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According to Kate: The Legendary Life of Big Nose Kate, Love of Doc Holliday
Doc Holliday's paramour Big Nose Kate could never get a publisher to give her the big bucks she demanded to tell the story of her life, but that didn't mean she didn't collect material she wanted to use in a biography. Over the fifty years Mary Kate Cummings, alias Big Nose Kate, traversed the West she saved letters from her family, musings she had written about her love interests, and life with the notorious John Henry Holliday. Using rare, never before published material Big Nose Kate stock-piled in anticipation of writing the tale of her days on the Wild Frontier, the definitive book about the famous soiled dove will finally be told. Kate claims to have witnessed the Gunfight at the OK Corral and exchanged words with the likes of Wyatt Earp and Josephine Marcs. There's no doubt she embellished her adventures, but that doesn't take away from their historical importance. She was a controversial figure in a rough and rowdy territory. What she witnessed, the lifestyle she led, and the influential western people she met are fascinating and represent a time period much romanticized.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 22, 2020
Kate wanted someone to write her story. She wanted big bucks; however no one would pay.
She was wise in her older years when she was alone. When she heard stories about the Earp's and Doc Holiday, she would keep quiet. No judgement, no incrimination.
She was born in Pest Hungary in 1850 and came the United States with her parents and siblings. Her parents died shortly after they arrived. Kate was on her own. She had been schooled in a convent, but that was not to her liking.
She became a soiled dove, and with that occupation she could own land, which any other woman could not in that era.
She stayed with Doc Holiday until he died. She was not fond of the Earp's especially when they wanted the Doc's attention.
She died penniless at the age of near 90 at the Pioneer's Home in Prescott Arizona
She was wise in her older years when she was alone. When she heard stories about the Earp's and Doc Holiday, she would keep quiet. No judgement, no incrimination.
She was born in Pest Hungary in 1850 and came the United States with her parents and siblings. Her parents died shortly after they arrived. Kate was on her own. She had been schooled in a convent, but that was not to her liking.
She became a soiled dove, and with that occupation she could own land, which any other woman could not in that era.
She stayed with Doc Holiday until he died. She was not fond of the Earp's especially when they wanted the Doc's attention.
She died penniless at the age of near 90 at the Pioneer's Home in Prescott Arizona
October 20, 2019
This is a terrific book for anyone who loves reading about the old West. Big Nosed Kate, Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, names we all know and love. This has the gossip according to Doc's girlfriend, a soiled dove, a woman he shared a stormy relationship with for years. I found it fascinating and superbly documented--According to Kate. A fun, educational read I really enjoyed.
December 10, 2019
Kate Elder, better known as Big Nose Kate, was a colorful character in the mercurial Wild West. Together with her paramour—possibly her husband—Doc Holliday, she shot, swindled and burned her way through Kansas, New Mexico, Texas and other parts of the American Southwest. My thanks go to Net Galley and Two Dot Publishing for the review copy. This book is for sale now.
Enss is a capable writer, and I enjoy seeing women about whom little has been written brought to the foreground. Enss amassed a fair amount of material on her subject, but some of it was contradictory, and the greatest contradictor of all was Kate herself, who decided to tell her own life story when she was too old to recall everything properly. Enss tells the reader in the title and introduction that she is telling Kate’s story from the subject’s point of view, and she adds numerous footnotes explaining conflicting information throughout the narrative.
I read things I had never known before about this time and place, and general historical knowledge is where Enss shines best. For example, a ‘soiled dove’ was allowed to own real estate, whereas married women of the time were not. There were a number of financial advantages to owning a house of ill repute. Kate grew up in a middle class household and was not without choices, but she didn’t care to be married off in the way her family had proposed. In the end she was both a shrewd businesswoman and an adrenaline junkie, one that made a point of having at least one loaded gun handy when a situation called for it. I enjoyed reading about it.
Unfortunately there is a lot of conflicting information and the gaps in the story are numerous. Anytime I start seeing the words “might,” “must have, “ “likely” and so forth, I pull back from the narrative. I can’t get lost in a story when I have to mentally filter the things that are known to have happened from the things nobody knows for sure. I think Enss has done as good a job as could be done with the documentation available, but Kate is a hard nut to crack.
