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Cowgirl
by
Java Davis (Goodreads Author)
Turn-of-the-Century Jewish Girl with Attitude!! Coming of Age; Western; Humor In California at the turn of the century, teenager Risa decides an arranged marriage is not for her. Her younger brother Yani gets expelled from their insular, Jewish community for seducing another boy. Risa decides to leave with Yani and takes charge of their trek east. Together, with Risa pushi
...more
Kindle Edition, new cover, 124 pages
Published
December 2nd 2013
by Java Davis, author
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Community Reviews
(showing 1-27 of 29)
Risa and her brother leave their home in a Jewish settlement and walk. Aged eleven, Yani's orientation has already caused trouble. Knowing they won't be missed by her mother, Risa packs for both of them and takes charge, aged fifteen. Taken in by a ranch family in Nevada, the pair start to learn about handling horses, but it's Risa who wants to be a horse breaker.
Wisely opening bank accounts as she earns a living, Risa also accumulates a brown mustang and a large dog while making friends among ...more
Wisely opening bank accounts as she earns a living, Risa also accumulates a brown mustang and a large dog while making friends among ...more
Cowgirl by Java Davis is part coming-of-age story, part adventure, and part western. Set in the early 1900 decade, the novel starts with fourteen-year-old Risa and her eleven-year-old brother Yani, escaping from their California Jewish shtetl. Risa had just been betrothed to a rabbi's nephew, a Jewish custom she is fiercely against. Yani, on the other hand, has just been thrown out of the house after being caught having homosexual liaison with another boy.
In her determination to escape the betro ...more
In her determination to escape the betro ...more
Apr 02, 2015
Darlene
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
S. Michele, Yvensong, Cheryl in cc nv
Recommended to Darlene by:
Java Davis
This was a fun little story. I loved the main character and her independent ways. I loved how caring she was as a person, leaving safety and comfort to protect her younger brother from people who were mean and judgemental. I loved how she invested herself and her monies to those who needed her help. Best of all, I loved that she was a Jewish cowgirl in Nevada. That made a very different novel than other 'westerns' I have had experience with.
Unfortunately, I found the writing to be, I don't know, ...more
Unfortunately, I found the writing to be, I don't know, ...more
Cowgirl is a twist on a classic coming-of-age story set in the waning days of the Old West. Fourteen-year-old Risa and her brother, eleven-year-old Yani, leave their Jewish community in California and head east where they are taken in by the owners of a ranch in Nevada. The Native American foreman teaches Risa the skills she needs to become independent, and from there she thrives, parlaying her innate intelligence, hard work ethic, and sharp business sense into a prosperous living.
Despite the ea ...more
Despite the ea ...more
‘Cowgirl’ by Java Davis is the story of one woman’s journey through a difficult life. The journey begins with Risa, age 14, and her little brother, Yani, age 11, leaving their home in California to walk on foot to Nevada. The story starts out very sluggish. There was so much that could have been done with this time in their lives, but the author chose to pass through this phase very quickly. To be honest, if I had not been reviewing the book, I would have stopped reading it after the first chapt
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Risa is a young girl in California in the early nineteenth century, running from her betrothal, with her sometimes difficult younger brother. They wind up in Nevada, where Risa learns to break horses from a ranch foreman and discovers herself as she comes of age. While I enjoyed Risa's growth as a character, there were parts of her personality that were difficult to like. A page-turner about the old west with unique characters and a rich setting.
I finished it in just a few days and I really enjoy it. It is set in the early 1900 decade. The novel starts with fourteen-year-old Risa had just been betrothed to someone whom she is fiercely against. Her brother, Yani, on the other hand, has just been thrown out of the house after being caught having homosexual liaison with another boy. They plan to escape from their California Jewish shtetl. It is an easy reading, and the story flowed smoothly.
I really enjoyed this book, finished it in two sittings . Easy reading, story flowed well and I learned some things I wasn't familiar with. Watch this up and coming author, she's also written 2 other books Triptych which I'm reading now and Depression Carpenter. Enjoy!
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| Do Jewish characters or themes connect with you? | 1 | 2 | Feb 09, 2014 11:19AM |
Java Davis spent fifteen years in the printing and marketing fields. After retiring early due to a disability, she turned to writing books as a way to work at home. A perpetual wanderer earlier in life, she draws heavily on a lifetime of diverse locales, unusual experiences and varied friendships.
Awards:
"Three of my books, On Becoming a Dinosaur, Triptych, and Metal, have all won 5-star medallions ...more
More about Java Davis...
Awards:
"Three of my books, On Becoming a Dinosaur, Triptych, and Metal, have all won 5-star medallions ...more
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