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Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend
In this definitive biography of the most famous female outlaw of the nineteenth century, best-selling historian Michael Wallis challenges a notorious legacy.
In the annals of legendary Wild West desperados, Belle Starr is remembered to this day as the Bandit Queen. Shortly after her murder in 1889, a highly romanticized, sensational book titled Bella Starr . . . The Bandit Queen, or the Female Jesse James was published—the first of scores of high-profile portraits to brand Starr as a villain. Now, celebrated historian Michael Wallis parses over a century of mythmaking to reveal the woman behind the “Wanted” poster. From war-torn Carthage, Missouri, to rollicking Scyene, Texas, Starr indeed ran in the same circles as notorious outlaws Cole Younger and Jesse James, but Wallis shows that the crimes ascribed to her were embellished. The result is a breathtaking portrait of a woman demonized for refusing to accept the genteel Victorian ideals expected of her. Instead, she chose to live her life outside the law, riding sidesaddle with a pearl-handled Colt .45 strapped to her hip.
In the annals of legendary Wild West desperados, Belle Starr is remembered to this day as the Bandit Queen. Shortly after her murder in 1889, a highly romanticized, sensational book titled Bella Starr . . . The Bandit Queen, or the Female Jesse James was published—the first of scores of high-profile portraits to brand Starr as a villain. Now, celebrated historian Michael Wallis parses over a century of mythmaking to reveal the woman behind the “Wanted” poster. From war-torn Carthage, Missouri, to rollicking Scyene, Texas, Starr indeed ran in the same circles as notorious outlaws Cole Younger and Jesse James, but Wallis shows that the crimes ascribed to her were embellished. The result is a breathtaking portrait of a woman demonized for refusing to accept the genteel Victorian ideals expected of her. Instead, she chose to live her life outside the law, riding sidesaddle with a pearl-handled Colt .45 strapped to her hip.
464 pages, Hardcover
Published June 24, 2025
30 people are currently reading
3120 people want to read
About the author
Michael Wallis
47 books78 followersMichael Wallis is the bestselling author of Route 66, Billy the Kid, Pretty Boy, and David Crockett. He hosts the PBS series American Roads. He voiced The Sheriff in the animated Pixar feature Cars. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 2, 2025
Got this audiobook arc for review.
On a postive note it was well researched and gave a lot of information about many parts and people in Wild West but unfortunately very little on Belle Starr. The audiobook was around 14 hours long, it felt to long. I didn't know anything about Belle Starr going into the book and I was very curious to learn about her but she is described mostly as a daughter, sister and mother. those parts was more flushed out but even then there weren't much to learn. Instead there where a lot of facts and stories about other outlaws she was related to, knew or married to. Every legends about her being outlaw and accusations about her crimes was debunked. If the book had a diffrent title and blurb that didn't make it sound like it was a book about Belle, I would probably have enjoyed it a lot more. I get there might not be much history and proofs left of Belle Starr but I'm still disappointed as I expected more.
On a postive note it was well researched and gave a lot of information about many parts and people in Wild West but unfortunately very little on Belle Starr. The audiobook was around 14 hours long, it felt to long. I didn't know anything about Belle Starr going into the book and I was very curious to learn about her but she is described mostly as a daughter, sister and mother. those parts was more flushed out but even then there weren't much to learn. Instead there where a lot of facts and stories about other outlaws she was related to, knew or married to. Every legends about her being outlaw and accusations about her crimes was debunked. If the book had a diffrent title and blurb that didn't make it sound like it was a book about Belle, I would probably have enjoyed it a lot more. I get there might not be much history and proofs left of Belle Starr but I'm still disappointed as I expected more.
August 9, 2025
4.5 This is both a celebration of Belle Starr's life and an epic snapshot of the West. I learned so much in this book because its layout was fantastic: we come onto the scene with Belle's grandparents, follow her Dad's life, then hers. We get a comprehensive backstory for most of the people that orbited Belle throughout her life, illustrating the interconnectedness and overlap despite the State-spanning life Belle led.
I found the book slow to get going because we spend a lot of time with men at beginning and when Belle is a child; but, once Belle takes centre stage, she grabbed me and didn't let go! I found Belle a fascinating character and Wallis brought her to life so authentically. Wallis wasn't sensationalist, and portrayed her as a human, warts and all. We saw a compassionate woman with a deep love of horses that threw off the shackles of societal expectations for women. She got on the wrong side of the law multiple times, yet clearly had the charm and personality to win folks over. I particularly loved when she starred in the Wild West Shows! Belle's cruelty to Pearl when the latter was a teen/young adult was heart-breaking (double so when Pearl repeated history with her own daughter) and showed a conniving and controlling side of Belle. She was multi-faceted and complex - by the time we reached the end of her story, I was so invested in her character that I was distraught that, while there's a widely accepted prevailing theory, her murderer was never brought to justice or officially resolved.
Wallis's historical research was incredible: he crafted a narrative around multiple generations with so many players and, in some cases, scant evidence, and was beyond thorough. Wallis addresses rumours, sensationalism, and outright fabrications around Belle's story and how these (sometimes easily disproven) embellishments and falsehoods took root, which was fascinating. By following Belle's story, I got a vivid picture of life in the 1800s West and I loved this book for it. Adding to the charm was how Wallis read the book himself (no small feat at 15+hours); I really enjoyed his narration and felt it brought an additional layer of authenticity to the project.
I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with this audiobook and recommend it for anyone who is curious about life in the 1800s West or anyone who just loves strong women!
A cool fact for my fellow RDR2 fans: Belle Starr was the inspiration for Black Belle! 🤠
Thank you to Highbridge Audio for the ARC on NetGalley.
I found the book slow to get going because we spend a lot of time with men at beginning and when Belle is a child; but, once Belle takes centre stage, she grabbed me and didn't let go! I found Belle a fascinating character and Wallis brought her to life so authentically. Wallis wasn't sensationalist, and portrayed her as a human, warts and all. We saw a compassionate woman with a deep love of horses that threw off the shackles of societal expectations for women. She got on the wrong side of the law multiple times, yet clearly had the charm and personality to win folks over. I particularly loved when she starred in the Wild West Shows! Belle's cruelty to Pearl when the latter was a teen/young adult was heart-breaking (double so when Pearl repeated history with her own daughter) and showed a conniving and controlling side of Belle. She was multi-faceted and complex - by the time we reached the end of her story, I was so invested in her character that I was distraught that, while there's a widely accepted prevailing theory, her murderer was never brought to justice or officially resolved.
