Prospects of a Woman by Wendy Voorsanger

1849 America - Elisabeth is a very new bride but she does sense that something is not quite right in her marriage though she cannot put her finger on what is wrong. Coming to the land of gold mining she seeks her father who has a claim on a piece of land which has prospects. Discovering that her father has no intention of a reconciliation but just absconds from them, Nate and she try very hard to scrape out a life from the land. Prospecting as well as any man, if not better Elisabeth faces every adversity life throws at her till she strikes it rich. Finding out her husband was a homosexual was a blow, but it did not make her run away from her home which she had made. Scraping herself out of the pits, she made progress one step at a time in an era where women were totally dependent on men for every little thing. She used Californian laws to her advantage, independently signed up on claims and loans and perplexed men who were not used to independent women of her ilk. She also urged other women in the area to do likewise and not fall under the control of men who only wanted their money. This was a stirring story of courage, endurance and survival. Very very good reading. Sent by She Writes Books courtesy of Netgalley, for an unbiased review.