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The Lives of Diamond Bessie: A Novel Paperback – April 5, 2022

by Jody Hadlock (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 308 ratings
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Diamonds aren’t always a girl’s best friend.

Pregnant out of wedlock, sixteen-year-old Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to find a way to be reunited with her daughter. But few rights or opportunities are available to a woman in the 1860s, and after failing to find a respectable job, Annie resorts to prostitution in order to survive.

As a highly sought-after demi-mondaine, Annie—now Bessie—garners many expensive gifts from her admirers, and eventually meets and marries the son of a wealthy jeweler. With her marriage, she believes her dream of returning to proper society has finally come true. She’s proven wrong when she suffers the ultimate betrayal at the hands of the man she thought would be her salvation. But Bessie doesn’t let her story end there.

Inspired by a true story and set amid the burgeoning women’s rights movement, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a haunting tale of betrayal and redemption that explores whether seeking revenge is worth the price you might pay.

“Drawing on a true story, Hadlock uses authentic period detail and well-drawn characters to pull readers into Annie/Bessie’s precarious journey toward redemption, which comes to an unexpected ending. This affecting tale of a 19th-century American woman struggling to prove her worth other than as a marriage prospect leaves a lasting impression.” 
—Publishers Weekly
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    317 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    SparkPress
  4. Publication date
    April 5, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 1 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1684631173
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1684631179
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Diamonds aren't always a girl's best friend.

Mark Beauregard: Picaresque, courtroom drama & ghost ghost in one celebrating a woman done wrong

MJ Rose: Compelling novel of historical suspense with paranormal twist that will have you shivering

Publishers Weekly: Affecting tale of 19th-century American woman struggling to prove her worth

Adrienne Brodeur: Fast-paced, richly observed & populated with vibrant characters...unputdownable

Editorial Reviews

Review

2023 Eric Hoffer Book Award Winner in Commercial Fiction
2022 Foreword INDIES Finalist in Mystery (Adult Fiction)
2022 Sarton Awards Finalist in Historical Fiction
2022 CIBA Goethe Book Awards Winner
2022 Global Book Awards Gold Medal in Women’s Fiction
2022 Global Book Awards Silver Medal in Mystery (Historical Fiction)
2022 PenCraft Book Awards First Place Winner in Fiction (Supernatural)
2022 NYC Big Book Awards Distinguished Favorite in Paranormal Mystery/Thriller
2022 American Fiction Awards Winner in Cross Genre Fiction
2022 American Fiction Awards Finalist in Historical Fiction, Mystery/Suspense: Historical, and Women’s Fiction
2022 Firebird Book Awards First Place Winner in Crime Fiction
2022 Firebird Book Awards Second Place Winner in Cross Genre
2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Paranormal and Finalist in Suspense
2022 IPPY Awards Bronze Winner in Historical Fiction
2023 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Gold Medal Winner in Fiction: General

“[A] genre-bending debut novel. . . . There’s an impressive deliberateness in the way that Hadlock present her themes. . . The novel also skillfully uses foreshadowing to create a suspenseful atmosphere without giving the game away. . . . An often engaging and inventive character study.” 
—Kirkus Reviews

“Drawing on a true story, Hadlock uses authentic period detail and well-drawn characters to pull readers into Annie/Bessie’s precarious journey toward redemption, which comes to an unexpected ending. This affecting tale of a 19th-century American woman struggling to prove her worth other than as a marriage prospect leaves a lasting impression.” 
—Publishers Weekly 

“Hadlock’s unvarnished, sympathetic portrayal makes Bessie’s hardscrabble existence all the more heart-wrenching and transforms Bessie into a feminist heroine. The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a picaresque, a courtroom drama, and a ghost story rolled into one, celebrating the heart and soul of a woman done wrong.” 
— Mark Beauregard, author of The Whale: A Love Story

 “Fast-paced, richly observed, and populated with vibrant characters, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is unputdownable.” 
—Adrienne Brodeur, author of the bestseller Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me 

About the Author

Jody Hadlock’s love of history goes all the way back to junior high, when she was a member of the Junior Historians of Texas—so it’s no surprise her first novel is historical. She studied journalism at Texas A&M University and worked as a broadcast journalist and then in nonprofit public relations before turning her focus to fiction. She also writes screenplays and won the 2020 Dallas International Film Festival’s screenplay contest. She lives in Colleyville, TX.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ SparkPress (April 5, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 317 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1684631173
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1684631179
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 308 ratings

About the author

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Jody Hadlock

Jody Hadlock

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Jody Hadlock’s love of history goes all the way back to junior high, when she was a member of the Junior Historians of Texas, so it’s no surprise her first novel is historical. She studied journalism at Texas A&M University and worked as a broadcast journalist and then in nonprofit public relations before turning her focus to fiction. She also writes screenplays and won the 2020 Dallas International Film Festival’s screenplay contest.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
308 global ratings
So glad I read this book
5 Stars
So glad I read this book
I love The Lives of Diamond Bessie for centering a vulnerable yet resilient woman in history, who is unbending in her meaningful personal quest, no matter what it takes. And for the record. About the historical including paranormal? That is part of why I love it. This world has magic in it. And so does the book.
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Top reviews from the United States

