Leaving Missouri

by Ellen Recknor

Told in a voice every bit as entertaining as it is richly authentic, this is the unforgettable story of Chrysanthemum "Clutie Mae" Chestnut, a spirited young woman of the late 19th century who refused to be broken by the hard life she was born to. Along the way she shot a husband, fell in love with a pistolero, befriended Frank James and Queen Victoria, and traveled across the country and beyond.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425155757
• ISBN13: 9780425155752
• Release Date: April 1997
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 361 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

They DO make them like they used to.

Ellen Recknor's "Leaving Missouri" has surpassed standard western fare and shapeless pulp fiction, and has earned the right to keep company with the great literature we remember from the good old days (the quality of which we were sure would never again be found in the new release section). The lushly detailed characterization and slick-as-a-whistle comedy, go hand in hand with an immensely moving story. This young heroine moves not only beyond the state line, but beyond her small-town ideas and limitations, as she gains wisdom and strength on the journey to adulthood. You will laugh, you will cry, you will cheer. And by the end, you will have lived a lifetime through the eyes of Clutie Mae Chestnut.

A SPUR winner!

The Western Writers of America awarded "Leaving Missouri" the 1998 Spur Award for Best Paperback Original! Since only 6 or 7 Spurs have been given to female authors of book-length fiction in the past fifty years or so, I thought this was worth mentioning. "Leaving Missouri" is a hoot! It's funny and charming and scary and sad, a book you'll want to read over and over. Bring Kleenex!

Clutie Mae is my hero

I've bought copies for everyone I know who's interested in westerns. Leaving Missouri is a genuine hoot.

Entertaining and authentic historical ramance.

A good story of "Hush Up Clutie Mae Chestnut" Initially, the dialect was a bit overpowering, but the storyline soon puts that out of mind. The book reads quickly and well; I found myself amazed at the number of events occuring within a short period of time. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Recknor's works.

The best book I read in 1997!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It made me sad and made me laugh- what a good book! Clutie Mae is quite the character and her story is unique