Shaketown; a Tale of San Francisco's Victorian Underworld

By Joanne Orion Miller
$5.99 Rating: Not yet rated.
Published: March 29, 2012
Words: 109,684 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781476433240

Short description

Shaketown follows the intertwined lives of an "accidental" Madame who chooses freedom over respectability and a Chinese scholar who defies a city bent on destroying him in San Francisco's Victorian underworld. This unusual family saga--based on real people and events--features strong and clever characters, a great city, murder, true love, and one hell of an earthquake; that's Shaketown!

Extended description

Choices are slim for Cayley Wallace in 1889, in the boomtown of San Francisco. When she takes an unexpected opportunity to serve drinks at a bar on Market Street, she causes an uproar in her conservative Irish neighborhood, triggers a brutal outburst by her husband, and takes the first step toward becoming the city's most notorious, wealthiest and outspoken Madame. Across town, a gentle Chinese scholar joins a tong and dives deeper into the violent world of warring factions in "Little China". Wo Sam's idealism and naivete lead him to dangerous and thoughtless acts; he becomes a pariah to both whites and Asians. These two outcasts find each other, creating a world for themselves and others who live beyond the strict boundaries of Victorian society. But neither can ever be completely free: desperate attempts at "respectability", a badly chosen marriage, revenge, kidnapping, and a tragic murder shake up their lives. When San Francisco is broken and burned to the ground, can they hold o.. (Read more) Choices are slim for Cayley Wallace in 1889, in the boomtown of San Francisco. When she takes an unexpected opportunity to serve drinks at a bar on Market Street, she causes an uproar in her conservative Irish neighborhood, triggers a brutal outburst by her husband, and takes the first step toward becoming the city's most notorious, wealthiest and outspoken Madame. Across town, a gentle Chinese scholar joins a tong and dives deeper into the violent world of warring factions in "Little China". Wo Sam's idealism and naivete lead him to dangerous and thoughtless acts; he becomes a pariah to both whites and Asians. These two outcasts find each other, creating a world for themselves and others who live beyond the strict boundaries of Victorian society. But neither can ever be completely free: desperate attempts at "respectability", a badly chosen marriage, revenge, kidnapping, and a tragic murder shake up their lives. When San Francisco is broken and burned to the ground, can they hold on to what they've created? And can they hold on to each other in a world that strictly forbids any bond between them?
Shaketown is based on a real person, Theresa "Tess" Wall, who made the papers on a regular basis in the wide-open "Gilded Age" before the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. Wo Sam's story is a conglomeration of tales from my Chinese relatives and other stories of Chinese immigrants to "Gold Mountain" at the turn of the century. As the author of nine non-fiction books and a life-long resident of the San Francisco bay area, I felt compelled to tell this story: I think you'll find these characters, their friends and enemies as captivating as I did. Reviewers have dubbed Shaketown "a page-turner" and " a thrilling mix of history, lively characters, and a firecracker plot". Happy reading!
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Tags

love, chinese, lesbian, womens fiction, san francisco, prostitute, kidnap, chinatown, madame, irish american

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