But the second half, where the tension between Charley’s tragic past and the almost ebullient indulgence of her masculine identity creates some over-the-top melodrama, I felt like The Whip was drawing on a number of stereotypes of life in 19 th C America more than constructing a believable tale about a complex and provocatively fascinating character. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. Although the premise of the story could be really engaging, the elemental writing style was annoying and distracted me as I was reading.

Karen Kondazian gave three of the most exciting performances I’ve seen in decades of LA theatre-going. Ministers and shadow ministers are usually expected to resign if they wish to vote against their party’s position and are highly likely to lose their role if they break a three-line whip. Kondazian’s well-written work, based on a true story, displays all the confidence of a seasoned novelist – I didn’t detect one false note.

So, although this book has several flaws and could have been so much better, I read it until the end without considering giving up, largely because Charley and his life interested me so much. This is an authentic old west tale, complete with a lynching, stagecoach chases, gun fights, and more.

a richly detailed, totally absorbing story that will surely add many new readers to the millions who are already devoted Catherine Cookson fans. Her identity problems also lead her to act like a man – she drinks, talks and walks like a man, so while reading you sometimes tend to forget that he is really a she. This book was inspired by a true story of a woman who lived most of her life in the 1800's as a man. If the original book was published in multiple volumes then this reprint is of only one volume, not the whole set.I truly enjoyed the author’s talents in writing an interesting, compelling historical story with such unique turns of events. The invention of Lee Colton is interesting and provocative, because it is Lee’s idea to initially disguise Charlotte as a boy so she can stay with him once the orphanage is divided along gender lines once the new headmistress arrives. Stagecoach drivers, or whips, were heroes of the old west, and Charlie Parkhurst was one of the best.

The dust jacket of this book is slightly damaged/ripped, however, this does not affect the internal condition. Imagined life of Charlotte "Charley" Parkhurst who from 1849-1879 and disguised as a man became one of the most renown stage coach drivers on the California frontier; her secret only discovered on her deathbed. The Whip” is a beautifully written story of the Old West that moves between the exploits of Charley and the heartbreak of his/her secret. A great story– strong, colorful, relevant and exciting… I look forward to continuing my connection to this wonderful novel, and above all, the fascinating character of Charley Parkhurst.I would not recommend it to preteens because of the repeated foul language (lots of F's), along with rapes, lynchings, and more rapes. Defying a three-line whip is considered extremely serious and can lead to the whip being removed from the MP in question. In presenting the political resistance to abolition as well as the hypocrisies, betrayals and appeasements that finally led parliament to legislate, Juliet Gilkes Romero’s play is not so much an act of revisionism as a dramatisation of a hidden history. She learns to smoke, chew tobacco, cuss, and fight with the best of them, but to Kondazian’s credit, she never comes across as some ‘butch’ character – we know there’s a woman at the heart of Charley, but the necessities of life dictate a different path. Amazing read about a little known character in history, as well as interesting character studies of those who made up the old West.

THE WHIP is set in Tyneside, a region in northern England where the rugged country and rough weather once made life little more than a battle for survival. I was also intrigued by the idea of a fact-based story about Charley Parkhurst, a woman who not only lived for most of her life as a man, but who was one of the most respected “whips,” aka stagecoach drivers, for Wells Fargo. I will not describe this section of the book in much more detail, because it is difficult not to venture into serious spoiler territory, but I will say that this was the most problematic part of the book for me.The vision of Charley on the driver’s box, sweaty, dirty, whipping the six-team, powerful and brave as any man. This masterpiece has been meticulously Reprinted in 2023, utilizing the invaluable guidance of the original edition published many years ago in 1676. Of course, like with any historical fiction you have to remember that not all conversations are accurate and that most times the author doesn't have first hand knowledge of the person's true motivations. The author took a character, a known person from the past and brought to life the life she imagine Charley may of lived based on the facts that she found.