What I would love to see is historical fiction written with Kate as the protagonist, viewed through the eyes of a feminist writer such as Enss. With historical fiction one can freely fill in the gaps, provide dialogue, and make notes at the end of the story letting the reader know what she has invented or changed.
Those with a special interest may want to read this biography, but I see it largely as a niche read.
Enss is a capable writer, and I enjoy seeing women about whom little has been written brought to the foreground. Enss amassed a fair amount of material on her subject, but some of it was contradictory, and the greatest contradictor of all was Kate herself, who decided to tell her own life story when she was too old to recall everything properly. Enss tells the reader in the title and introduction that she is telling Kate’s story from the subject’s point of view, and she adds numerous footnotes explaining conflicting information throughout the narrative.
I read things I had never known before about this time and place, and general historical knowledge is where Enss shines best. For example, a ‘soiled dove’ was allowed to own real estate, whereas married women of the time were not. There were a number of financial advantages to owning a house of ill repute. Kate grew up in a middle class household and was not without choices, but she didn’t care to be married off in the way her family had proposed. In the end she was both a shrewd businesswoman and an adrenaline junkie, one that made a point of having at least one loaded gun handy when a situation called for it. I enjoyed reading about it.
Unfortunately there is a lot of conflicting information and the gaps in the story are numerous. Anytime I start seeing the words “might,” “must have, “ “likely” and so forth, I pull back from the narrative. I can’t get lost in a story when I have to mentally filter the things that are known to have happened from the things nobody knows for sure. I think Enss has done as good a job as could be done with the documentation available, but Kate is a hard nut to crack.
What I would love to see is historical fiction written with Kate as the protagonist, viewed through the eyes of a feminist writer such as Enss. With historical fiction one can freely fill in the gaps, provide dialogue, and make notes at the end of the story letting the reader know what she has invented or changed.
Those with a special interest may want to read this biography, but I see it largely as a niche read.
September 14, 2019
According to Kate is the story of Big-Nose Kate from her perspective. Because of that it contradicts many accounts of her given by people like Wyatt Earp and "known" history. This book was a pretty interesting overview of her life with and without her famous love Doc Holliday. She led a remarkable life, and was so much more than popular history gives her credit for. The only issue I have with this book is that it is written in a seemingly non-linear timeline so the author will mention something in one portion of the book that has yet to happen and then again later, so it can be a little confusing when it comes to particulars of who/what/when and where things actually occurred. Still it was an enjoyable and quick delve into a woman that history loves to hate on.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me an ARC of this for review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me an ARC of this for review.
October 18, 2019
Chris Enss is a writer of great consequence and for many reasons. Her body of excellent work speaks for itself. She is a New York Times best seller and a superstar in western literature. A legend in the Western Writers of American. What I love most about her writing is the meticulous attention to detail and her ability to teach while being wholly entertaining. Not easy. As a true westerner, born and raised on the Arizona side of the Navajo Indian reservation, I was taught that Doc Holliday and the Earps were legends of morality and decency. And the women in their lives were nothing more than beasts of burdens who fed them, sewed them up, and gave them pleasure in bed. The only woman of the Earp era that had any value, according to the legend, was Josephine. That’s probably because she created the myth of Wyatt Earp, the super man of the west. Its' not true, of course, but since Wyatt Earp outlived his enemies, the legend stood. That is until Chris Enss reexamined the legend and gave us the real story, as she has so many times before.
Chris Enss has spent a very successful career writing about the women of the west. She has filled a vast, empty space for the women who had no advocates. In her latest superb book, According to Kate, we learn that Kate Elder (she had many names) saved Doc Holliday’s life many times and was far more loyal to him, than he to her. She was also shrewd, cunning, a great businessman person, and a lady who knew how to use her wiles to survive in a world where women had no voice, no power, no property, and no justice unless a man gave it to her. This was a terrible world for women. They had to be tougher, smarter, and more determined than the man who used them. Kate Elder was all of this and a whole lot more. But we would know none of this without Chris. She has not only given a voice to the women of the west, including Kate Elder, but she has filled a void by giving us the real story. History it is said, is written by the winners. And that may have been true, before Chris. Her beautiful prose is an unvarnished masterpiece, filled with suggests of truth that have long been ignored. I have read all of her books and cannot wait for the release of her next one. According to Kate is brilliant. Thank you Chris for giving these women a voice and for continuing to entertain and educate us. I cannot recommend this book more highly. Chris is a master at the peak of her powers. I think Kate Elder would think that finally someone got her story right and she would be pleased about that. I know, I am.
