Fearless: A Novel of Sarah Bowman

by Lucia St. Clair Robson and Robson L. St Claire

Book Overview

Known as the Great Western, six-foot-tall Sarah Bowman was a force of nature. In 1834 she signed on as laundress and cook with General Zachery Taylor's army. In the war with Mexico Sarah became a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345397703
• ISBN13: 9780345397706
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

History comes to life.

Lucia St. Clair Robson is an incredible storyteller who picks you up out of your comfortable chair and deposits you right smack dab into the middle of the action. You can almost feel the heat from the cannon, smell the gunpowder, and hear the wails of the wounded and dying... and if you can't, you just weren't paying attention. Ms. Robson's attention to detail is amazing. I scanned some of the reviews of this book and was curious to see someone describe this as a "quick read." I beg to differ. I had to stop reading after every 3 or 4 chapters just to rest up because I felt like I was fighting the war with them! Someone else described it as "disappointing." I don't know what they were expecting, but as a member of an Indian Wars-era living history group I was fascinated by the details of everyday life for the soldiers and civilians. When you read this book don't put it down until you've read the "author's notes" at the end, they bring everything together and leave you with a smile. Great story!

Sarah Bowman is fearless hero!

If you think your life is hard, just wait till you read this book by Lucia St. Clair Robson ~~ it is so vividly written that I can't believe I didn't rush to the store to buy it after finishing Ride the Wind!!Sarah Bowman is not your typical heroine nor is she your stereotypical woman. She is fearless ~~ takes no mess from any man nor woman. She rides with the army boys deep into Mexico to fight in the Mexican war. After her husband was killed, she stayed with the army knowing no other life. She started out as a laundress as she had done in the Florida Seminole wars. However, as a favor to an old friend, she started to be the officers' cook and laundress ~~ and was well rewarded with her efforts. Through lovers, death and victory, Sarah remains with her intergrity as a human being intact. She defends the helpless every chance she can get. She has a bawdy sense of humor ~~ the officers' wives can't help but look at her with disdain. She shows a gentle side of her when needed ~~ she is a remarkable woman in every sense of the word!!This is a brillantly written book. You won't be disappointed there with Robeson's writing. She writes so vividly that you think you better get a drink of water before the scorching Texas sun kills you. She also writes of a different Texas than the one that the Comanches ruled. It is just a fine story ~~ and it's a quick read. You can't help but be drawn into the story. And you can't help but admire Sarah and wish she was still around. But Texas and Mexico has claimed her as theirs.

Incredibly good writing, especially interesting woman

I average reading about 30 history or biographies a year and about the same number of historical novels. I am a reasonably serious student in the field. I also write a good deal in my profession, so I also pay attention to the quality of an author's writing. I cannot recall when I have been so thoroughly impressed with all aspects (historical research, really interesting person/subject, and pure beauty in the writing itself) of an author's work.This is a great historical novel. The author not only tells the story of her subject, Sarah Bowman, she also tells about the mountainous problems overcome by Zachary Taylor's army in the war against Mexico (1848). At this time it was still common for some women to follow an army and serve as cooks, washer women, wives, or prostitutes. Sarah Bowman liked soldiers and was happy to cook, wash, and at times marry-up with them, but she was entirely her own woman and woe to the man who misunderstood that! For instance, she stands down a group of Mexican bandits with the warning that "The Irish say there are three things no man can rule: a mule, a pig, and a woman." The bandits wisely understand, and so will any reader lucky enough to pick up this book.By the way, it is a book about a strong woman, and certainly a book any woman will enjoy, but it is most definitely not a "woman's book" in the sense of a book a man would not enjoy. The only caveat I would give for this book is that the women in it do at times sleep with men. That is not done in the sort of specific detail which seems to be required for publication these days, but I would not want a daughter to read it until she is mature enough to at least know that adults do not always restrict their sexual conduct to marriage. The book is actually pretty reserved in its descriptions of sexual conduct, much more than most mass market novels today. I just mention this in case someone thinks a book about a strong woman would be good reading for a young lady. It is, just know that there is some discussion of sex in it.If you like honest stories about interesting people, do yourself a great favor and read this novel. Once you do you will find yourself ordering Robson's other books.One final tip: be sure and read her dedication of this book. That alone will tell you why you want, need, to read something written by her.

a glimpse into the life of another strong frontier woman

Lucia St Clair Robson portrays the lives of strong, frontier woman in well researched historical settings. Once again, she has plucked another figure from our American west whose life is often overlooked but whose story is fascinating.Sarah Bowman followed the troops through Texas and Mexico during the Mexican-American War with a wide variety of characters floating in and out of her life combined with the well written day to day routines of military life was great reading. Her story may be familiar to Texans but it was new to this 'northerner'. The descriptions of the countryside, the weather and the hardships of living and traveling through south Texas and northern Mexico were so vivid, it left you dry and thirsty and glad for the comforts of modern travel. I only wish the author had not stopped the story so soon, Sarah Bowman lived another 15 or so years and I would have enoyed following her adventures.Camp followers are usuallygiven only sparse words of coverage in our history books...and never given much credit for the critical support they provided for our troops.Read the story of Sarah Bowman and you will gain a new appreciation this overlooked group and meet a wonderful character from our past.

Excellent read - intriguing novel about one woman's courage

Lucia St. Clair Robson has done an excellent job in composing a novel based on the real life of Sarah Bowman. I found myself hurrying through the day's activities so I could finally get back to the book and Sarah's life. It was such a delightful story, I was sorry when it ended. Sarah Bowman was a beautiful woman who was larger than most men using her size and strength to protect herself and those around her. She had a spectacular gift of independence and courage combined with sensitivity and compassion that saw her through many obstacles and hardships. She was an inspiration to those around her and an inspiration to those of us who are reading about her 150 years later. It's obvious that Ms. Robson has researched her material thoroughly. She describes life during the Mexican War in such a way that you can almost hear the gunshots and feel the excitement.