Wallis's historical research was incredible: he crafted a narrative around multiple generations with so many players and, in some cases, scant evidence, and was beyond thorough. Wallis addresses rumours, sensationalism, and outright fabrications around Belle's story and how these (sometimes easily disproven) embellishments and falsehoods took root, which was fascinating. By following Belle's story, I got a vivid picture of life in the 1800s West and I loved this book for it. Adding to the charm was how Wallis read the book himself (no small feat at 15+hours); I really enjoyed his narration and felt it brought an additional layer of authenticity to the project.
I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with this audiobook and recommend it for anyone who is curious about life in the 1800s West or anyone who just loves strong women!
A cool fact for my fellow RDR2 fans: Belle Starr was the inspiration for Black Belle! 🤠
Thank you to Highbridge Audio for the ARC on NetGalley.
August 15, 2025
A gal grow'ed up in the territories and early statehoods MO., AR., Oklaholma before statehood & TX, her family & heritage, those troubled times before/after the Civil War and what it did to people, their moods & minds, and how it all plays out in the culture of how we both remember, take note & transform into new & current ways of looking. A gal could hold her own with the boys, she could ride an shoot sure but she also didn't take no gruff, held a descent education for the time, played piano goodly enough & got what she needed from men just like they got from her. She housed bandits, famous one's, married a few, lost 'em all while puttin' a few of her ponies/kids to the wind as well. I recently visited the Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Ft Worth so perfectly fitted to/with this book; it's those synchronicities lapping at the shores of reader's wave again.
April 18, 2025
Loved this book!! Highly recommend
November 18, 2025
Ever since her adventurous life and tragic murder by an unknown assailant on February 3, 1889, Myra Shirley (aka Belle Starr, the “Bandit Queen”) has occupied a central position in the pantheon of Wild West Outlaws—bloodthirsty, larger than life; hero to some, villain to others.
The problem in Myra’s case is that most of what we have been told by the press, the entertainment industry, and a slew of biographers is somewhere between exaggeration and lies.
Michael Wallis made it his mission to remedy this injustice as only this celebrated historian and author can. Belle Starr is several books in one… part biography, part multifamily genealogy, and part exploration of the sociopolitical landscape of America in the mid- to late 1800s, with impressive explications of the early history of Missouri, the US Civil War, the free and slave state border feuds, and the mythologies and realities of other Old West luminaries, such as the members of the James and Younger gang. Rather than romanticizing the violence of this integral period in American history, Wallis gives us insights into how it destroyed families and changed the trajectory of lives like Myra’s.
The political complexities of the formation of territories and states as America expanded, especially concerning Indigenous tribes, are also unpacked. The fortunes of Myra’s family were intimately tied to the development of Missouri, the Oklahoma Territory, and Texas and the fever-pitch precepts of Manifest Destiny. As a matter of fact, Myra was born within three days of the signing of the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War, which was a major victory for President Polk’s vision for (and execution of) Westward Expansion.
As you will read, these were barbarous, bloody times, full of grisly murders and equally grisly episodes of vigilante “justice.” It was the time of the Kansas–Missouri border wars, which blossomed in ever-greater bloodshed and atrocities during the Civil War with the rise of the Jayhawkers, Red Legs, and Bushwhackers and butchers like William Clarke Quantrill and “Bloody Bill” Anderson. One of the lesser known men who rode with Quantrill and Anderson, Simian Whitsett, is my wife’s ancestor. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Wallis had cited some of my father-in-law’s genealogy research.
Despite relentless atrocities, there was a growing sense of the value of education and the importance of proper manners, and Myra was one of the first students enrolled in the Carthage Female Academy. She then attended a school in Texas—promising developments for a peaceful, prosperous life. Unfortunately, the cessation of the South and the start of the U.S. Civil War proved highly disruptive to Myra’s plans, primarily because of her brother Bud’s taking up of the Southern cause. I’ll leave the details to the author, as Wallis’s writing is at its most evocative when it comes to their very close relationship and what it ultimately meant for the arc of her life.
It was in the tumultuous years following the end of the Civil War that the misunderstandings and myths about Myra’s life began to form and grow. Wallis does a masterful job of extracting fact from fiction through exhaustive research and the presentation of official records whenever possible to lay to rest a plethora of incorrect statements about whom Myra married (starting with her tempestuous seven-year marriage to outlaw Jim Reed), when, and with whom she was more generally associated. The saying “you will be judged by the company you keep” is wholly instructive here, and Myra was far from innocent. It is ultimately a matter of degrees. She certainly could ride and shoot, and Myra had plenty of run-ins with the law, including a few indictments for horse theft, disorderly conduct, and arson. She both won and lost in court and spent some time in prison.
Those interested in how wild the West truly was will find the ensuing chapters to be highly engaging. Wallis shines a light on a cast of ornery horse thieves, bandits, and drunkards—including Cherokee outlaw Tom Starr and the James–Younger gang—to which no false facts need to be appended to make them larger than life and worthy of the Westerns that keep their names alive. These stories of deviance and derring-do are a master class in frontier justice, featuring Black US Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves and the “Hanging Judge” himself, Isaac Parker, out of Fort Smith, Arkansas. My wife’s maternal side of the family hails from there and I’ve visited the gallows. They are an extremely sobering sight, especially at twilight.
Those who believe that disinformation, fake news, yellow journalism, and sensationalism on the part of the news media are recent inventions should pay attention to the way the newspapers fabricated letters and interviews (and a woodcut and a photo, each worth a thousand suspect words) to build the myth of Belle Starr. Wallis offers us plenty of compelling educational material on how these deliberate, devious distortions worked—and, sadly, continue to.
As Myra’s marriages/intimate relationships and legal troubles mounted, her family life—including her relationship with her two children, Pearl and Eddie—suffered. Vicious accusations, prolonged estrangements, and outsized, unreasonable maternal pronouncements all contributed to the carnage. This, to me, is the tragedy of Myra’s life—a very human truth to counterbalance the “Wild Western Amazon,” as pushed by the papers.
Along with the maxim “you will be judged by the company you keep” is the equally applicable “live by the sword, die by the sword.” On February 3, 1889, Myra/Belle was murdered in the road. The chapter “Who Killed Belle Starr” pushes biography into open-ended murder mystery through Wallis’s storytelling largesse. I’ll leave the details to him.
