Cardinal Sin

by Alexandra Armitage

A novel about overcoming adversity, Cardinal Sin qualifies as women's literature, a memoir, romance, narrative non-fiction and historic fiction. It is the transition from historical fiction, based on true events, to non-fiction set in our present time, which makes this story unique. Through the eyes of a schoolteacher, in 1881, the story begins when the gamblers, boozers and “ladies of the night” are booted from the silver city of Caribou, Colorado. As morality, mores, integrity and honor change with the times, we share the author’s personal experience of bringing the ghost town back to life. Steeped in a sense of history and spirited passion, the clash between covetous neighbors and the power of the Cardinal renaissance unfolds. When the author finds herself living in the townsite without electricity, running water or money, with her life in ruins, her days closely resemble that of Cardinal’s residents 125 years ago. We get a glimpse into our mining heritage and our flawed Federal Court system, as well as the author’s personal life. When the reader closes the book in the end, a sense of overcoming obstacles and fear to accomplish one’s dreams prevails.

340 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2009