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Friday, June 13, 2025

The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris

 



1888 is not medieval times but it literally could be. Celia working for an ultra rich family in Portland fell in love with the son of the house. It is not a relationship that would be accepted and Celia knew that. When she fell pregnant and was thrown out of the house, into the hands of a brothel, Celia had hit rock bottom. Never giving up on her dream of reconciliation with her lover, she kept her head down and got on with life.

The massacre at Little Rock’s which included the murder of her Chinese father was a catalyst for Celia to do something to get justice. Highlighting the case and bringing publicity was not going to do any good as the Chinese miners were considered by the whites to be subversive and dangerous. That they were murdered in cold blood for no reason other than the fact that they were hard working was not a plus in their favor. Celia was then kidnapped and put on a boat to get her out of the way. Her escape and return to Portland is a story in itself. Her uncovering of the high connections to the brothel trade was another. 

The story of immense courage and a search for identity, a search for justice is the focus of the story. The romance and the happily ever after is secondary.

Descriptive in every aspect from the hypocrisy of the establishment, to the poverty and the brothels of Portland the story was an intense one.  I did not find this an easy or comfortable read, just grateful to be born in present times with no strictures or unfair boundaries.

Sent by Sourcebooks Landmark for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.


3 comments:

  1. On my list to be read. The author covers so many interesting periods of history in her books.

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  2. This does sound like an intense story...and a sad one at times, too.

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  3. Lots going on, I hope she gets a good ending

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