The book’s epilogue takes its title, “Print the Legend,” from one of my favorite Westerns, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. It consists of snapshots of what happened to some of the secondary characters in the story. Take my advice: this isn’t incidental reading. Each of these people had a considerable effect on the trajectory of Myra’s life.
I mentioned exhaustive research. There are 85 pages of notes and bibliography. I also want to mention that I attended the book launch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in early summer 2025. Several of Myra’s descendants were there and the amount of respect they showed for Michael Wallis and his mission to set the record straight was palpable and well deserved.
Although perhaps best known for his 2001 bestseller Route 66: The Mother Road, credited with reviving interest in this legendary highway, and voicing the Sheriff in Pixar’s Cars, Wallis is an accomplished and respected historian. Belle Starr is his twentieth book and arguably his best.
The problem in Myra’s case is that most of what we have been told by the press, the entertainment industry, and a slew of biographers is somewhere between exaggeration and lies.
Michael Wallis made it his mission to remedy this injustice as only this celebrated historian and author can. Belle Starr is several books in one… part biography, part multifamily genealogy, and part exploration of the sociopolitical landscape of America in the mid- to late 1800s, with impressive explications of the early history of Missouri, the US Civil War, the free and slave state border feuds, and the mythologies and realities of other Old West luminaries, such as the members of the James and Younger gang. Rather than romanticizing the violence of this integral period in American history, Wallis gives us insights into how it destroyed families and changed the trajectory of lives like Myra’s.
The political complexities of the formation of territories and states as America expanded, especially concerning Indigenous tribes, are also unpacked. The fortunes of Myra’s family were intimately tied to the development of Missouri, the Oklahoma Territory, and Texas and the fever-pitch precepts of Manifest Destiny. As a matter of fact, Myra was born within three days of the signing of the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War, which was a major victory for President Polk’s vision for (and execution of) Westward Expansion.
As you will read, these were barbarous, bloody times, full of grisly murders and equally grisly episodes of vigilante “justice.” It was the time of the Kansas–Missouri border wars, which blossomed in ever-greater bloodshed and atrocities during the Civil War with the rise of the Jayhawkers, Red Legs, and Bushwhackers and butchers like William Clarke Quantrill and “Bloody Bill” Anderson. One of the lesser known men who rode with Quantrill and Anderson, Simian Whitsett, is my wife’s ancestor. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Wallis had cited some of my father-in-law’s genealogy research.
Despite relentless atrocities, there was a growing sense of the value of education and the importance of proper manners, and Myra was one of the first students enrolled in the Carthage Female Academy. She then attended a school in Texas—promising developments for a peaceful, prosperous life. Unfortunately, the cessation of the South and the start of the U.S. Civil War proved highly disruptive to Myra’s plans, primarily because of her brother Bud’s taking up of the Southern cause. I’ll leave the details to the author, as Wallis’s writing is at its most evocative when it comes to their very close relationship and what it ultimately meant for the arc of her life.
It was in the tumultuous years following the end of the Civil War that the misunderstandings and myths about Myra’s life began to form and grow. Wallis does a masterful job of extracting fact from fiction through exhaustive research and the presentation of official records whenever possible to lay to rest a plethora of incorrect statements about whom Myra married (starting with her tempestuous seven-year marriage to outlaw Jim Reed), when, and with whom she was more generally associated. The saying “you will be judged by the company you keep” is wholly instructive here, and Myra was far from innocent. It is ultimately a matter of degrees. She certainly could ride and shoot, and Myra had plenty of run-ins with the law, including a few indictments for horse theft, disorderly conduct, and arson. She both won and lost in court and spent some time in prison.
Those interested in how wild the West truly was will find the ensuing chapters to be highly engaging. Wallis shines a light on a cast of ornery horse thieves, bandits, and drunkards—including Cherokee outlaw Tom Starr and the James–Younger gang—to which no false facts need to be appended to make them larger than life and worthy of the Westerns that keep their names alive. These stories of deviance and derring-do are a master class in frontier justice, featuring Black US Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves and the “Hanging Judge” himself, Isaac Parker, out of Fort Smith, Arkansas. My wife’s maternal side of the family hails from there and I’ve visited the gallows. They are an extremely sobering sight, especially at twilight.
Those who believe that disinformation, fake news, yellow journalism, and sensationalism on the part of the news media are recent inventions should pay attention to the way the newspapers fabricated letters and interviews (and a woodcut and a photo, each worth a thousand suspect words) to build the myth of Belle Starr. Wallis offers us plenty of compelling educational material on how these deliberate, devious distortions worked—and, sadly, continue to.
As Myra’s marriages/intimate relationships and legal troubles mounted, her family life—including her relationship with her two children, Pearl and Eddie—suffered. Vicious accusations, prolonged estrangements, and outsized, unreasonable maternal pronouncements all contributed to the carnage. This, to me, is the tragedy of Myra’s life—a very human truth to counterbalance the “Wild Western Amazon,” as pushed by the papers.
Along with the maxim “you will be judged by the company you keep” is the equally applicable “live by the sword, die by the sword.” On February 3, 1889, Myra/Belle was murdered in the road. The chapter “Who Killed Belle Starr” pushes biography into open-ended murder mystery through Wallis’s storytelling largesse. I’ll leave the details to him.
The book’s epilogue takes its title, “Print the Legend,” from one of my favorite Westerns, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. It consists of snapshots of what happened to some of the secondary characters in the story. Take my advice: this isn’t incidental reading. Each of these people had a considerable effect on the trajectory of Myra’s life.
I mentioned exhaustive research. There are 85 pages of notes and bibliography. I also want to mention that I attended the book launch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in early summer 2025. Several of Myra’s descendants were there and the amount of respect they showed for Michael Wallis and his mission to set the record straight was palpable and well deserved.
Although perhaps best known for his 2001 bestseller Route 66: The Mother Road, credited with reviving interest in this legendary highway, and voicing the Sheriff in Pixar’s Cars, Wallis is an accomplished and respected historian. Belle Starr is his twentieth book and arguably his best.
March 27, 2025
My thanks to Goodreads and W. W. Norton & Company- Liveright for an advance copy of this book that looks at the life of a woman who was an early trailblazer who has been passed over by history, mainly for her thumbing her nose at rules, laws, property and who she could love and lead, a woman who lived free up until her sad, shocking end.
