The Beaten Territory

by Randi Samuelson-Brown

The Ryans won’t be found in any history books—but their lives, conducted on the fringes of polite society, were desperate and uncompromising in the face of limited options. The Beaten Territory finds Annie Ryan running a second-rate brothel in 1890s Denver. When her young niece arrives, she is swept up in a world of booze, drugs and vice. Pearl becomes a pawn of underworld tensions between her aunt, a corrupt cop, and a successful and clever woman addicted to laudanum. The resulting tragedy attested that justice was not always served as Denver struggled to shed its rough and ready image.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

335 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2017

About the author

All things Western, all things Colorado. Born and raised in Golden Colorado, now lives in Denver.

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I know the author. So it was admittedly a weird experience to start reading the book, knowing her on a personal level. Initially I had to read "despite" my friendship with her, but at about halfway through the second chapter I was genuinely engaged in the story and the characters and forgot about the authorship. The story is a compelling and detailed exposure of a side of life in the "Old West" that is mostly just alluded to in other western novels, where prostitutes are used as colorful relief but are rarely the central character. This somewhat neglected class of society is usually approached from the perspective of a male detective investigating a murder in "the stews" or the red light district. Rarely do you get as painfully honest a portrayal of life in a brothel as this book gives you, and I found it, as I said, quickly compelling. The story moves along apace, with the characters of Annie and Pearl becoming more defined and rounded as it progresses, and I found myself with mixed feelings for both as they interacted. It was refreshingly difficult to watch Pearl coarsen and lose her romantic ideals as she settles into The Life; there is no sappy redemption here - they are all in it for themselves and Samuelson-Brown does not let go of that motivation. Without giving away any spoilers, I particularly respected her ending, as it reflects the reality of so many of these women. She did not succumb to easy answers or predictable endings with a heroic rescuer, and after finishing the book I sat for a while reflecting on how little things have changed in the economic and social power dynamics of society.

[Carolsable · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book to read!! Enjoyed the different historical perspective, gave a great insight into Denver in the late 19th century. Was well written and kept me engaged so it ended up being a short read. Highly recommend to anyone but especially those who are interested in history and something different.

[Ida Bostian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of The Beaten Territory in exchange for my honest review, and I'm so glad I did! This is a compelling story of a little-examined side of the late 1800s in the West, told from the perspective of three women, all three of whom are involved in the business of prostitution. Annie Ryan runs a small saloon and prosecution house, with ambitions to move up in the world and become more self-sufficient from the rest of her brothel-owning family. To this end, she recruits/traps Pearl, her orphan niece, as a sex worker; Pearl herself is torn between a desire to be close to her family (when the family's main work is the sex trade) and her wish for a better, more prosperous life away from the trade. The third main character is upper-class opium addict Lydia, who secretly owns Annie's brothel and who is desperately looking for a way out of her abusive marriage. Each of these women is portrayed realistically, without glossing over their flaws but without falling prey to the easy stereotypes of women from the time. My favorite aspects of the book were probably (1) the relationship, that might be called a friendship, between Annie and Lydia, two businesswomen trying to both use and occasionally help each other out; and (2) the nuances of the sex trade in 1880s-90s Denver, in which the sex workers live in hope of improving their lives and fear of sipping even lower in the social order, a fear that becomes much more likely due to the rampant substance abuse. It's not cheerful material, yet Samuelson-Brown's writing never grows despairing or maudlin; rather, I would call it unflinching. A very interesting read!

Final thought - as noted, I received an advanced copy, and I hope the final, published version of the book will include a historical author's note. The book is obviously well researched, and the Ryans were a real, brothel-owning family in late 1800s Denver; I would be very interested to know what other historical facts and characters are contained within these pages!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie didn’t see the harm in bringing her daughters into the “family business.” As the author states: Annie would have liked to say that she and her daughters flounced into Denver, but is was more like tumbled into town. Like that tumbleweed, all dusty and bruised from the stagecoach all crammed and full…Denver was her town, and Market Street had always been her family’s territory.

The Beaten Territory is just that, a place where innocent women end up, many times because it appears to be one’s only alternative for survival. Randi Samuelson-Brown brought to light the lifestyle of late-1800s Colorado prostitution and the consequences that follow in the shadows, a never-ending trap of sex, drugs, and deceit. The author did not hold back when it came to coercive injustices of the times.

