The Rush by Beth Lewis
I bought The Rush by Beth Lewis from Vinted. I’d read a review of it somewhere and it sounded worth reading.
The Rush is set in 1898 in the Canadian Gold Rush in the frozen wilderness of Yukon. It is the story of three women in a world of lawless men.
Kate is a journalist, who travels hundreds of miles to report on the Gold Rush. But her main motivation for the journey is to find her sister, Charlotte, who fears her own husband will kill her. Kate’s journey is treacherous, with avalanches and dangerous rivers, and many men don’t make it to Dawson City.
Ellen has already settled close to Dawson City. Her husband is convinced they will make their fortune, but he is spending her father’s money and not finding any gold. Ellen is starting to crave a new life away from him, but what chance do women have in this male-dominated environment?
Martha is a businesswoman who built her own hotel, which also serves as the town’s better brothel. She cares for her girls and her staff and refuses to sell up to the man who owns half the town and rules it with guns and fists.
The story is told in short chapters, narrated by the three women in turn. For a long time, their stories are completely separate, but they get closer, to the point where I couldn’t remember which woman was narrating any more.
For me, The Rush started slowly. It didn’t grip me. But, suddenly, halfway through, when the connection between the women became clear, I found I couldn’t put it down.
It is an interesting historical read, loosely based on real events and real people. I know nothing of the Gold Rush, but as is usually the case, with historical events, nearly everything which has been written about it has been written by men.
If you enjoy historical fiction, I would definitely recommend The Rush. It is an atmospheric and moving read about three strong women in a world even more dominated by men than the world we live in now.