Chris Enss has spent a very successful career writing about the women of the west. She has filled a vast, empty space for the women who had no advocates. In her latest superb book, According to Kate, we learn that Kate Elder (she had many names) saved Doc Holliday’s life many times and was far more loyal to him, than he to her. She was also shrewd, cunning, a great businessman person, and a lady who knew how to use her wiles to survive in a world where women had no voice, no power, no property, and no justice unless a man gave it to her. This was a terrible world for women. They had to be tougher, smarter, and more determined than the man who used them. Kate Elder was all of this and a whole lot more. But we would know none of this without Chris. She has not only given a voice to the women of the west, including Kate Elder, but she has filled a void by giving us the real story. History it is said, is written by the winners. And that may have been true, before Chris. Her beautiful prose is an unvarnished masterpiece, filled with suggests of truth that have long been ignored. I have read all of her books and cannot wait for the release of her next one. According to Kate is brilliant. Thank you Chris for giving these women a voice and for continuing to entertain and educate us. I cannot recommend this book more highly. Chris is a master at the peak of her powers. I think Kate Elder would think that finally someone got her story right and she would be pleased about that. I know, I am.
June 16, 2019
If I had to read the term "soiled dove" one more time as a description of a prostitute, I would have thrown my Kindle through the window. Why not just call Kate what she was?
I give the author a great deal of credit for pulling together a biography of a dead woman---not at all an easy task. I liked Kate, and only wish more information was available about her, information which could have replaced tedious details of fees and fines incurred by her, for example, for her prostitution.
An interesting read about a formidable woman.
I give the author a great deal of credit for pulling together a biography of a dead woman---not at all an easy task. I liked Kate, and only wish more information was available about her, information which could have replaced tedious details of fees and fines incurred by her, for example, for her prostitution.
An interesting read about a formidable woman.
November 27, 2019
The Wild West is most certainly a unique time period in American history to study. Gunfights, traveling cowboys, mining, brothels overflowing with drunks and prostitutes, gambling… All of this today sounds like what someone would expect to find in an Old West film. In all honesty, according to facts and research, it appears movies are fairly accurate in depicting the nature of the time. Author Chris Enss is well-versed in writing about the Old West, namely women who lived during this time, and her latest non-fiction book and winner of the South Dakota Festival of Books, According To Kate, focuses on a rather mysterious character from history: Kate Elder.
Kate Elder went by many names in her life, the more well-known ones including Big Nose Kate and Mary Kate Cummings. What is not as well-known is the life Kate led. During her many years, Kate would write letters, passages, notes, and so forth about her life and travels; however, her writings have never seen the light of day due to her being unable to find a publisher willing to pay her for her work. Now, readers can hear from Kate herself as her life has finally been published to the public. While some of her retellings may not seem accurate (such as her claim to having witnessed the gunfight at the OK Corral) and no one can truly discover what is real and what is embellished, there is still much to explore in history through Kate’s words.
It is impressive how such a short book tell the story behind a historical figure so thoroughly. Enss has definitely done amazing research that is noticeable from anyone who reads According To Kate. Whether the reader is a historian, a fan of history, or someone looking for a new story, every reader will learn something new.
From a historical perspective, Enss has quoted various sources and revealed a lot of information not only about Kate herself, but also about the world going on around her. Granted, there were a few areas of the story that seemed to repeat events and facts from previous chapters, but all in all, all events happened chronologically, making it easy to follow. It is fun to read how Enss will write about an event that happened “according to someone else” and then follow up with what happened during the event “according to Kate.” Normally, the stories differ, bringing more mystery to Kate’s story and making her tale that much more fascinating to read, for who is the one speaking the actual truth?
