Calamity Jane: The Life and Legend of Martha Jane Cannary

Every adult probably has some idea of Calamity Jane and the strange and interesting life she led, be it from the old Doris Day movie or stories and legends repeated through the years or the many books written about her. So what is left to be said? Born Martha Jane Cannery, sometime between 1852 and 1856 in either Ohio or Missouri, brought up by a gambling father and a mother who, at times, worked as a prostitute, she was orphaned by age twelve and making her own way in the Wild West, a world few women successfully took on. She held a variety of jobs, from laying railroad track to babysitting, from dance hall girl to Indian scout. Her feats became the stuff of legends and dime novels were written about her escapades. Author D. J. Herda has clearly done a great deal of research, finding wonderful primary sources on which to base this book. Jane wrote an account of her life, printed it into a pamphlet, and sold it in saloons. Herda used that pamphlet along with a lot of other material to write this fascinating account. His writing is crisp and lively. This is a winner.