Girl Waits with Gun is a charming historical fiction novel based on true events. Amy Stewart sources articles from early 20th century newspapers including the Philadelphia Sun, the Bergen County Evening-Record, and the New York Times, mingles facts with her own imagination, and gives us a sometimes harrowing, often funny suspense tale starring a top-notch heroine.
The Kopp sisters are three women living alone on a farm in 1914 New Jersey after the death of their mother. In spite of their brother Francis’s pleas to come reside with him and his wife, Bessie, the Kopp women enjoy their independence and have no desire to become charity cases to their only close family member. When local factory owner and ne’er-do-well Henry Kaufman destroys their buggy in a motoring accident and then embarks on a terror campaign against the sisters, their situation becomes more problematic. In spite of protection from stand-up sheriff Robert Heath, it seems like Kauffman is poised to get away with his crimes. But he didn’t count on Constance Kopp being such an unusual woman.
The sisters form a nice trio of contrasting personalities: Constance is tall for a woman (6 feet!) and at 30-something, she’s (gasp) unmarried and determined to stay that way. As eldest, she’s the spokesperson for the group and fiercely independent. Long after second sister Norma advises that it would be prudent to drop the feud with Kaufman even though the sisters are in the right, Constance’s pursuit of justice sets off a chain of events that will change their family forever. Outsiders may see Constance as either a spinster or an Amazon, but the reader soon learns that she has her own dark secrets. Fleurette, youngest sister, is dramatic and spoiled, the way a child of later years tends to be (there’s a 15-year gap between Fleurette and middle daughter Norma). Norma, sadly, does nothing to dispel the stereotypes about middle children everywhere; frankly, she’s the worst. She sees herself as sensible, but her language in placing blame on Constance for the situation with Henry Kaufman is maddening. When Constance wants to help a young factory worker who is trying to find her child, the result of a tryst with Kaufman, Norma says, “I do think it’s terrible what happens to girls who get themselves in trouble.” Gets themselves in trouble, Norma? I know this is 1914 and her attitude is realistic, but it’s like Stewart doesn’t want us to relate to the grouchy, prim sister. She consistently blames Constance every time Kaufman strikes out at them. After shots are fired at their house and they decide to all sleep in the same room together, Norma says to Constance, “You’ll be the one they hit. That seems fair.” I can’t help screaming, “Redirect your anger, bitch!” We do learn some of the reasons for Norma’s attitude, that she feels put-upon for having solved most of the family’s problems in the past, but, while I could understand her perspective, it wasn’t enough for me to like her.
At times the story moved a little slow for me, but I love how this novel positions Constance Kopp for future adventures as one of the first female deputy sheriffs in American history. I’m hoping some loose threads get attention in the subsequent novels, such as: What’s up with Sheriff Heath and his wife? Will Stewart develop the sexual tension between Heath and Constance? How about the photographer LaMotte? Will we learn anything about the photos Constance took for him? Will Fleurette mature? Will Norma grow a sense of humor? Now that the groundwork has been laid, I’m excited to read what Constance gets up to next.
Shout out to Ms. Was for recommending this series to me!