Every part of the United States comes from a unique and conflicted history. When we think of history in the western part of the country, we think of cowboys, saloons, and gunslingers. But there are so many more stories to tell besides those we see in spaghetti westerns. Those who usually take a minimal role in these stories are now starting to have a voice. As a result, we’re discovering more unique perspectives, conflicts, and historical tales. This paints a more well-rounded depiction of what life was like in that neck of the woods. Author Vali Benson is one of those authors giving a voice to minorities and women while still telling an exciting, high-stakes tale in her book, Blood and Silver.
Blood and Silver plot summary
Carissa Beaumont is twelve years old in 1880 when she moves with her mother, Lisette, and her mother’s madam, Miss Lucille, to Tombstone, AZ to work at a brothel owned by a Rose Red. It’s been four years since Carissa lost her father and younger brother to illness while traveling west. So, they are dependent on Miss Lucille for survival.
As a result, Lisette has become addicted to laudanum, a form of opium, which has left her bedridden and unable to work. Carissa makes up for it by working for Miss Lucille for free. She fears the day when Miss Lucille forces her to become one of her “girls.”
Tombstone is a rough town that’s good for Miss Lucille’s business. After Rose Red is murdered on their first night in town, Miss Lucille takes over the brothel. And Carissa is even more desperate to escape.
Lucky for Carissa, the town also provides her with useful allies that may help her break free of Miss Lucille’s grasp. When Dr. Henderson, the town physician, is called in to treat Lisette’s illness, he discovers her drug addiction. Sympathetic, he sends Carissa to the town’s opium dealer, China Mary, to help wean her off the drug.
Though stern and powerful, China Mary takes pity on Carissa. She uses her connections to help her save her mother and find her a job away from Miss Lucille. Through this, Carissa befriends China Mary’s niece, Mai-Lin. While working in the new hotel, Carissa and Mai-Lin discover a hidden tunnel of silver and make a plan to dig it out and use it to escape Miss Lucille once and for all.
Short but sweet
Blood and Silver is a novella, barely 100 pages. But it tells a rich, complete story rooted in historical events. According to the author, Tombstone, Arizona was a small town that boomed in the late 19th century upon rumors that it was full of silver. Many of the supporting characters in the novel were based on real people who lived in the town. It doesn’t pander to the call for diversity in today’s stories. Instead, it organically encompasses a long overdue cast of characters who are rooted in actual history.
Heroes and villains
However, the book doesn’t lean on historical facts in order to tell its tale. Carissa is a vulnerable but determined heroine who has lived a tough life yet maintained her morals and manners throughout it. Drug addiction isn’t a condition that you normally think of for a woman in the 1880’s which makes Lisette’s predicament interesting, considering its prevalence in today’s culture.
The most interesting character in the story, by far, is China Mary, a person whose disadvantages become her strengths as she uses her influence, connections, and resources to overcome gender and culture norms to become the most powerful citizen in town. Despite her heavily-accented dialogue, she comes across as intelligent and strategic. Even Sheriff Redding respects her position, and, while her methods are not legal or moral, she ultimately stands on the side of good.
In response, Miss Lucille is a formidable opponent. She has taken the only other influential position that a woman of her time could hold and has used it against her fellow female characters, using money, drugs, and even murder to maintain her power.
The male characters take small but pivotal roles in the story, often as protectors, but it’s the women who ultimately save themselves and each other. It takes a strong woman to move to the wild west with its illness, isolation, and corruption. So, it’s no surprise what these women are able to accomplish, even those as young as Carissa.
At the same time, it’s not strictly a woman’s story. It’s full of violence, history, and danger as a coming of age story rooted in a traditionally western setting.
My recommendation
Without giving anything away, the novella wraps up in a tight, satisfying way. It may a little too storybook for some, but to me, it was refreshing for a modern novel.
Despite its short length, it says everything it needs to say and easily balances all of its story elements, from plot to characterization, without feeling rushed or incomplete. Its characters are interesting yet realistic, and it gives the floor to those who don’t usually get to tell their story while still acknowledging the societal hierarchy of the day.
I’m not usually a fan of westerns, but this book is an exception to the rule. I recommend it to history buffs, women who want to read something other than the typical romance genre that is often marketed to us, and those looking for a story that is short but sweet.
Vali Benson’s links
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Intriguing premise.