What
does one expect when diving into a novel of historical fiction that covers a
period in U. S. history which must indeed have been a wild time in an untamed
western territory?
General
Custer had just been defeated by the Native Americans, and President Grant
declared the closing of all freight roads that crossed the dangerous Sioux
reservation. Black Hills became a hot spot for those who wanted to strike it
rich, but the difficult travel and inherent dangers created a challenging
adventure to those so inclined to leave the civilized east and head to the
uncultured west.
In
The Yellow Doll, Rubee (with Chinese
mystique) and Niles Dewey (seemingly a fairly regular guy) had made previous
trips to the badlands with Rubee as a merchant and Niles being a photographer
with bulky equipment in tow. Certainly these were noble, legitimate endeavors--
serving the miners, soldiers and other adventurous individuals who had chosen
to go out west; however, all is not necessarily as it appears, and people
aren’t always precisely who you think they are.
The
rugged western setting will fascinate readers who possess an affinity for this
era and location. I’ve never personally visited the Black Hills, but I have
extensively traveled out west. Growing up in Southern California, I was fortunate
to be born to parents who loved exploration. A few of my own brief
recollections of the wild west are:
1-Entering
a tiny, dusty town called Kanab, just over the southern Utah border as you
enter from Arizona. My dad had an acquaintance there, who conducted some type
of mysterious business. Mom and I felt grossly out of place as we entered a
small café, where the only inhabitants were Native American men, sipping their
coffee as they stared at us with eyes that silently called us intruders.
2-Many
visits to Calico Ghost Town near the remote desert town of Barstow, California.
This replica of an old mining town, complete with saloon, one room schoolhouse
and mining train, always intrigued me.
3-A
side trip to Jerome, Arizona, which when I was a kid, appeared to be a genuine
tumble weed-tossed ghost town that we stumbled upon during our travels. Riding
through that town when I was eleven seriously scared me.
These
experiences actually enhanced my reading of The
Yellow Doll, as there were times when my parents and I were maneuvering
across the miles of western desolation when I could visualize a band of Indians
lined up on their horses, positioned all along the top of a looming cliff in
the distance. I could almost see them patiently awaiting the arrival of the
next wagon train that was rolling across the prairie. They salivated in
anticipation of the pending attack on the unsuspecting trespassers from the
east. Okay, I know I have always had a vivid imagination.
Back
to The Yellow Doll, however. This book
contains surprises, and I do love surprises. If you think that its title
suggests a sweet story about a favorite toy, lovingly clutched by a child as
she and her parents head west, you’ll want to think again. It’s more about an
unlikely group, traveling to a western destination called Deadwood.
I
won’t be a spoiler by revealing too much information, but this story
encompasses a quest for a better life, a little bit of semi-romance, greed,
violence, photography as was experienced in the 1870’s (no digital camera efficiency
here), prejudice, a blur between upholding the law and breaking it, smuggling,
murder, fear, outlaws, rudimentary commerce, illicit activity, deceit and
definitely adventure.
This
is one of those books that prompted me to pause when I read the final words. I
wanted to know more about that place, era, location, history and the facts on
which The Yellow Doll is based. This selection
made me curious, entertained and intrigued me. It offered me an enhanced vision
of the wild west as 19th century inhabitants must have known it.
Book Description
As
America celebrates her centennial in the summer of 1876, the gold rush in the
Dakota Territory of Deadwood Gulch draws an eclectic crowd of villains and
heroes. There are those who want to seek their fortune and those who will do
anything to destroy them.
Traveling
photographer Niles Dewy sets out with his business partner, Rubee, to
photograph the excitement—and do a little business on the side. It doesn’t take
long for his new friend and traveling companion Sarah Culbert to discover Mr.
Dewy isn’t everything he seems, especially when they have a strange encounter
with Sheriff Clay involving the Yellow Doll. But Sarah has a few secrets of her
own …
The
group arrives in Deadwood, and Niles crosses paths once more with Wild Bill
Hickok. But Hickok’s death starts a chain reaction that has explosive results.
With the law closing in and a host of unsavory characters just waiting to
destroy him, Niles’s run of good luck is about to expire, and only time will
tell if he’ll survive.
Amazon
page: http://amzn.to/16ZtRZe
Why Did Soma Write The
Yellow Doll?
“For ten years as I performed as James Butler
"Wild Bill" Hickok in Deadwood, South Dakota, I was constantly
asked, "Why did Jack McCall kill Wild Bill?" The myth of that legend
made no historical sense to me, and I began to research the events taking place
in the Deadwood Gulch mining camp in 1876. I found there was a series of
killings in the camp on the first three days of August that year, and Hickok
was just one of them. There very likely
was a connection between all the murders. Thus the novel The Yellow Doll, which is my historical
theory on why Wild Bill Hickok was assassinated by McCall in Nuttles &
Manns Saloon on August 2, 1876 in Deadwood Gulch, Dakota Territory.”
About
David Soma
David Soma was born and raised the Badlands of western
South Dakota. History has always been his passion, studying history and
journalism at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. In the 1960s
he began to live that history - as a western character actor at Old Tucson
Studios, appearing in dozens of motion pictures and television westerns,
eventually performing in the Gunfight At The OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona
and finally as Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, South Dakota. After
retiring, his time is divided between the mountains of western Wyoming and
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. While wintering in Myrtle Beach, he
teaches American western frontier history through the Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute at Coastal Carolina University offering classes in the Myths And
Legends Of The American West, Myths Of The Hollywood Westerns and Before During
And After Lewis & Clark. He also performs historical one-man shows as
Wild Bill Hickok throughout the country. The Yellow Doll is his third novel.
Closing Thoughts
As
previously stated, The Yellow Doll is
full of surprises. Prepare for a wild ride to Deadwood and beyond! See you soon with another selection...Reading is the best possible escape!
Mary Anne Benedetto
Author of Eyelash, 7 Easy
Steps to Memoir Writing: Build a Priceless Legacy One Story at a Time!, Never
Say Perfect and From Italy with Love & Limoncello.
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