The Last Woman Standing
Josephine Marcus, teenage daughter of Jewish immigrants, is heading to Arizona to marry her fiancé, Johnny Behan. She arrives in the boomtown of Tombstone bright-eyed and hopeful, but soon realizes that while Johnny is full of flowery compliments, he’s also full of excuses and lies. After months without a wedding in sight, Josephine’s affections turn towards Wyatt Earp. In Wyatt, she sees a justice-seeking lawman willing to stand down a lynch mob, alone, in order to ensure another man’s right to a trial. In Johnny, she sees a politically-minded lawman who stands in a corner until conflict is resolved and then steps out to claim the glory of other men’s successes. Through the Earps’ example, Josephine learns that family should always stand by one another, no matter the cost.
Josephine, the narrator, comes off superficial at times, occasionally getting distracted by her own breasts and men’s broad shoulders. She describes her love interests mostly by their reactions to her breasts and their actions in bed. Josephine also disappoints during the chapter in which she visits Johnny to beg him to free Wyatt from jail… dressed as a seductress. Josephine’s personality does develop throughout the story, but I would have liked more thoughtful actions/reactions and less physical ones.
One discrepancy I noticed involves Josephine’s departure from Tombstone. It’s generally believed she left Tombstone after Morgan Earp was killed. Ms. Adams has Josephine leaving beforehand. Otherwise, everything is quite well researched. The well-known historical scoundrels and lawmen of Tombstone come alive in this book, from Curly Bill and the Clantons to Doc Holliday. These men are vividly portrayed. The phrases used and conventions of daily life feel authentic to the 1880s. Overall, Josephine’s voice is strong and bursting with personality. It makes for an engaging narrative, despite the occasional distraction.