It is incredible to read what Kate went through during her life. It was not an easy time for anyone, mainly women, yet Kate always found a way to keep moving forward. From prostitution to even owning her own establishment for a time, she did what she had to for money and, if money could not be found in one town, she moved on to the next town. This is an admirable trait nowadays for so many people seem to find themselves in a rut and feel as if they are stuck where they are. They don’t realize that if they were to move on, they could possibly find something better somewhere else, whether that something better is a job, a better relationship, or even a better lifestyle.
From a story perspective, According To Kate may have actually benefitted from being told as a creative non-fiction rather than a chronological retelling of facts. There are brief moments, mainly found within the first couple of paragraphs of each chapter, where Enss writes like Kate is the character of a story. There is beautiful attention to detail written about where Kate currently is in the book and readers almost imagine they are reading a historical fiction book based on non-fiction events. After those couple of paragraphs, though, readers are back to reading the facts. This is a non-fiction book, but it would have been fascinating to read it as creative non-fiction.
Reading about Kate Elder’s life according to so many different people compared to reading about Kate's life from Kate herself, According To Kate proves to be a fascinating retelling of a mysterious woman of the Old West. While parts could become a bit repetitive and the book itself would have been interesting to read as creative non-fiction, Enss did an amazingly thorough job at giving readers the facts about Kate Elder’s life. It will almost feel as if a reader is witnessing a movie about the Old West, but what they need to remember is that what they are reading is fact. Any reader will benefit from reading Enss’ latest book as they will discover new findings on a mysterious past and will have to come to their own conclusions on whether others were accurate about Kate or if what Kate revealed about herself is the truth.
**Originally posted on my blog, Roll Out Reviews, on November 27, 2019**
Kate Elder went by many names in her life, the more well-known ones including Big Nose Kate and Mary Kate Cummings. What is not as well-known is the life Kate led. During her many years, Kate would write letters, passages, notes, and so forth about her life and travels; however, her writings have never seen the light of day due to her being unable to find a publisher willing to pay her for her work. Now, readers can hear from Kate herself as her life has finally been published to the public. While some of her retellings may not seem accurate (such as her claim to having witnessed the gunfight at the OK Corral) and no one can truly discover what is real and what is embellished, there is still much to explore in history through Kate’s words.
It is impressive how such a short book tell the story behind a historical figure so thoroughly. Enss has definitely done amazing research that is noticeable from anyone who reads According To Kate. Whether the reader is a historian, a fan of history, or someone looking for a new story, every reader will learn something new.
From a historical perspective, Enss has quoted various sources and revealed a lot of information not only about Kate herself, but also about the world going on around her. Granted, there were a few areas of the story that seemed to repeat events and facts from previous chapters, but all in all, all events happened chronologically, making it easy to follow. It is fun to read how Enss will write about an event that happened “according to someone else” and then follow up with what happened during the event “according to Kate.” Normally, the stories differ, bringing more mystery to Kate’s story and making her tale that much more fascinating to read, for who is the one speaking the actual truth?
It is incredible to read what Kate went through during her life. It was not an easy time for anyone, mainly women, yet Kate always found a way to keep moving forward. From prostitution to even owning her own establishment for a time, she did what she had to for money and, if money could not be found in one town, she moved on to the next town. This is an admirable trait nowadays for so many people seem to find themselves in a rut and feel as if they are stuck where they are. They don’t realize that if they were to move on, they could possibly find something better somewhere else, whether that something better is a job, a better relationship, or even a better lifestyle.
From a story perspective, According To Kate may have actually benefitted from being told as a creative non-fiction rather than a chronological retelling of facts. There are brief moments, mainly found within the first couple of paragraphs of each chapter, where Enss writes like Kate is the character of a story. There is beautiful attention to detail written about where Kate currently is in the book and readers almost imagine they are reading a historical fiction book based on non-fiction events. After those couple of paragraphs, though, readers are back to reading the facts. This is a non-fiction book, but it would have been fascinating to read it as creative non-fiction.
