her soul. I was enthralled.” NYT bestselling author M.J. Rose, The Last Tiara
