Lucky Red

A Novel

By: Claudia Cravens

Narrated by: Elena Rey

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A thrilling, raucous, and gloriously queer debut about a scrappy orphan bent on making her own luck in the American West—and finding friendship, romance, and her true calling along the way.

“A powerful feminist battle cry . . . [and] rollicking good fun.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

LONGLISTED FOR THE VCU CABELL AWARD • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Autostraddle, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal

The heart wants what it wants. Saddle up, ride out, and claim it.

When Bridget arrives penniless in Dodge City, already disillusioned by feckless men and the uncompromising landscape, she has only her wits to keep her alive. Thanks to the allure of her bright red hair and country-girl beauty, she’s recruited to work at the Buffalo Queen, the only brothel in town run by women. Bridget takes to brothel life, appreciating the good food, good pay, and good friendships she forms with her fellow “sporting women.”

But with the arrival of some infamous outlaws at the start of winter, tensions in Dodge City run high. When the Buffalo Queen’s peace and security are threatened, Bridget must decide what she owes to the women she loves and what it looks like to claim her own destiny.

A thoroughly modern reimagining of the Western genre, Lucky Red is a masterfully crafted, propulsive tale of adventure, loyalty, desire, and love.

©2023 Claudia Cravens (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A Western like you’ve never seen before: a story of reinvention, sex work, found family, and queer self-discovery.”—Harper’s Bazaar, “Best Queer Reads of 2023”

“Lucky Red is a brilliant queer feminist reimagining of the western genre—complete with an ingenious narrative twist and stellar prose. Set in Dodge City in 1877, the story takes the setting of a brothel from its usual place as a backdrop in the genre to its deserved place in center stage, filling the novel with nuanced and fascinating sex worker characters. Watching the protagonist Bridget evolve from a disillusioned sixteen-year-old orphan to a powerful woman with a thirst for vengeance is wonderful to witness.”—Autostraddle

“Lucky Red is the Western I never knew I needed—where all the most fascinating misfit characters usually pushed to the fringes take their rightful places center stage. Claudia Cravens strikes the perfect balance here—queer, feminist, subversive, and a good old-fashioned freight train of an adventure story.”—Sara Nović, author of True Biz

Not what I expected

Entertaining and well developed. This story had me listening for hours straight. Thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Loved this story

Loved it. I Listened to it within two days and I cried at the end.

all I could want in a Sapphic western

I was bummed about the ending, but I hope it opens the door for another book!

Cinematic

I kept thinking how this could become a movie. The writing is so cinematic. But the old fashioned bias that ‘such love’ can only be spoken of if there’s tragedy and there’s a morally bankrupt aspect to boot is however a disappointing plot choice by the author. It’s quite a well told tale, just outdated in that way.

A good listen

I enjoyed the story and narration a lot. Favorite characters were Constance and Spartan. How do we get media to stop with this specific type of cliché ending though? Would have liked it a lot more.

Well done - love the strong women characters

It was refreshing readying a Western with strong Women characters who had layers of their own history. Well done!

Compelling story told from the heart

Loved this book, a story as wild and untamed as the era it is set in.

I did not like this book

I don't usually write reviews but I did not like this book. The narrator was overly dramatic. I had to force myself to finish listening to it. There didn't seem to be a mention in any of the reviews that the heart of the book was a young woman's infatuation with two women who had "done her wrong."