Reading about Kate Elder’s life according to so many different people compared to reading about Kate's life from Kate herself, According To Kate proves to be a fascinating retelling of a mysterious woman of the Old West. While parts could become a bit repetitive and the book itself would have been interesting to read as creative non-fiction, Enss did an amazingly thorough job at giving readers the facts about Kate Elder’s life. It will almost feel as if a reader is witnessing a movie about the Old West, but what they need to remember is that what they are reading is fact. Any reader will benefit from reading Enss’ latest book as they will discover new findings on a mysterious past and will have to come to their own conclusions on whether others were accurate about Kate or if what Kate revealed about herself is the truth.
**Originally posted on my blog, Roll Out Reviews, on November 27, 2019**
May 5, 2019
As a keen reader and student of western American history, it was a pleasure reading this book. Chris Enss has done a true service in documenting fact and debunking fiction in the many tales about "Big Nose Kate." The book is able to vividly portray not only the life of Kate, but to put in the perspective of the often difficult struggles of living in the new and expanding raw west of her times. It includes excellent descriptions of the various towns springing into existence with minimal social constraints during this dramatic time in our history. It is well worth adding to your library of western lore!
August 29, 2019
According to Kate
The Legendary Life of Big Nose Kate, Love of Doc Holliday
by Chris Enss
Rowman & Littlefield
Two Dot
Biographies & Memoirs , History
Pub Date 01 Oct 2019
I am reviewing a copy of According to Kate through Rowman & Littlefield and Netgalley:
Kate Elder was born Mary Katherine Horony on November 7 1850 in Hungary. Her Father Michael Horony was a German Physician and her Mother, Katharina Baldizar was a homemaker. Her Father was able to provide well for the family.
In the early 1860’s Political Unrest prompted Doctor Horony to move his family out of Hungary. By November 1862 they settles into a modest home in Davenport
Iowa where Doctor Horony resumes his practice. In March of 1865 Katarina died of typhoid fever, just over a month later Doctor Horony died of an unknown ailment very suddenly and unexpectedly.
The five youngest children went to go live with their oldest sister and her husband. In 1866 Kate and Wilhelmina would be sent to the Ursuline Convent and Boarding School In St Louis in 1866 after family friend Otto Smith was named administrator of the Doctors Estate.
Mary was a rebellious student who didn’t take well to the rules of the Convent.
Doc Holliday’s paramour Big Nose Kate could never get a publisher to give her the large amount of money that she demanded to tell the story of her life, however that didn’t stop her from collecting material she wanted to use in a biography. Over the fifty years Mary Kate Cummings, alias Big Nose Kate, traveled the West she saved letters from her family, musings she had written about her love interests, and life with the notorious John Henry Holliday. (Doc Holiday) This book uses rare, never before published material Big Nose Kate stock-piled in anticipation of writing the tale of her days on the Wild Frontier, the definitive book about the famous soiled dove will finally be told. Kate claims to have witnessed the Gunfight at the OK Corral and exchanged words with the likes of Wyatt Earp and Josephine Marcus. There’s no doubt she embellished her adventures, but that doesn’t take away from their historical importance. She was a controversial figure in a rough and rowdy territory. What she witnessed, the lifestyle she led, and the influential western people she met are fascinating and represent a time period that is very much romanticized.
I give According to Kate four out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
The Legendary Life of Big Nose Kate, Love of Doc Holliday
by Chris Enss
Rowman & Littlefield
Two Dot
Biographies & Memoirs , History
Pub Date 01 Oct 2019
I am reviewing a copy of According to Kate through Rowman & Littlefield and Netgalley:
Kate Elder was born Mary Katherine Horony on November 7 1850 in Hungary. Her Father Michael Horony was a German Physician and her Mother, Katharina Baldizar was a homemaker. Her Father was able to provide well for the family.
In the early 1860’s Political Unrest prompted Doctor Horony to move his family out of Hungary. By November 1862 they settles into a modest home in Davenport
Iowa where Doctor Horony resumes his practice. In March of 1865 Katarina died of typhoid fever, just over a month later Doctor Horony died of an unknown ailment very suddenly and unexpectedly.
The five youngest children went to go live with their oldest sister and her husband. In 1866 Kate and Wilhelmina would be sent to the Ursuline Convent and Boarding School In St Louis in 1866 after family friend Otto Smith was named administrator of the Doctors Estate.
Mary was a rebellious student who didn’t take well to the rules of the Convent.