Fame sometimes comes to late in life to be enjoyed. As does infamy. And nobody is more infamous in history than a woman who doesn't play by the rules, in fact ignores the rules and traditional role of woman. Especially one who could ride a horse, sidesaddle, shot pistols and rifles better than most men, lead gangs and married men with bad reputations. What goes under reported is the sadness of loving all those one loves, usually to violence. And dying alone in an ambush. Belle Starr grew famous after her death from newspaper men needing stories to fill pages, and what was better than an outlaw leader that was a woman. Many tales told of her are legends, which in the United States is just as good as truth, but confuse and hide the real emotion and meaning behind the stories. A real story more violent, much sadder and more American than many might think. Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend by historian and writer Michael Wallis, is a ballad about a woman, her travails and upbringing, the legends and her real crimes, and the West where she found herself, and left a mark.
Belle Starr was born Myra Maybelle Shirley in Missouri on a small farmhouse, but was destined not to stay there long. May, as her family called her, was the daughter of a man who tried a lot of ways to get wealthy over the years, and finally one that worked. Real estate. Gaining a large plot of land, May's father John Shirley was able to sell it in lots, earning enough to move to nearby Carthage, Missouri, and buy not only a few businesses, but a hotel. May loved the farm and animals and was especially good with horses, but soon was being educated like a well-off young woman would be, with classes in etiquette, and piano. The Civil War divided not only the nation, but Missouri, and the Shirley family sided with the Confederacy. Bud, May's brother and her hero became a bushwacker, a guerrilla who fought for the Confederacy, robbing, burning and killing anyone with Union interests. Bud was killed by Union forces, and the family facing economic hardships went to Texas. Myra married soon after, a man with a reputation for borrowing things and not giving them back, sending them to California and back to Texas when the heat died down. From here Belle Star as she was soon to be known for, following her second marriage, began her career.
I enjoy histories that one can tell are written by real storytellers, storytellers who do the hard work of research and getting a sense of who they are writing about. This is something that Wallis is quite good at. This is a biography that attempts to clean up a lot of legends, rumors, innuendos and lies, while giving voice to Belle and who she was. A mother, a widow, one with trauma issues from the War, and one who was determined to live life. The book moves well and is quite informative, and interesting, never losing the point of explaining who Starr was, and covering quite a lot of information. The Civil War, bushwacking, trail riding, horse riding, shooting, stealing cattle and horses, are only some of the subjects covered, and covered well.
Fans of the west but real and imagined will enjoy this book quite a bit. Also people who love biographies on interesting people, and especially interesting women will find a lot here. A good gift for Father's day, or for some fun beach reading.
Fame sometimes comes to late in life to be enjoyed. As does infamy. And nobody is more infamous in history than a woman who doesn't play by the rules, in fact ignores the rules and traditional role of woman. Especially one who could ride a horse, sidesaddle, shot pistols and rifles better than most men, lead gangs and married men with bad reputations. What goes under reported is the sadness of loving all those one loves, usually to violence. And dying alone in an ambush. Belle Starr grew famous after her death from newspaper men needing stories to fill pages, and what was better than an outlaw leader that was a woman. Many tales told of her are legends, which in the United States is just as good as truth, but confuse and hide the real emotion and meaning behind the stories. A real story more violent, much sadder and more American than many might think. Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend by historian and writer Michael Wallis, is a ballad about a woman, her travails and upbringing, the legends and her real crimes, and the West where she found herself, and left a mark.
Belle Starr was born Myra Maybelle Shirley in Missouri on a small farmhouse, but was destined not to stay there long. May, as her family called her, was the daughter of a man who tried a lot of ways to get wealthy over the years, and finally one that worked. Real estate. Gaining a large plot of land, May's father John Shirley was able to sell it in lots, earning enough to move to nearby Carthage, Missouri, and buy not only a few businesses, but a hotel. May loved the farm and animals and was especially good with horses, but soon was being educated like a well-off young woman would be, with classes in etiquette, and piano. The Civil War divided not only the nation, but Missouri, and the Shirley family sided with the Confederacy. Bud, May's brother and her hero became a bushwacker, a guerrilla who fought for the Confederacy, robbing, burning and killing anyone with Union interests. Bud was killed by Union forces, and the family facing economic hardships went to Texas. Myra married soon after, a man with a reputation for borrowing things and not giving them back, sending them to California and back to Texas when the heat died down. From here Belle Star as she was soon to be known for, following her second marriage, began her career.
I enjoy histories that one can tell are written by real storytellers, storytellers who do the hard work of research and getting a sense of who they are writing about. This is something that Wallis is quite good at. This is a biography that attempts to clean up a lot of legends, rumors, innuendos and lies, while giving voice to Belle and who she was. A mother, a widow, one with trauma issues from the War, and one who was determined to live life. The book moves well and is quite informative, and interesting, never losing the point of explaining who Starr was, and covering quite a lot of information. The Civil War, bushwacking, trail riding, horse riding, shooting, stealing cattle and horses, are only some of the subjects covered, and covered well.
Fans of the west but real and imagined will enjoy this book quite a bit. Also people who love biographies on interesting people, and especially interesting women will find a lot here. A good gift for Father's day, or for some fun beach reading.
August 2, 2025
Audiobook review.
This book sets out to right the wrongs established across multiple narratives based on the life of Myra "Belle" Starr, a notorious Wild West outlaw legend.
Firstly, I will say this is my first Michael Wallis book as well as my first time hearing about this outlaw legend. I have a soft spot for women who "buck" the rules of Victorian and early society in which they lived. Stories of women like Annie Oakley or Mollie Brown are, of course, astounding in their own right, but are always quickly turned into flamboyant works of fiction. Lots of women's history is written by men, and while Michael Wallis is another one of them, at least he aims to correctly portray her story. Additionally, as a girl from Lawrence, Kansas, now living in the Dallas, Texas area, it was enjoyable to read about so much history of the locations I have lived in or currently live in. I do see the big difference in what someone from Lawrence was taught about the Civil War and our State's history versus what an older generation of Missourian might have learned. And in some of these personally noticeable differences do I think Mr. Wallis and I may have to agree to disagree.
My biggest issue with this book was that Myra/Belle herself was the main focus until approximately the last 6 chapters; she exists as more of an occasional interjection in the stories of the men and history surrounding her. No foundation is established for Belle as a woman in the Victorian era outside of the occasional letter she wrote. Although well researched, the long-winded historical overview of the first handful of chapters provides little to the reader to be able to understand or make assumptions about her motivations or desires that lead her to her criminal activities. How did a young, popular woman become a notorious criminal? Was it only due to the men in her life, or was she truly born and raised as a firebrand? I still don't really know. Very little is discussed about the Victorian era and how its ideals and requirements for women of the time shaped Myra. Truly lacking is the buildup of information on the societal and marital requirements imposed on Victorian women to the detriment of Belle's story. Granted, the research information might not be there. For a book that is touted to be an "illuminating portrait of a woman demonized for refusing to accept the genteel Victorian ideals expected of her", I did not feel like that was the story as it was told.
