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Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
Bonita’s Quest is the continuation of a historical series by Carl R. Brush. It follows the adventures of Bonita Kelly’s life as she fights for survival and fair treatment in the burgeoning, bustling frontier city of San Francisco in the 1850s. In this second iteration of Bonita’s life, we find her on a desperate journey to discover more about her parents and to clear their sullied name, all in an attempt to gain custody of her eight-year-old daughter, ripped away from her at birth and given to a childless and wealthy couple in the higher echelons of the San Francisco elite. Her journey will take her across the country by horse, on a dangerous trek to New Orleans in the company of her Mexican mentor and dear friend Luis, where she will seek the truth and hopefully redemption for her late parents’ names. There she will be confronted by corruption, double-dealing, and no small degree of violence but she will also find the beginnings of a romance with unexpected and uncertain consequences.
Bonita’s Quest is a wonderful story of a strong woman, her determination to succeed in her quest, and her abilities to navigate a world in which women were generally not allowed to participate. Carl R. Brush has created an endearing lead character in Bonita who is both fearless and feminine at the same time. I particularly enjoyed the intuition that she appears to be endowed with that whilst helping her in her quest also causes her doubt and uncertainty when deciding on a course of action. I also greatly enjoyed the character of Cat, an archetypal western hero, who is a little rough around the edges and full of mystery but besotted with and devoted to Bonita and her welfare. The love triangle that results from this encounter is intriguing. When I read a story in the middle of a series my first question is always can this be read as a standalone story? The answer is definitely, yes. Carl R. Brush does a great job of dropping into the narrative little nuggets of the backstory to the quest for Bonita’s daughter and clearing her parents’ names. I also appreciated the position of power and wealth that Bonita and her partner, Sylvia, manage to garner for themselves after rising from a life of prostitution and running a brothel. This is an easy, enjoyable, and fun read that I can highly recommend.
