In her seventh historical novel, Sonora, Jenni L. Walsh arrestingly captures the trials and triumphs of horse diver Sonora Webster. Walsh's first-person narrative traces Sonora's journey from scrappy small-town girl to poised, accomplished performer as she overcomes hardships she never anticipated.
Prodded by her mother to answer a newspaper ad seeking a horse diver, in 1923 Sonora joins Dr. W.F. "Doc" Carver and his traveling act, and she learns to mount a running horse and dive 40 feet into a water tank. While the riding and especially the diving prove a challenge, Sonora must also navigate the tricky dynamics between Doc and his adult children, particularly his son, Al. Sonora quickly falls in love with her new career, even urging her sister, Arnette, to come visit and try horse diving herself. But the road ahead is full of obstacles--including the Great Depression and Doc's declining health.
Walsh expertly conveys Sonora's love for her profession, capturing quiet moments with the horses and the thrill of high diving in a scarlet swimsuit. More subtly, she shows Sonora's growing confidence and the ways a performing career offered power and agency to women at a time when they had only recently gained the right to vote. When an accident threatens Sonora's beloved career, she must dig deep to find the courage to dive again--not only from the tower but also into a whole new life.
With pulse-pounding drama, dry humor, and lots of heart, Sonora is a fitting tribute to a woman who captured audiences with her glamour, guts, and courage. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams