Crown of Dust
A Novel
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A “remarkable” historical novel about a woman hiding from her past in a hardscrabble Gold Rush town (The Washington Times).
The gold rush has taken hold of the Wild West. Pioneers from around the country congregate in makeshift settlements like Motherlode in hopes of striking it rich. It’s here that Alex, disguised as a boy and on the run from her troubled past, is able to blend in among the rough and tumble prospectors living on little more than adrenaline and moonshine.
Word spreads quickly when Alex becomes the first in Motherlode to strike gold. Outsiders pour in from wealthy east coast cities, primed to cash in on the discovery. But these opportunists from the outside world have no place in Motherlode and threaten to rip the town—and its residents—apart. Alex must fight to protect her secrets—and her life. And against the odds, it’s here, in this lawless outpost, that Alex may finally be able to find friendship, redemption, and even love.
“Beautifully written.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A moving portrait of outcasts and nonconformists who build their own community . . . Evocative historical background and thoughtful social observation make this a promising debut.” —Kirkus Reviews
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Volmer's distinctive, beautifully written debut is set in the California gold rush country in the mid-19th century, when tensions and fortunes were as volatile as the ground prospectors mined. The story follows Emaline, proprietress of the Victoria Inn in Motherlode, who charges for providing room and board (and sometimes additional, special company) to the prospectors descending on Motherlode in search of the big find. She is captivated by a mysterious stranger, Alex, who barely speaks, keeps his hat tipped low, and is soon revealed to be a young woman runaway whose character and intentions come under close scrutiny. All the while, Emaline keeps a maternal eye on "Golden Boy" Alex as she exhaustively and successfully navigates the gold mines. Soon after Alex's gender ambiguity begins to have unexpected consequences, trouble finds Emaline because of her relationship with a black man. Volmer's prose is taut and restrained, moving the story along at a healthy clip as her hardscrabble characters rumble and stumble through their dusty domain. Volmer's found a fat vein of gold in some heavily mined territory.