Read This, Then That: Women of the West

Read This: This Godforsaken Place by Cinda Gault (Brindle & Glass, 2015)Then That: Wild Rose by Sharon Butala (Coteau Books, 2015)The first few things most people probably think about when they consider the Wild West is cowboys, horse chases, and shoot outs at high noon. We have a just one question to ask of you: If the men were off riding horses and getting into gunfights, where were the women? Both This Godforsaken Place and Wild Rose do an excellent job of describing what the typical life was like for women of the west in 1800s; and both books also do an excellent job of creating a female character that isn’t going to settle for that expected life. That doesn’t necessarily mean these women are looking for gunfights of their own but rather that they are looking for purpose beyond that expected of women of their day.In This Godforsaken Place we meet Abigail Peacock in 1885 just as her father is dying of consumption. Originally from England, Abigail accompanies her father to Northern Ontario where he has taken a post as the school teacher of Wabigoon. Once her father is gone, the locals all expect that Abigail will take over his post and likely marry a local man to take care of her in this rough and often dangerous climate. Alone for the first time in her life, this sounds horrid to Abigail. A timely encounter with a dying outlaw provides Abigail with the purpose she’s been seeking: track down Annie Oakley to pass along a message. With her old Winchester and her practical boots and pants, Abigail sets out to find the Bill Cody Wild West Show and find herself in the process.Sophie is in a somewhat similar predicament as Abigail in Wild Rose. However, it is her husband who has left her (almost) all alone. But he hasn’t died. Instead he’s sold their southwest Saskatchewan farm out from under her and taken off, leaving Sophie and their son with pretty much only the clothes on their back. When word spreads in town most expect Sophie to only wait around long enough for her family to send fare before she heads back to Quebec. However, she left behind a strict, narrow life in a home where, as an orphan, she was never really wanted. Coming west was an escape for Sophie so going home is really not an option for her. Instead, Sophie decides to find her own way in the West, where the old rules are left behind and everyone may have a story but it’s no ones business but your own.If you’re looking for representations of women in the Wild West, then look no further. In Sophie and Abigail we have two finely drawn characters that grapple with the social dictates and everyday realities of the 1880s West. From the Riel Rebellion to surviving the harsh winters, both This Godforsaken Place and Wild Rose spin a good yarn.