Another thing I'd like to point out is the usage of "Indian" to refer to Native Americans. When referencing historical records or writings is one thing, but the author himself could have chosen to use the decades-old term for First Nations individuals. This felt like an odd choice when the author clearly has other progressive views on history that could be considered more "inflammatory" to the older, white demographic that he belongs to.
All-in-all, the author does a great job reading his book, and I really enjoyed his style of writing. While there was a lot to be desired, personally, I think there is a lot here for history readers to enjoy. If one goes into this book knowing the story is more of an exposé on the men and life surrounding that of Belle Starr, they won't be disappointed. Individuals who love Wild West legend history (Buffalo Bill or Annie Oakley), the history of the States, or infamous outlaw history (a la Jesse James) will enjoy this read.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review of the book!
This book sets out to right the wrongs established across multiple narratives based on the life of Myra "Belle" Starr, a notorious Wild West outlaw legend.
Firstly, I will say this is my first Michael Wallis book as well as my first time hearing about this outlaw legend. I have a soft spot for women who "buck" the rules of Victorian and early society in which they lived. Stories of women like Annie Oakley or Mollie Brown are, of course, astounding in their own right, but are always quickly turned into flamboyant works of fiction. Lots of women's history is written by men, and while Michael Wallis is another one of them, at least he aims to correctly portray her story. Additionally, as a girl from Lawrence, Kansas, now living in the Dallas, Texas area, it was enjoyable to read about so much history of the locations I have lived in or currently live in. I do see the big difference in what someone from Lawrence was taught about the Civil War and our State's history versus what an older generation of Missourian might have learned. And in some of these personally noticeable differences do I think Mr. Wallis and I may have to agree to disagree.
My biggest issue with this book was that Myra/Belle herself was the main focus until approximately the last 6 chapters; she exists as more of an occasional interjection in the stories of the men and history surrounding her. No foundation is established for Belle as a woman in the Victorian era outside of the occasional letter she wrote. Although well researched, the long-winded historical overview of the first handful of chapters provides little to the reader to be able to understand or make assumptions about her motivations or desires that lead her to her criminal activities. How did a young, popular woman become a notorious criminal? Was it only due to the men in her life, or was she truly born and raised as a firebrand? I still don't really know. Very little is discussed about the Victorian era and how its ideals and requirements for women of the time shaped Myra. Truly lacking is the buildup of information on the societal and marital requirements imposed on Victorian women to the detriment of Belle's story. Granted, the research information might not be there. For a book that is touted to be an "illuminating portrait of a woman demonized for refusing to accept the genteel Victorian ideals expected of her", I did not feel like that was the story as it was told.
Another thing I'd like to point out is the usage of "Indian" to refer to Native Americans. When referencing historical records or writings is one thing, but the author himself could have chosen to use the decades-old term for First Nations individuals. This felt like an odd choice when the author clearly has other progressive views on history that could be considered more "inflammatory" to the older, white demographic that he belongs to.
All-in-all, the author does a great job reading his book, and I really enjoyed his style of writing. While there was a lot to be desired, personally, I think there is a lot here for history readers to enjoy. If one goes into this book knowing the story is more of an exposé on the men and life surrounding that of Belle Starr, they won't be disappointed. Individuals who love Wild West legend history (Buffalo Bill or Annie Oakley), the history of the States, or infamous outlaw history (a la Jesse James) will enjoy this read.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review of the book!
October 13, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audio format.
🤠 Michael Wallis’s Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend is a meticulously researched, myth-busting biography that strips away the dime-novel glamour and Hollywood distortion to reveal the complex, contradictory woman behind the legend. Narrated by Wallis himself, the audiobook becomes not just a historical account, but a personal reckoning with the stories we choose to tell—and those we choose to believe.
Born Myra Maybelle Shirley in Missouri in 1848, Belle Starr has long been cast as the “Bandit Queen” of the American frontier—a pistol-packing outlaw who rode with Jesse James and ruled over a criminal empire. Wallis dismantles this caricature with care and clarity, tracing Belle’s real-life trajectory through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the lawless borderlands of Indian Territory.
What emerges is not a folk hero or a villain, but a woman shaped by violence, loss, and survival. Wallis doesn’t excuse her criminal entanglements—horse theft, bootlegging, and associations with outlaws—but he contextualizes them within a world where gender, class, and geography offered few safe choices.
🎧 Wallis’s narration is warm, deliberate, and steeped in authority. His voice carries the cadence of a seasoned storyteller—equal parts scholar and front-porch raconteur. For listeners, this adds intimacy and authenticity, especially when he pauses to reflect on the broader cultural forces that shaped Belle’s myth.
His delivery is never performative, but always engaged. He knows when to lean into the drama of a shootout and when to let the quiet tragedy of Belle’s later years speak for itself. For those who value author-narrated nonfiction, this is a standout performance.
Wallis’s biography is as much about the machinery of legend as it is about Belle herself. He explores how journalists, pulp writers, and early filmmakers transformed a marginal historical figure into a symbol of female rebellion—often at the expense of truth. The book becomes a meditation on how women in history are flattened into archetypes: the seductress, the outlaw, the martyr.
By restoring Belle’s humanity—her contradictions, her resilience, her flaws—Wallis offers a more honest and ultimately more compelling portrait.
Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend is a rich, revisionist biography that challenges the myths of the American frontier while honoring the woman at its center. Michael Wallis delivers both the scholarship and the soul, and his narration brings Belle’s story to life with clarity and compassion.
For listeners drawn to history that interrogates its own legends, this audiobook is a must.
🤠 Michael Wallis’s Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend is a meticulously researched, myth-busting biography that strips away the dime-novel glamour and Hollywood distortion to reveal the complex, contradictory woman behind the legend. Narrated by Wallis himself, the audiobook becomes not just a historical account, but a personal reckoning with the stories we choose to tell—and those we choose to believe.