With death as a theme for the prostitutes, Brown wove in a desperate need for these women to be wanted and loved, something they didn’t feel they deserved. That way of life was something handed to them, not desired. I was pleased that there were no sex scenes; the treatment of these woman was hard enough to swallow. Brown dove deep into each character, making them real and authentic.
Brown’s research proves The Beaten Territory is historically accurate. The author has a unique writing style that keeps pages turning, even when times are tough.

[Joyce B. Lohse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic historic fiction about a pioneer prostitute -
The Beaten Territory is a grim look at Colorado’s late 1800’s red-light district in Denver’s lower downtown, and in Leadville. Remarkable research provides details about the brothels, and the lives and circumstances of people who lived and worked in them.
This historical fiction is based on a Denver family who owned saloons, gaming parlors, and brothels. When Pearl Ryan leaves her orphanage home to seek a job, family members, and information about her deceased prostitute mother, she finds work in her relatives’ Denver saloon, then adopts life as a prostitute. She quickly learns the dark realities of living and surviving in desperate circumstances filled with violence, disease, alcoholism, drug addiction, and murder. Strong characterization humanizes Pearl and her plight as she sinks deeper into a dreary existence with diminishing hope for a bright future.
Elements often missing in descriptions of brothels and portrayals of prostitutes are addressed here in explicit detail and language. Western historians will find a straightforward depiction of a sensitive topic. Although this story is far from uplifting, Randi Samuelson-Brown deftly conveys the trials and feelings of a pioneer prostitute, with a plausible explanation of the origins and outcome of the protagonist. The author did a splendid job of researching a gritty subject and crafting the storyline into a well-written account with an unexpected ending.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a family in the Colorado saloon and brothel business back in the 1890's. The book provides a fascinating glimpse into that world. There are crooked cops, the Badger Game, opium dens and serious drug and alcohol problems. The depiction of the day to day life in the brothel highlights what a grim life some of these women led.

The story takes place in Denver and Leadville and was especially interesting to me as Leadville hasn't changed that much since the time of the story. State Street, the site of the Leadville portion of the story, apparently burned down in the 1950's, but the cribs described in the story are still standing in the nearby town of Twin Lakes. The book is a must read if you plan to vacation in this area.

All in all a great book.

[Kat Pegfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good book! It is a rare gift for an author to be write with a sympathetic eye toward their characters AND able to tell a story in a realist way - right up there with Tolstoy and Rohinton Mistry (author of "A Fine Balance"). The story is satisfying insofar as the story comes full circle without the reader needing to suspend any disbelief or leap over any too-obvious hints or plot holes.
The ending, while surprising (no spoilers!), still fits into the grander narrative of the story.
As a Denverite, I also find it enjoyable to learn about local history through stories...and I darned sure never learned about the seedy side of town in history class!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a thought provoking story of a grizzly era of Denver and Colorado history. The characters are so real that you can feel the need they had for something which would lessen their pain. The description of daily life in such an unforgiving business had me turning pages in the hope of something better for Annie Ryan, Pearl and Lydia. I could hardly put the book down. The main thing "Beaten" in this story was hope. I hope Ms Samuelson-Brown continues to relate history in such a realistic way for years to come.

[Doug Lowry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found The Beaten Territory a very enjoyable read. Having read westerns for many years, I especially like historical fiction, and this book was not only well written but also was unlike any other I have read since the topic was principally the workings of brothels in pre-1900 Colorado. I particularly liked the attention to detail as the book explained how prostitution was managed and even included the business dealings. This book reminded me a great deal of Louis L’Amour’s westerns, which I always enjoyed and I highly recommend as an easy and fun read.

[Máiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked with the opening paragraph, and not disappointed. The characters leapt off the page (no small feat for an author), and the dialogue keeps you enthralled. Whether you agree with the subject or not, the book provides an honest look at the choices available to your female ancestors during that time period. Would definitely recommend it, and am looking forward to Ms. Samuelson-Brown's next book.