Grady Harp
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant novel that pleads for a cinematic transition!
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
Texas author Jody Hadlock earned her degree in journalism from Texas A&M University and has served as a broadcast journalist and screenwriter. THE LIVES OF DIAMOND BESSIE is her debut novel, based on a true story, a special homage to Annie Moore. In this intensely researched novel, Hadlock proves her mettle as a journalist, now enhancing that solid reputation with her gifts as a creative novelist. The story opens in Buffalo, New York, 1866 as the principle character speaks: ‘I had been with the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge for four months when I finally drew up the courage to speak to the mother Superior. The silent period was in effect, but I couldn’t wait any longer. As I approached her office, my body, weighted with a swollen belly, grew heavier. Before I cold change my mind, I steeled myself and knocked on her door.’ With that sense of immediacy the fascinating story-cum-history unfolds; ‘Pregnant out of wedlock, sixteen-year-old Irish immigrant Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to find a way to be reunited with her daughter. But few rights or opportunities are available to a woman in the 1860s, and after failing to find a respectable job, Annie resorts to prostitution in order to survive. As a highly sought-after demi-mondaine, Annie—now Bessie—garners many expensive gifts from her admirers, and eventually meets and marries the son of a wealthy jeweler. With her marriage, she believes her dream of returning to proper society has finally come true. She’s proven wrong when she suffers the ultimate betrayal at the hands of the man she thought would be her salvation. But Bessie doesn’t let her story end there.’

In a near cinematic fashion, Hadlock presents the life of a woman in the 19th century who in many ways represents an early nod to women’s rights. Her life events - young childbirth, ‘incarceration’ in a nunnery, prostitution, gaining status through wealth after marriage, betrayal, and death by murder - make for a powerful, impressive, and significant novel deserving of a wide reading audience. Very highly recommended
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J Armstrong
4.0 out of 5 stars Soiled woman
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
Set in the 1860s, this book follows Annie, a young girl who becomes pregnant out of wedlock. Seeking help from a nunnery, she is stunned when they take her baby and throw her out. Annie reinvents herself as Bessie a lady of the night and seeks her own fortune. Falling in love with a young jeweler she is poised at her own happy ever after. Will she be betrayed again? Or is her own stars finally in reach? This book is set against the burgeoning women's rights movement. A changing time in America's history, and I found the author did a fantastic job in researching and describing the time period and what life was back then. A great book and a great story.
One person found this helpful
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Laura (AuntieYorga Reads)
3.0 out of 5 stars Historical paranormal adventure
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2022
I received an advance review copy of this eBook for free from the author and BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily as a courtesy.

This historical fiction novel, based in part on a true story, follows Diamond Bessie, a.k.a. Annie Moore, through her life in the mid-nineteenth century from the time she becomes a "fallen" woman by getting pregnant out of wedlock until after her death when she becomes a vengeful spirit. The first half of the novel was engaging and quite fun to read as I appreciated the independent nature of the MC and the tales of her life from convent to "lady of the night" living it up with her finery and diamonds in high-class brothels across the US. I appreciated the inclusion of the women's rights movement that was coming about at that time, however that only played a small part in the actual story.

The story changed for me when she met a man and somehow became a completely different woman, falling for the very obvious schemes of a gambling hustler who had nefarious intentions. After her death, Bessie's vengeful spirit follows her killer and the people trying to bring him to justice. I was looking forward to the paranormal aspect of this novel, however, it left me wanting something more. Towards the end, the story completely lost me with a more religious tone and talk of Heaven, limbo, and people waiting for your spirit to arrive to spend eternity with them.

I have to say that my favorite part of this book was the Afterword when the author takes us through her research and the true story of Annie Moore and those she encountered. You can tell that there was a lot of in-depth research and thought put into the writing of this novel and I commend the author for this.
4 people found this helpful
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KMB13
5.0 out of 5 stars A Woman’s Place in the 1860s
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
The Lives of Diamond Bessie: A Novel by Jody Hadlock is a well- crafted story about a woman's journey to self-discovery in 19th century America. The book follows the life of Diamond Bessie, a headstrong, determined woman whose beliefs and values are constantly challenged by the constraints of her society. Through her narrative, readers glimpse a society where women are expected to fit a certain mold and are punished severely for their individuality and ambitions.

The author expertly draws the reader into character’s intricacies and inner struggles, and Hadlock provides a detailed and breathtaking backdrop for her journey. It is a story about determination and self-growth, about pushing against the confines of a patriarchal society, and finding a place where one can be true to oneself.

This book is a powerful story of a woman who persevered despite all the challenges life had to offer her. The Lives of Diamond Bessie is an inspiring and moving book that is sure to stay with readers long after they have finished reading it.
One person found this helpful
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