My Review…

An endearing story about Calamity Jane! (YES, this is a western frontier story)

It turns out that Jane has a huge heart when it comes to kids and those she loves. Talk about a book featuring a strong woman-she is not only fearless, she takes two orphaned kids under her wing and nurtures and protects them.

Jimmy is 12 and has a younger half-sister, Flower (loved her!!). The story takes place in Deadwood, South Dakota and smallpox is rampant as well as many other dangers of that time (1903). They live with Jane and her friend Dora in a restaurant/saloon named Diddlin Dora’s which also was a house of prostitution.

This is historical fiction, but it has many characters that were “real” people and Deadwood is a “real” town. It is full of humor, sorrow, compassion and heart.

The story felt authentic and was absolutely wonderful! I rated this one 4.5 stars

Book Description…

Set in the lawless town of Deadwood, South Dakota, Hour Glassshares an intimate look at the woman behind the legend of Calamity Jane told through the eyes of twelve-year-old Jimmy Glass.

After their pa falls deathly ill with smallpox, Jimmy and his sister, Hour, travel into Deadwood to seek help. While their pa is in quarantine, the two form unbreakable bonds with the surrogate family that emerges from the tragedy of loss.

In a place where life is fragile and families are ripped apart by disease, death, and desperation, a surprising collection of Deadwood’s inhabitants surround Jimmy, Hour, and Jane. There, in the most unexpected of places, they find a family protecting them from the uncertainty and chaos that surrounds them all.