Reviews

YA-Rose paints an intriguing picture of the little-known Western heroine, Lottie Deno. She chronicles her subject's transformation from a pampered Southern girl, to a tough but elegant gambling queen, and ultimately to the beloved and gracious matron, Mrs. Frank Thurmond of Deming, New Mexico. At 17, traveling with her slave nanny, she moved first to Detroit, then to New Orleans, and then on to San Antonio, supporting herself by gambling. Thurmond won her heart, and she followed him across the West where they befriended such legends as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. The easy reading makes the 15 chapters move rapidly, and the black-and-white photos add interest. Readers will gain insight into the devastation caused by the Civil War for Southerners and also into the wild but opportunity-filled West.-Valerie Childress, J.W. Holloway Middle School, Whitehouse, TX