The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Lonesome Dove chronicles the passing of the American West through the eyes of Calamity Jane in this western.
In a letter to her daughter back East, Martha Jane is not shy about her own importance: “I am the Wild West, no show about it. I was one of the people who kept it wild . . .” Martha Jane—better known as Calamity—is just one of the handful of aging legends who travel to London as part of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show in Buffalo Girls. As he describes the insatiable curiosity of Calamity’s Indian friend No Ears, Annie Oakley’s shooting match with Lord Windhouveren, and other highlights of the tour, Larry McMurty turns the story of a band of hardy, irrepressible survivors into an unforgettable portrait of love, fellowship, dreams, and heartbreak.
Praise for Buffalo Girls
“Not since Lonesome Dove has [McMurtry] written so movingly about the disappearance of the West.” —Houston Chronicle
“Wonderfully warm and touching. . . . A salute to the dying West, as rendered through McMurtry’s wonderfully quirky characters.” —The New York Times
“It is McMurtry’s description and dialogue and character after all, that makes readers plunge into the author’s books. There is something about these people and their passion for life that makes you want to be with them.” —Los Angeles Times
“A spellbinding saga with a surprise ending. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal
“McMurtry’s genius with language always enchants.” —Publishers Weekly