Doc Holliday’s paramour Big Nose Kate could never get a publisher to give her the large amount of money that she demanded to tell the story of her life, however that didn’t stop her from collecting material she wanted to use in a biography. Over the fifty years Mary Kate Cummings, alias Big Nose Kate, traveled the West she saved letters from her family, musings she had written about her love interests, and life with the notorious John Henry Holliday. (Doc Holiday) This book uses rare, never before published material Big Nose Kate stock-piled in anticipation of writing the tale of her days on the Wild Frontier, the definitive book about the famous soiled dove will finally be told. Kate claims to have witnessed the Gunfight at the OK Corral and exchanged words with the likes of Wyatt Earp and Josephine Marcus. There’s no doubt she embellished her adventures, but that doesn’t take away from their historical importance. She was a controversial figure in a rough and rowdy territory. What she witnessed, the lifestyle she led, and the influential western people she met are fascinating and represent a time period that is very much romanticized.
I give According to Kate four out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
July 3, 2019
The legend of Doc Holliday and Kate Elder is one familiar to most people. Over the years, the famous and infamous couple have appeared in movies, articles, books, etc. Chris Enss has chosen a different tale. One focused on Kate Elder and determined to find the woman behind the myth.
Stated simply, Enss succeeded in telling the true story of Kate Elder. From her beginnings as Mary Katherine Horony in Hungary to her humble end, Kate Elder lead a life few could compare.
Enss is a wonderful author. She has a way of giving the facts without losing the story. According to Kate brings the reader along for the journey into the past. Elder becomes a real person with dreams, heartache, love, and hardships. The factual evidence is there, but the author is able to weave those into the story. Although the book does not read like a historical fictional novel, it comes close. It is even better because it is not fiction. It is a true story about someone who experienced a life so unlike our lives today.
Not only is According to Kate and enjoyable read, the book is filled with photographs of the people and places discussed. Scattered throughout the text, the photographs allow the reader to connect even more to the story.
I can easily say this is my first book by Chris Enss, but won't be my last.
This review is based on an eBook version provided by the publisher through Netgalley.
Stated simply, Enss succeeded in telling the true story of Kate Elder. From her beginnings as Mary Katherine Horony in Hungary to her humble end, Kate Elder lead a life few could compare.
Enss is a wonderful author. She has a way of giving the facts without losing the story. According to Kate brings the reader along for the journey into the past. Elder becomes a real person with dreams, heartache, love, and hardships. The factual evidence is there, but the author is able to weave those into the story. Although the book does not read like a historical fictional novel, it comes close. It is even better because it is not fiction. It is a true story about someone who experienced a life so unlike our lives today.
Not only is According to Kate and enjoyable read, the book is filled with photographs of the people and places discussed. Scattered throughout the text, the photographs allow the reader to connect even more to the story.
I can easily say this is my first book by Chris Enss, but won't be my last.
This review is based on an eBook version provided by the publisher through Netgalley.
January 17, 2020
Chris Enss account of Kate, a.k.a. Big-Nosed Kate, a lover of the west’s infamous Doc Holiday, tells the story of her experiences from childhood to her death. Additionally, readers get a sense of what the Wild West was like from personal descriptions and accounts of one woman’s history. The work develops from Kate’s own remembrances and other historic facts. As a Women’s history, “According to Kate” is at times rowdy and others sad; the author illuminates the reality of female lives that must rely on their own abilities to live a meager existence. Kate’s choice in survival was a combination of odd jobs and being a “lady-of-the-evening.” It is not often that the history of a woman of this social rank is recorded and shared among other male dominated histories. Unfortunately, while Kate is a strong individual, it is probably her relationships to the men of her world that propels her into the tomes of history. Through her many years and travels Kate was a madam and worked in saloons across the west. This personal story is readable, detailed, and reveals the regional history of the territories and the states in which Kate lives and works. The added details regarding Holiday, provide additional value to history. Recommended to readers of the American West History and Women’s History.
