New Book Release: 100 Western Women: The Bold, Brave, Gutsy Women of Arizona's Past - by Jan Cleere

Find it on Amazon HERE

History books record scant contributions women made in settling and developing the new territory of Arizona. Yet women were an integral part of civilizing the rough, rowdy, often dangerous land. For more than ten years, Jan Cleere has written about the women who influenced the growth and development of Arizona in her column "Western Women" that appears monthly in the Arizona Daily Star newspaper. The famous, infamous and those not so well known are featured, each with a compelling story of surviving and thriving under less-than-ideal circumstances. Warriors, basket weavers, ranchers, artists, innkeepers, schoolteachers, politicians and entrepreneurs from a remarkable variety of backgrounds and cultures influenced the growth of Arizona.

Read about Larcena Pennington who had to crawl down a mountain to escape her Indian captors. Hopi artist Nampeyo continued to make exquisite pots even after she started losing her eyesight. Carmen Vasquez built a theater and brought in shows from as far away as Spain. Elizabeth Hudson Smith ran a successful hotel until the color of her skin turned a town against her. And Sarah Gorby allowed injured animals to live in her home until they could return to their desert habitats.

The 100 Western women featured between these pages are just a handful of those who came before and after them as the territory emerged and flourished into an amazing and diverse state unlike any other in the nation.

About the Author

Jan Cleere has been researching and writing about early Western women for over twenty-five years. Her work, including over a half-dozen books, has earned accolades from the writing industry including the Will Rogers Medallion awards, New Mexico/Arizona Book awards, Women Writing the West WILLA awards, Military Writers Society of America, National Federation of Press Women, Feathered Quill and Arizona Authors Association. The Arizona Newspapers Association recognized Jan for a series of historical profiles she wrote for Phoenix Woman Magazine, and the Nevada Women's History Project named her to its Roll of Honor for her significant contribution in the preservation of Nevada women's history. She is featured in several anthologies and her freelance work appears in national and regional publications.

Military Wives Wins Recognition - by Jan Cleere

 

Military Wives Wins Recognition I am thrilled (and a little overwhelmed) with the continued recognition of my latest book, Military Wives in Arizona Territory: A History of Women Who Shaped the Frontier. On September 18, the Military Writers Society of America awarded the book a Silver Medal in their annual literary competition. This means so much to be recognized by this prestigious organization. Read the MWSA review here. Military Wives is also a Finalist in the History-Arizona category of the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards. Over 1,600 books were judged by at least three reviewers. Winners will be announced October 15. Military Wives was also recognized as a Finalist in the Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest. Winners will be announced November 6. Click the link to buy the latest book by Jan Cleere: Military Wives in Arizona Territory!

New Book by Jan Cleere, Military Wives in Arizona Territory, Arriving March 1, 2021!

 

Preorder it HERE

When the US Army ordered troops into Arizona Territory in the nineteenth century to protect and defend newly established settlements, military men often brought their wives and families, particularly officers who might be stationed in the west for years.

Most of the women were from refined, eastern-bred families with little knowledge of the territory. Their letters, diaries, and journals from their years on army posts reveal untold hardships and challenges. They learned to cope with the sparseness, the heat, sickness, and danger, including wildlife they never imagined.

These women were bold, brave, and compassionate. They became an integral part of military posts that peppered the West and played an important role in civilizing the untamed frontier. Combining their words with original research and tracing their movements from post to post, this collection of historical narratives explores the tragedies and triumphs that early military wives experienced.

Author, historian and expert speaker Jan Cleere writes extensively about the desert southwest, particularly the people who first settled the territory. Her freelance work appears in national and regional publications including Arizona Highways Magazine, Persimmon Hill Magazine, Phoenix Woman, Tucson Guide Quarterly, The Desert Leaf, Chronicle of the Old West, and Arizona Garden. In 2001, Jan received recognition from Arizona Highways Magazine for her article, "Hostess to the West," the life of Elizabeth Hudson Smith, a Black entrepreneur in Wickenburg, Arizona, during the early 1900s.

Visit her website at: https://www.jancleere.com/