Born Myra Maybelle Shirley in Missouri in 1848, Belle Starr has long been cast as the “Bandit Queen” of the American frontier—a pistol-packing outlaw who rode with Jesse James and ruled over a criminal empire. Wallis dismantles this caricature with care and clarity, tracing Belle’s real-life trajectory through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the lawless borderlands of Indian Territory.
What emerges is not a folk hero or a villain, but a woman shaped by violence, loss, and survival. Wallis doesn’t excuse her criminal entanglements—horse theft, bootlegging, and associations with outlaws—but he contextualizes them within a world where gender, class, and geography offered few safe choices.
🎧 Wallis’s narration is warm, deliberate, and steeped in authority. His voice carries the cadence of a seasoned storyteller—equal parts scholar and front-porch raconteur. For listeners, this adds intimacy and authenticity, especially when he pauses to reflect on the broader cultural forces that shaped Belle’s myth.
His delivery is never performative, but always engaged. He knows when to lean into the drama of a shootout and when to let the quiet tragedy of Belle’s later years speak for itself. For those who value author-narrated nonfiction, this is a standout performance.
Wallis’s biography is as much about the machinery of legend as it is about Belle herself. He explores how journalists, pulp writers, and early filmmakers transformed a marginal historical figure into a symbol of female rebellion—often at the expense of truth. The book becomes a meditation on how women in history are flattened into archetypes: the seductress, the outlaw, the martyr.
By restoring Belle’s humanity—her contradictions, her resilience, her flaws—Wallis offers a more honest and ultimately more compelling portrait.
Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend is a rich, revisionist biography that challenges the myths of the American frontier while honoring the woman at its center. Michael Wallis delivers both the scholarship and the soul, and his narration brings Belle’s story to life with clarity and compassion.
For listeners drawn to history that interrogates its own legends, this audiobook is a must.
August 4, 2025
This biography of Belle Starr suffers from a lack of hard, cold facts. Mr. Wallis has done a considerable amount of research that seems to eke out every detail available on the subject, but still has to rely on numerous pastel words and phrasing to get the message across. The phrasing that he winds up using is very upsetting to the flow of his subject. Referring to the lack of citation problems. Catherine Drinker Bowen, in Biography, quotes Bernie De Voto as saying, ‘Oh, put all this in the subjective. Always put your own mooning and brooding in the subjunctive.” Mr. Wallace uses words like should have, likely, surely, and other pastel words abundantly in the work. In addition, there's one character who, every time he's mentioned, gets a sic, so Mr. Wallace can show off his knowledge that Bruce Younger was the half-uncle of the Younger Brothers to the point where it gets ludicrous because of his “correction."
From this biography, there is little support to show the seemingly overweening popularity of the subject. Many people went through this period and were deeply shaken by it, but he doesn't show the importance of Belle Starr’s rise to fame. The newspapers, penny dreadfuls and dime novels of the era make Belle Starr, not Belle Starr herself.
People interested in the problems of civil war, and post-war Missouri, the people who fought or were affected by that war, and their reaction to what we would now call PTSD, may find this interesting. The associations with the Younger Brother, the James boys, and even the Daltons are mentioned, but not things directly affecting Belle Starr with any clarity. What Mr. Willis has done with his research is correct and clarify many of the errors from the era and later biographies, and he should get a great deal of credit for that.
From this biography, there is little support to show the seemingly overweening popularity of the subject. Many people went through this period and were deeply shaken by it, but he doesn't show the importance of Belle Starr’s rise to fame. The newspapers, penny dreadfuls and dime novels of the era make Belle Starr, not Belle Starr herself.
People interested in the problems of civil war, and post-war Missouri, the people who fought or were affected by that war, and their reaction to what we would now call PTSD, may find this interesting. The associations with the Younger Brother, the James boys, and even the Daltons are mentioned, but not things directly affecting Belle Starr with any clarity. What Mr. Willis has done with his research is correct and clarify many of the errors from the era and later biographies, and he should get a great deal of credit for that.
August 8, 2025
I’ve long been fascinated by the role of women in the pioneering days of the Wild West. Few spring to mind, Belle, Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley being the most famous. I enjoyed the Deadwood take on Calamity which totally dispelled the Doris Day myth! Michael Wallis does something similar with Belle; thanks to what I’m sure us extensive research, he’s portrayed the reality rather than the myth which has become belief. The author narrates and at first, I found the narration a little uncomfortable. Some of it sounded stilted and slow, but I was drawn in by the story and in the end, it was fitting. The author’s voice has resonance.
I enjoyed this right from the start as he explained the family history of these early settlers. European families that arrived and settled originally in Virginia but moved further West as opportunity to follow a new course in life presented itself. Belle’s live for horses May well have come from her grandfather and seemed to be in her blood. There’s a real sense of adventure and although at times the historical detail detracted a little from the central figure, it was all in context and I found it fascinating, Wallis captured the pioneering spirit of these early settlers and the reality if the hardships and difficulties they encountered as part of their lives, Starr was clearly a gal who broke the mould. She was spirited from childhood and there was a sense that she wouldn’t confirm to the strict role of women. She carved out her own path through life and in my view, was to be admired for her values and guts. Really enjoyed this biography and it gave insight into how the west was won too.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
I enjoyed this right from the start as he explained the family history of these early settlers. European families that arrived and settled originally in Virginia but moved further West as opportunity to follow a new course in life presented itself. Belle’s live for horses May well have come from her grandfather and seemed to be in her blood. There’s a real sense of adventure and although at times the historical detail detracted a little from the central figure, it was all in context and I found it fascinating, Wallis captured the pioneering spirit of these early settlers and the reality if the hardships and difficulties they encountered as part of their lives, Starr was clearly a gal who broke the mould. She was spirited from childhood and there was a sense that she wouldn’t confirm to the strict role of women. She carved out her own path through life and in my view, was to be admired for her values and guts. Really enjoyed this biography and it gave insight into how the west was won too.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.
July 8, 2025
'This is a story of how a young woman, shell-shocked by a cruel war...became the most infamous female outlaw of the American West, whether or not she deserved such a title'.
I will admit to knowing nothing about Belle Starr and her infamy before coming into this book however I've always been a sucker for a kick-ass FMC whether real or fictional. I will also admit, that I don't feel like I now know much more about her life, in terms of biographical detail, after reading this book. Though clearly she defied the gender stereotype of her time, and certainly that of a 'Southern Belle', Wallis clarifies that much of the legend of Belle was trumped up by journalists wanting to sell papers.
