A Sporting Life

In the heart of 19th-century America, Sarah Woodford’s dreams of a new life out West are forged in love and ambition, only to be shattered by tragedy and betrayal. When her beloved husband, Thomas, succumbs to illness on the perilous Oregon Trail, Sarah finds herself alone in the unforgiving wilderness; her wagon laden with their shared hopes now a target for opportunistic predators. Stripped of her possessions by a trusted companion’s deceit, she arrives in the rugged town of Parish, with little more than her resilience and a hidden stash of currency..

Desperate to survive, Sarah faces a stark choice: cling to the propriety of her past or embrace the gritty reality of the frontier. In a world where survival often demands compromise, she steps into the smoky, raucous world of Madame Giselle’s bordello, adopting the persona of Charlotte. Under the madam’s shrewd guidance, Sarah navigates a dangerous landscape of lustful patrons, cutthroat rivals, and her own moral dilemmas, transforming from a grieving widow into a woman of power and independence.

A Sporting Life is a gripping tale of loss, reinvention, and redemption, where one woman’s courage and cunning carve out an unconventional path to the American Dream. Perfect for readers of historical fiction and tales of resilience, this novella captures the raw spirit of the Wild West through Sarah’s unyielding determination to rise above her circumstances.

"Sarah is a remarkable woman with a good nature who weathered the battles well. I enjoyed reading this novella." - Readers' Favorite.