The Piano Player Author:Carolyn Niethammer When well-bred Mary Rose follows her dream to rowdy 1882 Tombstone, she quickly discovers that her sheltered life has not prepared her for the challenges of being a piano player in The Bird Cage Theater. Help comes from her landlady, Nellie Cashman, proprietor of The Russ House. Though vastly different, the two women both must thrive in world ou... more »tside of society?s norms. Upon leaving Tombstone their lives diverge, but come together again with old friends to hike the treacherous Chilkoot Pass and seek their elusive fortunes in the in the 1898 Klondike gold rush. Together they deal with a lover who turns out to be a murderer, imprisonment in a Mexican jail, near death falling into the icy Yukon River and disappointment when their quest for gold is dashed. They postpone romance with the men who love them, until for one, it becomes too late. --- ?The author delves into the motives, mistakes and loves of her main character with unstinting candor and beautiful use of language, especially in her descriptive passages of the settings in Arizona and the Yukon. ?Using Frisco Rosie?s journal entries to tell her story, the author allows the reader to experience the confusion, determination and conflicts inherent in the character?s choices. From naïve young woman to seasoned trooper, Rosie evolves in self-understanding and acceptance. She is a fine addition to the lexicon of fictional Western women.? ?Arletta Dawdy, author of The Huachuca Woman About the Author: Carolyn Niethammer grew up in the historic town of Prescott, Arizona, and now lives in Tucson. She is the author of nine nonfiction books on Southwestern subjects ? popular ethnobotanies of western plants, biographies, a book on Native American women, and a travel book on Southeastern Arizona. Find her at www.cniethammer.com« less