Despite not necessarily learning more about Belle, in terms of a biography, I certainly found the book very interesting to read. Michael Wallis delivers a comprehensive, well-researched book about the life and times in which Belle lived, taking the time to touch upon, throughout, how certain people and events substantiate or deviate from the mythologised legend of the Belle that had been sensationalised in the papers. I particularly enjoyed learning more about just how destructive the Civil War was, especially to those bordering the Mason Dixon line, and just how the Wild West became so, well, wild. 'Their wartime experience acted as the catalyst for the creation of criminal dynasty that would last for decades and serve as the basis for many popular outlaw legends of the so-called Wild West'. I would therefore not hesitate to recommend it to lovers of American history and its Wild West.
'Myra [Belle] had grown up in a pro-Confederate family on the fringe of the frontier...Her early years had been spent in the company of unreconstructed Confederates and outlaws. Consequently, her male companions came from dubious ranks'.
I will admit to knowing nothing about Belle Starr and her infamy before coming into this book however I've always been a sucker for a kick-ass FMC whether real or fictional. I will also admit, that I don't feel like I now know much more about her life, in terms of biographical detail, after reading this book. Though clearly she defied the gender stereotype of her time, and certainly that of a 'Southern Belle', Wallis clarifies that much of the legend of Belle was trumped up by journalists wanting to sell papers.
Despite not necessarily learning more about Belle, in terms of a biography, I certainly found the book very interesting to read. Michael Wallis delivers a comprehensive, well-researched book about the life and times in which Belle lived, taking the time to touch upon, throughout, how certain people and events substantiate or deviate from the mythologised legend of the Belle that had been sensationalised in the papers. I particularly enjoyed learning more about just how destructive the Civil War was, especially to those bordering the Mason Dixon line, and just how the Wild West became so, well, wild. 'Their wartime experience acted as the catalyst for the creation of criminal dynasty that would last for decades and serve as the basis for many popular outlaw legends of the so-called Wild West'. I would therefore not hesitate to recommend it to lovers of American history and its Wild West.
'Myra [Belle] had grown up in a pro-Confederate family on the fringe of the frontier...Her early years had been spent in the company of unreconstructed Confederates and outlaws. Consequently, her male companions came from dubious ranks'.
October 15, 2025
The name was only in the periphery of my mind. I cannot recall when the name became familiar to me, but when I saw the title, I hoped that it might prove interesting. This work is much more than a biography of one woman; it's a history of certain people, places, things and events during a particular span of time. We learn in exquisite detail the facts about her family and acquaintances pre and post Civil War. This is an all-encompassing treatise on western life.
If you think that the fake news of today is bad, they're perfect truth tellers when compared to the writers and publishers during Belle Starr's time. Countless hours of research have been undertaken to refute the panoply of egregious errors written about the legend. "All the news that fits", must have been the motto of the day. I'm glad that this is the first book I've read about Mrs. Starr because so much that has heretofore been written about her is simply untrue.
Who was Belle Starr? A daughter, a sister, a mother, an accomplished equestrian, musician, expert sharpshooter, pioneer and bon vivant. There is a cornucopia of sketchy characters that fill the pages of the book, Belle interacted with them all and married some too. My hopes were realized, this book was most interesting.
If you think that the fake news of today is bad, they're perfect truth tellers when compared to the writers and publishers during Belle Starr's time. Countless hours of research have been undertaken to refute the panoply of egregious errors written about the legend. "All the news that fits", must have been the motto of the day. I'm glad that this is the first book I've read about Mrs. Starr because so much that has heretofore been written about her is simply untrue.
Who was Belle Starr? A daughter, a sister, a mother, an accomplished equestrian, musician, expert sharpshooter, pioneer and bon vivant. There is a cornucopia of sketchy characters that fill the pages of the book, Belle interacted with them all and married some too. My hopes were realized, this book was most interesting.
May 25, 2025
Belle Starr, known as the Bandit Queen, is one of those Wild West outlaws whose legendary exploits rank up there alongside Jesse James and Cole Younger. Many of Belle’s antics were embellished. Others were entirely made up either during her short life or after she was gunned down. Historian Michael Wallis breaks down the myths and uncovers the truth of Belle Starr’s life. Belle was a fascinating woman whose formative years were shaped by the violence of the Civil War and life was lived in the lawless era of Wild West. Yes, she committed many crimes during her short life—though it was nowhere near as many as were attributed to her. Her main crime was refusing to conform to the standards that other women of the Victorian Era were held to and instead was a rebel and an outlaw. Belle’s life story is not pretty, and she is not always a sympathetic or likeable woman. But she is not the demon that other biographers have made her to be. I highly recommend BELLE STARR: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE WILD WEST LEGEND to anyone interested in the American West or outlaws.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
August 1, 2025
Michael Wallis wisely chose this quote from the Western film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” This book truthfully tells the real story of Myra Maibelle Shirley and how she evolved to become Belle Starr. Over eighty pages of notes and bibliography demonstrate the copious research involved in sorting out the facts and the fiction. During those times, tales of the “Wild West” sold more newspapers, tabloids and books. Even today people would rather focus on a titillating story than know the truth. However, this book reports the actual events and interactions of people and separates truth from fiction presenting a very satisfying narrative. This book must be the definitive biography of Myra Maibelle Shirley aka Belle Starr.
July 26, 2025
In this meticulously researched and accessibly written detailed biography, the author tries, and largely succeeds, in separating the real woman, the notorious Belle Starr, from the myths and legends that have grown up around her. He questions the assumptions made about her and sets her trajectory against the backdrop of her life and times, exploring how she came to be such a storied woman. He dispels many myths, for sure, but I still found that the actual woman didn't really emerge from the narrative, not least because she is submerged in a wealth of historical detail that takes her off centre stage. However, I found the book interesting and informative, and mostly enjoyed it, although sometimes wanted less historical detail and more of the human touch.
August 4, 2025
Meticulously and extensively researched and documented in a detailed study of the woman's ancestry and all of their trials and tragedies before and after the American Civil War as well as the prevailing lawlessness in that part of the southwest and sort of ending with her murder in 1889.
The audio is narrated by the author who would make an engaging professorial lecturer.
I requested and received temporary reviewer audio copy from Highbridge Audio via NetGalley. LENGTH 15 hrs and 4 mins @recordedbooks @highbridgeaudio @liverightbooks ***** #review
#BelleStarr by Michael Wallis #historicaltruth #legends #wildwest #fortsmithmuseumofhistory #bellestarr #bandit #outlaw #ushistory #bookbub #goodreads #librarything #storygraph #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk @indiebookstoresca
The audio is narrated by the author who would make an engaging professorial lecturer.
