BOOK REVIEW: “Gold Digger”
by Rebecca Rosenberg
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ABOUT THE BOOKS (from Amazon):
One look at Baby Doe Tabor and you know she was meant to be a legend of the Wild West and Gilded Age! She was just twenty years old when she came west to work a gold mine with her new husband. Little did she expect that she’d be abandoned and pregnant and left to manage the gold mine alone. But that didn’t stop her! She fell in love with an old married prospector, twice her age. Horace Tabor struck the biggest silver vein in history, scandalously divorced his wife, became a US Senator, and married Baby Doe at the US capitol with President Arthur in attendance. Though Baby Doe Tabor was renowned for her beauty, her fashion, and even her philanthropy, she was never welcomed in polite society. Her friends were stars they hired to perform at their Tabor Grand Opera House: Sarah Bernhardt, Oscar Wilde, Lily Langtry, opera star Emma Abbott. Discover how the Tabors navigated the worlds of scandal, greed, wealth, power, and politics in the wild days of western mining.
This post contains affiliate links which means, at no cost to you,
I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase using those links.
The first picture I ever posted on Instagram was one of my kids at Baby Doe Tabor’s cabin in 2013.
We had moved to Leadville, Colorado a few months earlier. I started to learn about the Tabor history in Leadville from some of the photos in local restaurants. It seemed the town idolized this woman who (as I came to find out) froze to death alone in this cabin. Needing to know more, I read the book “Baby Doe Tabor: The Madwoman in the Cabin by Judy Nolte Temple”. The nonfictional details were a bit boring, but I still found the story fascinating. [Side note: Around that time we adopted a chihuahua from the local animal shelter and named her Baby Doe!]
When my friend Stephanie posted that she was looking for reviewers for “Gold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor”, I jumped at the chance to get a review copy! And I am so glad I did!
This book is a captivating dive into the untold story of Baby Doe Tabor, one of the most fascinating figures of the American West.
Rosenberg brilliantly brings to life the Colorado silver boom era, weaving a tale that’s rich in historical detail and human complexity. Baby Doe is portrayed not just as a legend, but as a woman ahead of her time, with ambitions, loves, and struggles that are deeply relatable.
What stands out is Rosenberg’s ability to blend historical facts with storytelling flair. You’re not just reading about history (boring!); you’re living it through the eyes of a strong, pioneering woman. The narrative is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the settings are vividly described.
“Gold Digger” is more than a historical novel; it’s an immersive journey into a bygone era. I am not at all a fan of historical fiction, yet I loved this book! Maybe that was because the story is so close to home (literally). Either way, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a blend of history, drama, romance and inspiring female characters.