When I first read the blurb for this book, I thought it was about a woman bootlegger...and it is...like for all of 20%. In this aspect, it's disappointing. To state it bluntly, this heroine is just a tramp who can't keep her legs closed and is weak for a man...well, men. Unable to choose between two gangsters, she beds them both, sometimes one after the other.I don't consider her strong, which is what I prefer in the heroines I read.
It's not until 62% that the very idea of her bootlegging even comes up.
However, I must say despite my intense dislike for the heroine, the book really captured the times, the lifestyle, the danger, the "toeing the line" between worlds. I mean, you have a woman who wants to provide the best home possible for her daughter and impress the Jewish Ladies' Society or whatever it is, but at the same time, her husband is a gangster and there's a bullet hole in her ceiling...
I also appreciated the theme moral...you may think the grass is greener on the other side...be careful what you wish for...la de da.
"Don't waste your time chasing after the wrong things."
I had a hard time with this chick's friends too, but I got a kick out of what they did at the auction.
Frankly, it's a very well-written story. It really made me dislike the characters, which is a sign of a good writer. I was sucked into the tale. I even appreciated the "tragic" ending, though I didn't find it tragic, but moralistic... I mean, hey, the bad guys can't win. It can't be made to look as though this life is the way to go, right?
I just wish the story had been less about a woman weak for men.
I received this via Edelweiss.
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