Description:
A young woman desperate to provide for her family during the Great Depression finds herself swept into a life of crime in this riveting, redemptive tale by the author of Last Light over Galveston, one of BookBub's picks for The Best Historical Fiction of 2025.
Beatrice Carraway has dreams. Although she's aged out of the childhood pageant circuit, she's intent on carrying her talents all the way to the big screen―if only she can escape the poverty of West Dallas first. But as the Great Depression drags the working class further and further under, Beatrice struggles just to keep herself, her mother, and her younger sister afloat. After a string of failed auditions, she feels defeated.
And then in walks Jack Turner. Though Beatrice is determined to pull herself up by her bootstraps, Jack has decided on a different path out of the gutters. It isn't long before Beatrice is swept into an exciting and glamorous life of crime beside the man she loves. Keeping one step ahead of the law, she sees her dreams of fame come true when her name and picture are plastered in newspapers across the country. Yet as their infamy grows, the distance between them widens. While Jack begins seeking bigger payouts and publicity, Beatrice starts to long for a safe, quiet life and something deeper to fill the emptiness in her soul. But when the danger of Jack's schemes ratchets up, Beatrice fears her dreams―and her future―will end up going down in a hail of bullets.
- Historical women's fiction for fans of Lisa Wingate, Jocelyn Green, and Kristin Hannah
- A great book club pick inspired by one of America's most notorious couples, Bonnie and Clyde
- Includes discussion questions
Brief description:
Jennifer L. Wright grew up wanting to be a reporter, but it took only a few short months of working in journalism for her to abandon those aspirations for fiction writing instead. She loves to reimagine and explore forgotten eras in history, showcasing God's light amidst humanity's darkest days.
She currently lives in New Mexico with her husband, two children, a couple of long-haired dachshunds, and an ever-growing herd of guinea pigs.
Review Quotes: Born into West Dallas poverty in the 1920s, Beatrice banks on her pretty face to pull her out of the muck. Beauty fades, though, and her mother's choice in men relegates Bea to a mere possession. Every potential break is soon met with suspicion and ridicule of Bea's socioeconomic status and street address. When Bea meets debonair (and slightly criminal) Jack Turner, she sees her ticket out of the swamp and factory smoke--after all, playing by the rules hasn't gotten her ahead. When all her dreams of fame come true, however, they don't bring the happiness and peace she craves. With a cast of characters alternately encouraging her to run toward sin or toward salvation, Bea must both face the consequences of her life of crime and decide what true religion is. VERDICT In this Bonnie-and-Clyde tale with a redemptive twist, Wright (Come Down Somewhere) proves her literary chops and puts herself on the level of historical-fiction favorites like Susan Meissner and Fiona Davis.--Library Journal