[philpk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each time I set down The Beaten Territory I was anxious for the chance to pick it back up and continue reading. It is an addictive read, the perfect combination of historical atmosphere, characters who are well-drawn and intriguing, and a plot that builds to a slow crescendo. I don't recall reading a novel that so openly explores the tough reality of prostitution, and the hard-fought choices for women, in the Old West. I highly recommend this book.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader copy of The Beaten Territory. It is surely one of the most captivating books that I have read in a very long time. The author's provocative perspective and vivid descriptions have me still thinking about the Ryans and anticipating what might have happened next.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is stunning in all aspects. The history of Colorado is right on. As you read you feel the mud on your shoes, the foul smells of the alley. Feel as if you are walking on the liquor spilled wooden floors, feel the suffering and the beatings the anquish and the fear, the wind and dust on your clothes and skin. Could not put it down!

[Jodianne Escalante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Historical fiction is not normally a genre which interests me, I found this book fascinating and a great read! Usually when you read about the wild west you hear only about the men. This is an interesting tale about the women of those times. I highly recommend this book.

[Lisa Birkhofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Randi's The Beaten Territory and loved it, well, except for the brutal ending. But her raw, honest style pulled me in and didn't let go. This book is not only very entertaining but also informative. I enjoy historical fiction and The Beaten Territory rates 5 stars for me.

[Valerie Walker]

I thoroughly enjoyed the bumpy ride through the 1890's in Leadville and Denver brothels. Cutthroat business dealings, watered-down liquor, and smelly mining men made up the lives of women in the biz!

[Dawn Shepler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rough and tumble look at the women on the darker side of early Denver. A great read leaving me wanting more! Hope there's a sequel...

[J.V.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story came alive through well drawn characters and an interesting plot. It was a fascinating look at the darker side of early Denver. A great read.

[nitzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Beaten Territory” is a fascinating story set in Denver in the late 1800s and revolves around family, tragedies, prostitution and the hard living conditions and challenges of those times (to name a few) ... which could sound like a downer but it’s not! It’s a fascinating page turner!

The author’s writing style is concise, unflinching and gritty whether the words are infused with hardship or humor. There’s not a lot of fluff to wade through which keeps the storyline moving and allowed me to stay connected to the characters and their experiences. When I wasn’t reading it I couldn’t wait to get back to it because the characters remained in my consciousness.

I highly recommend “The Beaten Territory” which is unlike any other book I’ve ever read in the best possible way!

[Dian Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible read, and I'm not generally a fan of Western, but this had such a unique story line I couldn't resist picking it up.

[Beth Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive and read the advance reader copy of Randi Samuelson-Brown’s The Beaten Territory. This historical western captivated me from the start when Pearl Kelly came of age in 1880s’ Denver after being orphaned by her prostitute mother whose looks and life dulled then ended in a haze of opium. Leaving the care and schooling of the convent at sixteen, Pearl’s options were limited, virtually non-existent. But this fresh-faced beauty refused to give up hope for a better life. Each chapter, I shared Pearl’s hope despite her aunt enticing her into the “family business” in the heart of Denver’s underbelly. History isn’t pretty, nor was life on Market Street. But Pearl’s popularity gave her better odds than most as her path crossed with drunken miners, parasitic gamblers, a corrupt policeman, and an unquenchable desire to not only survive, but escape the stench of a wasted life.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book isn't bad, in writing style, and historic ideas. I'd mark it five stars if there was anything redeeming about any given character throughout the story, sadly, that isn't really the case.

Almost every character in the book is self-involved, to the point of turning a blind eye to what is really happening around them; arguably, to the point of some of them being spoiled despite the lifestyles they live. There does seem to be an error in the years of the book (1878 to 1893 would make a main character 15 years old, but she's marked as 16 at one point, and 18 by the book's end. Whether this is accidental or done on purpose, I don't know.)

Overall, it was a decent read; but, it's just not my type of book.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an Advanced Readers copy free of charge and really enjoyed reading this book! As a historical fiction book, it is an accurate portrayal of life in the west in the late 1800s. It focuses on Colorado and the impact mining had on the families in Leadville and Denver. The story line follows a family-run brothel and draws you in to an understanding of the limited choices many women had in order to survive. The creative writing of this story makes it extremely entertaining and keeps you thinking. I loved the mystery and intrigue involved in the already interesting plot. I definitely recommend this book!

