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The Lily of the West

Kathleen Morris (Goodreads Author)

3.69 · Rating details · 42 ratings · 12 reviews

Winner of the Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award for Best First Western Novel, The Lily of the West is the story of Mary Katherine Haroney, known as the notorious "Big Nose Kate." In the American West of the 1800s, women had few choices, but Kate made her own way. A Hungarian immigrant, Kate forged her way across the American frontier, an orphaned stowaway on a Mississip ...more

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Hardcover, 341 pages

Published January 16th 2019 by Five Star Publishing (first published January 2019)

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· 42 ratings · 12 reviews

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Apr 09, 2019 Sarrah rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, old-west

Read like fanfic for the movie "Tombstone". ...more

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Mar 12, 2019 Rita rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book. Have seen many movies about the Old West and Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp and his family, but never one for the female perspective. Mary Katherine Haroney, AKA Lily of the West is one of the women behind the man in this story - and a story you won't soon forget!! ...more

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Jul 10, 2020 Phil Mills, Jr. rated it it was amazing

Historical fiction gets a fresh new twist with this well-written novel about Mary Katherine Haroney (aka“The Lily of the West”). Author Kathleen Morris does a great job of filling in the gaps between well-known fact and probable fiction. Her emotional descriptions and discourse turn even the most jaded of readers into sympathetic followers of “Big Nose Kate”. Better yet, she lets the strong and independent “Kate” tell her own story.
There have been many stories about the “bigger than life” chara Historical fiction gets a fresh new twist with this well-written novel about Mary Katherine Haroney (aka“The Lily of the West”). Author Kathleen Morris does a great job of filling in the gaps between well-known fact and probable fiction. Her emotional descriptions and discourse turn even the most jaded of readers into sympathetic followers of “Big Nose Kate”. Better yet, she lets the strong and independent “Kate” tell her own story.
There have been many stories about the “bigger than life” characters known as Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and his brothers, and even Bat Masterson. There will undoubtedly be many more. However, few capture the role and perspective of the one woman who knew them all. She witnessed the violent lawlessness of the American frontier like few others. Kathleen Morris captures Kate’s passionate intensity for life, her perseverance, independent spirit and her ability to overcome personal tragedy at a time when women had few options. Kate created her own path to success.
Her story really begins when her family flees the Mexican court of Emperor Maximilian to Davenport, Iowa to create a new life. Gone were of parties and life of high society in which Kate really had no interest anyway. She becomes an orphan at fifteen. What follows this classically educated woman, who could speak four languages, was a series of tragedies and life choices that would take her from Mississippi Riverboat stowaway to New Orleans on to the saloons and gambling halls of Dodge City and Tombstone. Along the way we learn about the men in her life and her alluring adventures and experiences as a singer, gambler, prostitute and entrepreneur.
But, it’s clearly through her unflinching . . . although sometimes turbulent . . . relationship and love for Dr. John Henry “Doc” Holliday that we learn about her strength, her flaws and her unwavering loyalty. This great, award-winning story gives the reader a fresh and seldom told side about someone who was there as the American frontier came of age. A must-read for those whose interests include that era of American history. ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Janell Madison rated it it was amazing

This is a wonderfully written book that could appeal to both women and men. I’m don’t typically read Westerns, but this book had so many great elements, that it kept my interest throughout the book. It is a great story of perseverance, through extreme difficulty. This book shares another perspective on a piece of history that we’ve all heard about, Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp at the OK Corral, but this time we get to hear it from Mary Katherine Haroney, Kate. A woman who struggled, but was deter This is a wonderfully written book that could appeal to both women and men. I’m don’t typically read Westerns, but this book had so many great elements, that it kept my interest throughout the book. It is a great story of perseverance, through extreme difficulty. This book shares another perspective on a piece of history that we’ve all heard about, Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp at the OK Corral, but this time we get to hear it from Mary Katherine Haroney, Kate. A woman who struggled, but was determined and accomplished what she set her mind to do. If Kate were alive today, I’d love to see what she would be doing!~Janell @ Green Gables Book Reviews

Mary Katherine Haroney may have been born in the wrong era. In the 1800’s, there were not many job choices for women-and she was an independent woman with no interest in taking the typical route in life. Even as a young woman, she wasn’t interested in the fancy parties that her Mother felt were so important for her to attend. Kate’s family was in all of the right social circles, and had many great opportunities. Things changed when Kate was 15 and her family needed to flee their homeland. They arrived in Davenport, Iowa to make a new life. Soon after, Kate becomes an orphan. With help along the way, she learns skills that will serve her well throughout her life.