July 13, 2019
Ever since visiting Tombstone, Arizona, is December 2009, I have been obsessed with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and everyone related to them – including Kate Elder. While Kate was mentioned in many of the books I had read about Holliday, the Earps, and Tombstone, there weren’t any books about Kate Elder (AKA Big Nose Kate AKA Mrs. Doc Holliday AKA Mary Kate Cummings). ACCORDING TO KATE: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF BIG NOSE KATE, LOVE OF DOC HOLLIDAY is the definitive book about the life of Kate Elder. Close to fifty years after Kate Elder died, Chris Enss has collected her notes and letters into the biography that Kate had hoped to compose during the later years of her life. The book not only tells Kate’s story, but it provides a historical context of the time period and places in which Kate lived. Chris Enss sticks to the facts provided by Kate and other contemporary records – whether those facts are completely accurate or not is questionable. Enss also debunks a lot of fictions and myths that have been assigned to Kate over the years. Kate led a hard, interesting life, and ACCORDING TO KATE: THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF BIG NOSE KATE, LOVE OF DOC HOLLIDAY is a fascinating read.
January 19, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed my gifted copy of According to Kate. Thank you to Goodreads, author Chris Enss and Two Dot books.
I reside in Kansas, very near to Kate's old stomping grounds, Dodge City, so was familiar with her name ( and fame). And not far from here, there is actually a bar called Big Nose Kate's!
Chris Enss, a well known Western author, has done meticulous research through notes, letters and archives to bring the life and times of Kate Elder, companion and common law wife of gunfighter Doc Holliday to readers. From her birth in Hungary to her death at age 90, in Arizona , Big Nose Kate led a rowdy life. For the majority of her young years, she was a dance hall girl and a "soiled dove", a prostitute plying her trade in the wild western towns full of cowboys, renegades and lawlessness. She was also a businesswoman later owning a boarding house.
A strong sense of early western history is found in the pages, along with great photos of Kate and her companions .
I reside in Kansas, very near to Kate's old stomping grounds, Dodge City, so was familiar with her name ( and fame). And not far from here, there is actually a bar called Big Nose Kate's!
Chris Enss, a well known Western author, has done meticulous research through notes, letters and archives to bring the life and times of Kate Elder, companion and common law wife of gunfighter Doc Holliday to readers. From her birth in Hungary to her death at age 90, in Arizona , Big Nose Kate led a rowdy life. For the majority of her young years, she was a dance hall girl and a "soiled dove", a prostitute plying her trade in the wild western towns full of cowboys, renegades and lawlessness. She was also a businesswoman later owning a boarding house.
A strong sense of early western history is found in the pages, along with great photos of Kate and her companions .
May 4, 2019
Kate seems to have had a very hard life. Both parents died while she was quite young and the estate executor discharged his financial obligation by placing her and her sister in a convent boarding school. The author used the term "soiled doves" almost to ad nauseum. Kate had limited options. Most women did. Her choice was not ideal. Based on her experiences, she must have been a very strong woman, loyal to those she cared for and a thorn under the saddle to those who chose to treat her shabbily. Wyatt Earp did not come off well in Kates autobiography. Doc Holliday fared much better. She loved him, whether he was a rascal or not and if she was correct, history has mistreated him. In a time when most people died young, Kate outlived most, dying at 90.
"Well-behaved women seldom make history." Anonymous
"Well-behaved women seldom make history." Anonymous
July 20, 2022
2.75 stars -
I read this for a work book club and it was just okay. I'm not really a fan of the topic so I went into it cautiously to begin with and as I went - it read more like a textbook than anything. I do applaud the author for putting the research they did into it. And it was interesting to see how women were treated back in the day. However, there were some points that I felt like they shouldn't have written something simply because the proof/research wasn't there to say it - some points did come off more as inferences or generalizations that could have been left out of an otherwise heavily researched book.
I read this for a work book club and it was just okay. I'm not really a fan of the topic so I went into it cautiously to begin with and as I went - it read more like a textbook than anything. I do applaud the author for putting the research they did into it. And it was interesting to see how women were treated back in the day. However, there were some points that I felt like they shouldn't have written something simply because the proof/research wasn't there to say it - some points did come off more as inferences or generalizations that could have been left out of an otherwise heavily researched book.
August 2, 2019
Filled with both historical commentary and the interviews Kate Elder did later in her life, this is a fascinating look into one of history's most maligned female figures. Having lead an exciting (if socially unacceptable) life, this novel explores Kate's impact on the various Western royalty that she came into contact with - as well as, due to her own reticence, the ways that others have shaped her life story in the history books.
