In 1876, rough and tumble Denver is full of challenges for outspoken female telegrapher Sarah Donovan. Determined to make her mark, she arrives in the male-dominated town and marches head-long into the fight for women's suffrage and any other cause she can find. She doesn’t expect to face the fact that she hides behind causes to avoid her own vulnerability nor does she suspect she will find her strength by opening her heart and risking love.
When Sarah delivers a telegram to the wrong person, she must apologize to staunchly conservative undertaker Daniel Petterman. Despite his relief that Sarah has also rescued his young daughters from local hoodlums, Daniel can't hide his distaste for the suffragist. His careful, pensive approach to life's problems is at complete odds with Sarah's radical assertiveness, and he fears she will corrupt his daughters with her progressive crusading.
Unexpectedly discovering themselves on the same side of local politics, they develop a grudging respect for one another. Sarah's fiery disposition forces Daniel's hidden passions to the surface as the smoldering attraction between them erupts. Amid political turmoil, they find time to experience the delights and complications of ice skating on a frozen creek, dancing at a noisy German beer hall, and impromptu kisses.
Their growing relationship of trust and love is blind-sided when Sarah's resentful coworker maliciously accuses her of using the telegraph to solicit men. Rumors explode, threatening Sarah's reputation, career, and her standing in the suffrage association. When the gossip spreads to include Daniel and his daughters, Sarah must confront the allegations head-on. A violent suffrage riot, prostitution charges, and runaway trains force Daniel and Sarah to make life and death decisions about the chances they are willing to take on love and on themselves.
"Nowak's careful attention to historical detail and inclusion of historical figures who were part of the Colorado suffrage movement enhance the realism of the book. And she has successfully captured the essence of 1876 Denver, depicting it as more than just a shoot-'em-up Old West town. Most important, Nowak has come up with believable, non-stereotypical characters and a snappy plot to create a darned good book." *-- Shelley Mosley, Booklist *Starred* review, December 15, 2007*
Description:
In 1876, rough and tumble Denver is full of challenges for outspoken female telegrapher Sarah Donovan. Determined to make her mark, she arrives in the male-dominated town and marches head-long into the fight for women's suffrage and any other cause she can find. She doesn’t expect to face the fact that she hides behind causes to avoid her own vulnerability nor does she suspect she will find her strength by opening her heart and risking love.
When Sarah delivers a telegram to the wrong person, she must apologize to staunchly conservative undertaker Daniel Petterman. Despite his relief that Sarah has also rescued his young daughters from local hoodlums, Daniel can't hide his distaste for the suffragist. His careful, pensive approach to life's problems is at complete odds with Sarah's radical assertiveness, and he fears she will corrupt his daughters with her progressive crusading.
Unexpectedly discovering themselves on the same side of local politics, they develop a grudging respect for one another. Sarah's fiery disposition forces Daniel's hidden passions to the surface as the smoldering attraction between them erupts. Amid political turmoil, they find time to experience the delights and complications of ice skating on a frozen creek, dancing at a noisy German beer hall, and impromptu kisses.
Their growing relationship of trust and love is blind-sided when Sarah's resentful coworker maliciously accuses her of using the telegraph to solicit men. Rumors explode, threatening Sarah's reputation, career, and her standing in the suffrage association. When the gossip spreads to include Daniel and his daughters, Sarah must confront the allegations head-on. A violent suffrage riot, prostitution charges, and runaway trains force Daniel and Sarah to make life and death decisions about the chances they are willing to take on love and on themselves.
**
### From Publishers Weekly
A pretty pioneering suffragette meets a stodgy undertaker in Nowak's charming historical romance debut. Thirtyish spinster and women's rights activist Sarah Donovan moves to 1876 Denver to be a Kansas Pacific telegrapher. After greedy kids shoot the pet dog of two young girls (there's a bounty on strays), Sarah comes to the girls' aid, and meets their father: prim widower Daniel Petterman, an undertaker. While a possible relationship begins between Sarah and Daniel , Sarah's rookie mistake regarding notice of an arriving body—along with Daniel's puritanical attitude—slow things down at work and on the romance front. Then there are Sarah's difficulties with Frank, a jealous male co-worker, and with Lavinia, an equally jealous member of the Colorado Suffrage Association. Nowak captures courtship in the Rocky Mountains outpost with flair, but the resolution doesn't live up to Sarah's pioneering spirit. *(Jan.)*
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### Review
"Nowak's careful attention to historical detail and inclusion of historical figures who were part of the Colorado suffrage movement enhance the realism of the book. And she has successfully captured the essence of 1876 Denver, depicting it as more than just a shoot-'em-up Old West town. Most important, Nowak has come up with believable, non-stereotypical characters and a snappy plot to create a darned good book." *-- Shelley Mosley, Booklist *Starred* review, December 15, 2007*