''Fearless, A Novel of Sarah Bowman'' is a 1998 novel of

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...

by Lucia St. Clair Robson. The novel tells how Sarah Bowman arrived in

Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi ( ; ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, Texas, Nueces County with portions extending into Aransas County, T ...

in 1845, to work as a laundress for the army that

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States ...

had assembled to invade Mexico in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

. Sarah Bowman was a historical figure and much of what is depicted in this novel is based on actual accounts of incidents. Sarah Bowman also makes an appearance later in life in another of Robson's novels, Ghost Warrior.

Plot summary

In 1845, Mexico would not relinquish its claim to Texas, and the U.S. prepared for war. Under the command of General Zachary "Old Rough and Ready" Taylor, Sarah signed on as a laundress and cook and bivouacked with Taylor's army in Corpus Christi, preparing for an attack by Mexico. Before the war even began, though, her husband was killed. But going home was out of the question. She considered the army her home and its soldiers her family. Nowhere else would her courage and compassion be so much needed and appreciated. While the battle raged around her, Sarah became a familiar figure through the haze of sulfurous blue smoke and the stench of exploding gunpowder, riding among the flames to retrieve the wounded. Through the long years of bitter battle, she would find love in the arms of a sergeant with eyes as golden as a flame, and friendship in the company of Cruz, a mexican woman whose personal history encompassed the war in all its passions and horrors.

External links

''Fearless, a Novel of Sarah Bowman'', author's website
1998 American novels American historical novels Western (genre) novels Novels by Lucia St. Clair Robson Novels set in Texas Biographical novels Novels set during the Mexican–American War Fiction set in 1845 Culture of Corpus Christi, Texas Ballantine Books books Zachary Taylor {{1990s-war-novel-stub