The Poker Bride

By Christopher Corbett,

Book cover of The Poker Bride: The First Chinese in the Wild West

Book description

This true story of a concubine and the Gold Rush years “delves deep into the soul of the real old west” (Erik Larson).
 
“Once the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill launched our ‘national madness,’ the population of California exploded. Tens of thousands of Chinese, lured by tales of a…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Poker Bride as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I find this book fascinating because, along with telling one individual's story, it discusses the experiences of thousands of Chinese women who were trafficked to America during the 1800s. This is not a subject many books discuss. Note: because of the subject matter, this book is not suitable for all ages.

Polly Bemis’s destitute peasant family in China sold her into slavery when she was a young teen. She was taken to America and sold as a concubine to a wealthy store owner. A few years later, her owner lost Polly in a poker game to a gambler named Charlie…

From Rachel's list on women in the wild west.

Want books like The Poker Bride?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Poker Bride.

Browse books like The Poker Bride

Book cover of Letters of a Woman Homesteader
Book cover of African American Women of the Old West
Book cover of Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in American frontier, China, and Idaho?

China 646 books
Idaho 23 books