Lola Montez: The California Adventures of Europe's Notorious Courtesan

Rating:
Summary: An expertly researched and wonderfully readable account
Review: Lola Montez: The California Adventures Of Europe's Notorious Courtesan by free-lance researcher and gifted biographer James F. Varley is the revealing, straightforward life story of Lola Montez (the "nom de plume" of Eliza Rosanna Gilbert). Lola was a provocative dancer who came to California in 1853 and left an indelible mark upon its social circles for good or ill. An expertly researched and wonderfully readable account, Lola Montez strives to paint as accurate a portrayal as possible without glossing over her failings -- including her lurid sexuality, her habit for deceit, and her likely contraction of syphilis. A rousing life story of a character who made a vivid impression, regardless of how shady her motives may have been, Lola Montez is an impressive and recommended addition to both academic and community library American Biography collections.