On her own, she traveled to the new American Frontier, where she soon becomes known as “The Lily of the West,” with musical talents that can quiet a room, and then make it roar in applause. Through her journeys she meet Wyatt Earp, then later, Doc Holliday. She and Doc Holliday become a powerful, but dangerous couple throughout the new west. The battle at the O.K. Corral is a moment in US History that lasted 30 seconds but had a big impact. Kate was there, along with Doc and the Earp family, fighting against a group of Cowboys, that were quick to shoot and didn’t care about the law.

A story of fighting for what is right, standing up for your friends, taking chances and remembering your family. The last few chapters were very memorable.
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Sep 03, 2020 Andrew McBride rated it really liked it

Kathleen Morris certainly ‘hit the ground running’ as a western novelist as her debut ‘Lily of the West’ won the Peacemaker Award for best first novel. ‘Lily’ is a refreshing new take on a familiar tale. ‘Big Nose’ Kate Elder normally only features as a supporting player in the story of Wyatt Earp and John Henry – ‘Doc’ – Holliday. Here she takes centre stage and we follow her life from long before she met either of these western legends to long after. Born in Hungary, Kate travels from Europe t ...more

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Dec 22, 2020 Joyce rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2020, fiction, historical-fiction

The Lily of the West tells the story of Mary Katherine Haroney who goes from being a Hungarian immigrant orphan to a singing star at dance halls in New Orleans and Dodge City and eventually becoming lover to 'Doc' Holliday. She becomes known as 'Big Nose Kate' and is as skilled at gambling as in her singing. She becomes involved with the Earps of Dodge City and is romantically involved with Wyatt Earp before Doc Holliday enters her life. The novel portrays her as a remarkable strong woman whose ...more

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Jan 22, 2019 Michael Jack rated it it was amazing

Loved this book. Huge fan of western historical fiction. I was skeptical about the book at first. Mainly due to the cover. It looked more like a romantic western, however I was quickly won over in the first few chapters because of the writing skills of the author. Kathleen Morris does a very fine job blending the historical truth of what we know about the wrongly nicknamed Big Nose Kate and her associated prominent western icons with the unknown parts that we don’t with passionate intensity. I t ...more

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Apr 19, 2019 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, western, southwestern

A fresh, thrilling, and insightful exploration of the often maligned or dismissed Mary Katherine Haroney as told by Kate herself. The novel covers her youth and early relationships, particularly her intense and sometimes violent relationship with Doc Holliday, and the many well-known events up until his death. Morris skillfully gives Kate her own voice, dignity, and agency in this sympathetic portrayal without glossing over her flaws or the role she played in her often tumultuous life. The novel ...more

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Feb 15, 2019 Groucho42 rated it really liked it

A nice fictionalized biography of Mary Katherine Haroney. Born in Pest, Hungary, orphaned in the US, she was a semi-famous figure in the American West for her singing, gambling and relationship with Doc Holliday. The books tells her story through the death of Holliday. The afterward says it was hard enough finding out about her before that but very little after. A good read.

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Mar 07, 2019 Thora Hrafnsdottir rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, library-rental

Though the book is listed under fiction, the author researched Miss Kate's life and has done her best to do justice to Miss Kate's life and personality. The book is a quite enjoyable read, and I do recommend it. ...more

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Nov 16, 2018 Sarah rated it it was ok

Amazing concept, poor execution.

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May 24, 2019 LESLIELBERRY rated it liked it

The history of the Earps and Doc Holliday were interesting, but almost 1/3 of the book was about Kate and Doc Holliday in bed. This was unnecessary and slowed the book down.

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