[Bonnie Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished the No-cost ARC of this book. Enjoyed it, well maybe enjoy isn't quite the right word. I agonized with, worried over, hoped for salvation and survival of these complex characters. My personal preference? MORE backstory about Pearl and Annie and Lydia and the brothers Ryan, yet there's plenty given so we can understand the dangers and hope for joy, no matter how faint, that drive the choices the characters make. Life was gritty in the west, there's no getting around it. Be prepared for immersion into another world. This is the Ryan Family's Denver, not Marshal Dillon and Miss Kitty's Dodge City.
Definitely worth the read!

[J. Botkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Randi Samuelson-Brown has written a novel entirely based on an aspect that only appears fleetingly in other books—that of western, late nineteenth-century prostitution. Only a woman historian-writer could see a worthwhile story in prostitutes' lives. In the novel's opening paragraphs, Samuelson-Brown’s description of Denver, “a good-time town, where vice sprung up like weeds” and where in the air “the strange fragrance of opportunity for the reckless of heart” awaits, instantly places the reader inside the city’s underbelly. Her characters, hardened and used-up by scratching an existence in such a setting that offers little hope, are honestly portrayed, even shocking an avid reader and writer of the west like myself, with descriptions that I suspected but never thought to digest and appreciate wholly. Even as the author reminds me that the women’s lives in Denver’s tenderloin district were, in fact, something to write about—if the “reader wasn’t squeamish,” I sensed a voyeuristic journey loomed and read on. Ultimately, as the novel’s plot unfolded, I found myself rooting for the women and their redemption. Its final resolution still occupies my mind.

[Michelle Ferrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Randi Samuelson-Brown weaves a compelling tale of the mostly ignored dark side of 19th century Denver. Walk with her through its streets and back alleys to smell and taste the grime, vomit, and vice of a rough and tumble town that offered opportunity and prosperity for men, but heartbreak for women.
Meet Annie Ryan who grew up in the “family business”. Along with her brothers, the Ryan family dominated the infamous Market St. bawdy houses where the commodity was a sporting gal whose price was negotiable by her reputation to please. Meet Lydia Chambers, a former socialite from the East, banished to the West towing the burden of her worthless husband who steadily drained away her fortune. With a head for business, Lydia established a profitable real estate business. Annie and Lydia collide when their mutual need for financial independence merge into a partnership of deceit. Follow these two women whose paths intertwine as they struggle to control their destinies despite social conventions determined to box them in.
Impeccably researched and with an affection for the players, this story has enough twists and turns to rival a mystery thriller. You will keep turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning and won’t want it to end.

[Alethea Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Milana Marsenich's Copper Sky, this is a novel of a Western mining town and the people who populate the world beneath the surface prosperity. And it ain't a pretty picture. The Ryan family survives in Denver in the 1880s any way they can, as bordello owners, prostitutes, gamblers, and cheap watered booze suppliers. The trick is in not getting snared by whiskey, laudanum, or the opium offered by the Chinese. Into this world steps Pearl, daughter of deceased Claire Ryan, niece of Annie and her brothers Jim and John, fresh out of the Home of the Good Shepherd and welcome to join her cousins Julia and May by hooking to earn her keep. The Ryans get involved in some shady dealings courtesy of a crooked cop and a slumming society woman, and the nearest thing to a happy ending occurs when any of them merely survives to see another day.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adult, historical fiction . Denver, the seedy side, in the late 19th century. We follow an unfortunate, loosely tied, no-love-lost family with even looser morals, through their struggles to improve their aforementioned fortune.
First, this is a beautifully designed and well bound book. Note to self: Stop judging books totally by their covers.
I bought it from a YA bookseller, whom I can’t fault for not knowing it is a dark, adult book, because they can’t possibly check every book they offer. As a result, I expected it to be YA, and was quite disappointed.
It’s very well written, however I considered DNFing it several times, because it was pretty depressing, but cared enough about the characters to see if anyone had a happy ending. I won’t spoil it for you.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maddening use of omniscient narrator to leave crucial plot points unexplained. How and why did Harrigan get his promotion? Why did Lydia go out of her way to become addicted to opium? How much did she know about her husband’s habits? In a frontier environment, because respectable women were a rare commodity, they did have a certain freedom of action their eastern sisters didn’t. If she knew his habits, why didn’t she just shoot him?

[Kelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF I wanted to like this book, I love historical fiction and as a Colorado native I was excited to see a book that incorporated both, but alas this fell short of my expectations and hopes. The story was poorly developed and presents with a rudimentary writing style