I requested and received temporary reviewer audio copy from Highbridge Audio via NetGalley. LENGTH 15 hrs and 4 mins @recordedbooks @highbridgeaudio @liverightbooks ***** #review
#BelleStarr by Michael Wallis #historicaltruth #legends #wildwest #fortsmithmuseumofhistory #bellestarr #bandit #outlaw #ushistory #bookbub #goodreads #librarything #storygraph #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk @indiebookstoresca
August 8, 2025
Belle Starr by Michael Wallis
Read by the Author
I wanted this book because I am from the region where this takes place and I had heard about Belle Starr since my childhood because my dad was an Oklahoma history buff. However, it seems that much of what I thought was true turns out to have been fiction. It was good to learn the facts and more about the history of the area.
The author has a craggy voice that fits well with a western story although he uses some odd pronunciations of certain words. Unless he meant perpetuator instead of perpetrator. Also I listened at 1.5 speed because he spoke so slowly.
All in all it was interesting and easy to listen to.
Thanks to NetGalley
Read by the Author
I wanted this book because I am from the region where this takes place and I had heard about Belle Starr since my childhood because my dad was an Oklahoma history buff. However, it seems that much of what I thought was true turns out to have been fiction. It was good to learn the facts and more about the history of the area.
The author has a craggy voice that fits well with a western story although he uses some odd pronunciations of certain words. Unless he meant perpetuator instead of perpetrator. Also I listened at 1.5 speed because he spoke so slowly.
All in all it was interesting and easy to listen to.
Thanks to NetGalley
March 5, 2026
Really enjoyed! One of my favorite ways to learn about history is to study a specific topic and take in all the broad themes around it. I learned a lot about the civil war and how that led to PTSD and violent outlaws. I learned about what the legal system looked like the 1800’s out west. And I learned about how people should have been paid for the amount of press written about them, good gravy!
Really enjoyed!
Really enjoyed!
August 17, 2025
Biography of Belle Starr who was often referred to as the Bandit Queen. This book full of dates and facts gives a history of Belle, her family and life beyond the myths surrounding her.
Well written and narrated (I listened to the audiobook). Read the truth behind the myths built in a time of legendary Wild West desperadoes.
Well written and narrated (I listened to the audiobook). Read the truth behind the myths built in a time of legendary Wild West desperadoes.
June 7, 2025
Interesting and well-researched, but I thought that Belle herself was somewhat buried in the avalanche of detail about her times. Still worth the read, but I didn’t feel in the end that I had any further understanding of the woman behind the legend.
September 11, 2025
I love books that entertain AND teach! The connections of historical figures, early civil war history, pre-statehood development, family and relationship dynamics, helped make these 19th century people and places feel very real. It's also fun when a book draws me to my atlas to look at maps!
July 16, 2025
Way too many details that went on and on and on. I really enjoy western history, but was really disappointed and did not finish.
July 22, 2025
1889 ..You think we have "fake news" today- only "a morsel of truth was in her obit." And the NYT was just as bad back then too.
December 30, 2025
Good history of all relatives and civil war era. Few notable interests of Belle. She was famous more from associations and being a "uncharacteristic woman".
January 20, 2026
If you like history, murder and mayhem, this book is for you!
July 1, 2025
In the history of the legendary Wild West, Belle Starr's name is up there with Calamity Jane & Annie Oakley. Like those other two women, Belle's life history has been romanticised & sensationalised until many would not know where the truth & the lies begin & end.
Through the American Civil War & its aftermath, the author painstakingly recreates the events of Starr's short life, & finds that in most cases, the crimes ascribed to her were greatly embellished
This book aims to set the record straight using correspondence, official records, & contemporary newspaper accounts, & traces her beginnings as a Southern belle to a woman who rejected contemporary expectations & lived life how she pleased.
This is an interesting & well-researched book about Belle Starr which corrects many errors & dispels the myths which have accumulated over time. If it has a flaw, it's that the spotlight is not on Belle for quite a lot of the time & the writing sometimes gets bogged down in the minutiae of other people's lives to the detriment of the main focus. It was informative though & if you enjoy nonfiction reads about the American Wild West, then it would be well worth a look.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, W. W. Norton & Company/Liveright, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Through the American Civil War & its aftermath, the author painstakingly recreates the events of Starr's short life, & finds that in most cases, the crimes ascribed to her were greatly embellished
This book aims to set the record straight using correspondence, official records, & contemporary newspaper accounts, & traces her beginnings as a Southern belle to a woman who rejected contemporary expectations & lived life how she pleased.
This is an interesting & well-researched book about Belle Starr which corrects many errors & dispels the myths which have accumulated over time. If it has a flaw, it's that the spotlight is not on Belle for quite a lot of the time & the writing sometimes gets bogged down in the minutiae of other people's lives to the detriment of the main focus. It was informative though & if you enjoy nonfiction reads about the American Wild West, then it would be well worth a look.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, W. W. Norton & Company/Liveright, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
February 10, 2026
I would say that is not so much a biography of the girl born Myra Maybelle Shirley, but an indepth look at the men in her life and the key events in American history and that helped mould the woman that would become infamous Belle Starr, infamous outlaw of the wild west.
I get that there's very little primary sources for any woman that lived in the American West during this period, but it's a little infuriating that the first ⅔'s of the story is focused on Belle's father, brother and her current husband.
When the focus does shift more to Belle, the author does a good job of bringing her story back to life and debunking all the myths that have built up around her legend. You can see a strong willed woman who wants to just live her life away from prying eyes, but the story is still told in conjuction with the men in her life.
It's very well researched and ideal if you are looking for a study on one family during the pre and post civil war years, but don't come away expecting to know the real Belle Starr.
Thank you to Netgalley and Highbridge Audio for providing me with an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
I get that there's very little primary sources for any woman that lived in the American West during this period, but it's a little infuriating that the first ⅔'s of the story is focused on Belle's father, brother and her current husband.
When the focus does shift more to Belle, the author does a good job of bringing her story back to life and debunking all the myths that have built up around her legend. You can see a strong willed woman who wants to just live her life away from prying eyes, but the story is still told in conjuction with the men in her life.
It's very well researched and ideal if you are looking for a study on one family during the pre and post civil war years, but don't come away expecting to know the real Belle Starr.
Thank you to Netgalley and Highbridge Audio for providing me with an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
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