A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 16, 2019
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, Rowman & Littlefield- Two Dot Publishing and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Big Nose Kate was more than just Doc Holliday's girlfriend. Using Kate's own notes, Ms. Enss has put together a thoughtful and we'll written biography of a larger than life woman in the Wild West. An amazing story to be read.
5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended for fans of Wild West history.
Big Nose Kate was more than just Doc Holliday's girlfriend. Using Kate's own notes, Ms. Enss has put together a thoughtful and we'll written biography of a larger than life woman in the Wild West. An amazing story to be read.
5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended for fans of Wild West history.
August 18, 2019
According to Kate is the story of Doc Holiday's paramour, Kate Elder. The author says she lets Kate tell her own story, but some analysis and interpretation would have been constructive. Most of the book is about the wanderings of Hoilday and Kate while both plied their trades. I didn't find out anything new about the woman. I thought the book was a bit bland. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.
October 16, 2019
I've read every book and seen every movie I could find on the era of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. None of those mention the women of this era in anyway except a passing remark. Chris Enss has done an excellent job of presenting the life and times of Big Nose Kate. I enjoyed this book from the first page through the last. With Enss talented writing and clear enjoyment in the craft, Kate's contributions to western history can be appreciated by all.
December 15, 2019
This book tells the story of a woman who went by many names throughout her life, but was most famous for being the lover of Doc Holliday. I enjoyed all the descriptions of life in frontier towns in the late 1800's. The author did a good job of covering Kate's life with the small amount of facts available.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!
December 17, 2019
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you have read about Wyatt Earp, you most certainly have heard about Big Nose Kate. This book really gives you a better idea of how she ended up in Tombstone, meeting Doc Holliday, etc. But the story of Kate Elder is so much more, recommended reading!
If you have read about Wyatt Earp, you most certainly have heard about Big Nose Kate. This book really gives you a better idea of how she ended up in Tombstone, meeting Doc Holliday, etc. But the story of Kate Elder is so much more, recommended reading!
March 27, 2020
Probably my favorite non-fiction book I've read so far this year. The lover, long-time friend, nurse, and self-declared wife of legendary Doc Holiday leaps from the pages of this book. A fascinating trip back to the American West. Kate was tough, resilient, and her total devotion to a dying gambler makes for a great story.
December 6, 2019
I’ve recently become fascinated with Wyatt Earp and his brothers, plus his sidekick, Doc Holliday. I had heard of Big Nose Kate from other readings, but this book delved into her entire life. She was truly a gritty and determined woman until her last day.
January 19, 2020
I received this book from a GR Giveaway. Thank you to GR and Publisher for this copy. This review is voluntary and thoughts are of mine alone.
I enjoyed reading more about Kate, and I loved the pictures. Some of the narrative was redundant. Overall, a decent read.
I enjoyed reading more about Kate, and I loved the pictures. Some of the narrative was redundant. Overall, a decent read.
April 8, 2021
There were gaps in the books and I don't know if it was from the author or just lack of information. The author seems to drift away from Kate in the middle and focuses more on Doc and the Earp's. Overall though an interesting read about a lesser known character of the Wild West.
March 2, 2020
** I received a free copy in a giveaway **
A clearly well researched account of Kate Elder's life that takes into account her version of events with Doc Holliday & the Earp brothers.
A clearly well researched account of Kate Elder's life that takes into account her version of events with Doc Holliday & the Earp brothers.
March 6, 2020
What can I say? Chris Enss knows her audience, knows her subject, knows her genre. Well researched as usual. Eye opening.
April 21, 2020
Interesting book about a tough woman.
July 9, 2020
I'm still trying to process much of this, but I'm very glad that we're finally getting some reliable books on the women of the Tombstone story.
May 3, 2022
Dull, poorly written, DNF
Just painful. Erratic, poorly written, bounces all over the place. Gave up at Chapter Three. I really tried with this, but just couldn't.
Just painful. Erratic, poorly written, bounces all over the place. Gave up at Chapter Three. I really tried with this, but just couldn't.
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