MOLLYFAR

Far fetched but fun

Her name was Molly. “Just Molly. The other name is Pa’s and I don’t want it.” She lies on a bed in a brothel talking to young Wade Devlin, son of a cattle rancher in 1886 Texas. Wade has been sent there by his father to get his first experience of sex. It would have been Molly’s first experience of sex too except that Wade’s father bursts in saying Wade was taking too long. Before Molly can lose her virtue the brothel is bought by Heeshi, a kindly older madam who has enough money to retire from an ordinary brothel and set up one where the girls are kindly treated. Heeshi, herself sexually ambiguous, mothers Molly like the daughter she never had. It is from Heeshi’s faro table that Molly adds ‘far’ to her name.

The novel follows the tempestuous love affair between Mollyfar and Wade, with the addition of a pseudo-preacher seeking to wreak revenge on Heeshi. The author reveals the raw realities of life – especially a woman’s life – in the early days of rural Texas. There is nothing comfortable about the events or the characters described. The dialogue, and there is a lot of it, tends to avoid many terms that would have been common in brothels back then. And the premise – that two attractive young people have sex only with each other for years while one works in a brothel and the other is married for part of the time – tests ones credulity.

Still the author succeeds in giving the reader a clear picture of life in the early days of Texas ranch country and its people. We gain an understanding of a vanished way of life. Her research has been extensive and her enthusiasm for the time and place is clearly demonstrated.

Mollyfar is by FAR my favorite Bonnie Hobbs book...

Mollyfar is my favorite Bonnie Hobbs book so far! Set in 1886 rural Texas this book is a hoot!

Molly Faro is a real survivor who learns life's great lessons the hard way and some of them she learns from my favorite character named Heeshi. Heeshi is a fabulous character who has been through some of the horrors of life that can be dished out in the business of pleasuring men. Heeshi saves Molly from the path of a harlet and Molly gives Heeshi love like she's never known. Their true friendship becomes something neither of them has ever experienced in the past.

Then comes Wade, a sweet and handsome young man who knows hard work, has old fashioned morals and values and he truly loves Molly.

This book will move you and once again Bonnie Hobbs shows us how the hardships in life can stay hardships or they can evolve to triumph and end in love. I love the way Bonnie writes, you really feel like you are there in the late 1800's with all of its beauty, innocence, tragedy and adventure filled times. You will love this book... you won't want to put it down, I didn't! Read Bonnie Hobbs and go into another world.

A good read with a satisfying ending

I was given an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Mollyfar. This is an atmospheric piece - it felt like the old west in all its remoteness. The characters are memorable - but the two that I liked best were Heeshi and Wade.

Heeshi is an interesting character, and to put her in an old west setting is intriguing. I'm not sure if she was a cross-dresser or what precisely -- but's let's just say the woman didn't fit any mold. Her uniqueness and generosity of spirit made the read all the more interesting.

Wade is a wonderful man who captures the reader's heart.

The main character, Molly, is her own worst enemy. She demands a lot out of people, and while she is loyal, it takes her a bit too long to know her own mind. Because of stubbornness, she almost loses what is most important to her. That being said, she matures and learns to show kindness and strength of character that makes the reader like her -- in the end. A good read with a satisfying ending.