All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection by Leslie Budewitz #Review

All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection
Historical Fiction
Setting – Montana
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beyond the Page Publishing (August 1, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1960511742
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1960511744
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D5JHVLSZ

Born into slavery in Tennessee, the remarkable “Stagecoach Mary” Fields was a larger-than-life figure who cherished her independence, yet formed a deep bond with the Ursuline Sisters, traveling to their Montana mission in 1885 and spending the last thirty years of her life living there or in nearby Cascade. Mary is believed to have been the first Black woman in the country to drive a U.S. Postal Star Route, the source of her nickname.

In All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories, Agatha Award-winning author Leslie Budewitz brings together three short stories, each originally published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, imagining the life of Stagecoach Mary in her first year in Montana, and a novella exploring her later life, including:

All God’s Sparrows, winner of the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story; Miss Starr’s Goodbye, a nominee for the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s Derringer Award; Coming Clean, a finalist for the Western Writers of America’s 2021 Spur Award for Best Short Story; and A Bitter Wind, a brand-new novella in which Mary helps a young woman newly arrived in the valley solve the mystery of her fiancé’s death and his homesteading neighbors’ bitterness toward him.

Includes an abbreviated bibliography and historical notes from the author.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

“Stagecoach Mary” Fields had such an interesting life. She was born into slavery in Tennessee and when she was freed she developed a true relationship with the Ursuline Sisters in Ohio. She didn’t think twice about traveling to their mission in Montana in 1885. She was an independent black woman who wore men’s clothing, smoked, drank alcohol, sometimes at the local tavern, carried at least one gun, and did everything the sisters asked and more.  She later added U.S. Postal Carrier to her duties driving a route around Cascade and the surrounding area.

I enjoy reading fictional stories about historical figures. I had not heard of Mary before reading these stories. I did some research after reading this book and was happy to see how closely the author stayed to known facts and theories of this woman’s life. She then took what was known, and told what I assume were fictional stories about the people Mary helped or fought for. She hated how men used their power against women. She had great instincts, was resourceful, and had a huge heart. She inspired people to be their better selves.

Three short stories and a novella comprise All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories. They are informative and entertaining well-written stories I read all in one evening. Ms. Budewitz’s attention to detail shows she researched Stagecoach Mary Fields’ life fully to bring her to life within these pages. Anyone interested in women’s history in our country would enjoy this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

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About the Author

Leslie Budewitz is the three-time Agatha Award winner and bestselling author of the Food Lovers’ Village and Spice Shop mysteries, continuing with the 8th installment, TO ERR IS CUMIN (August 2024), and ALL GOD’S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION (September 2024), a collection of historical mysteries featuring a remarkable figure from Montana history. She also writes standalone moody suspense as Alicia Beckman.

Also written by Leslie Budewitz

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”