Book for review courtesy of NetGalley ~ HarperCollins Focus
I'm surprised there haven't been more divorce ranch novels as they seem rife with juicy plot possibilities. Divorces were difficult for either sex to obtain. Nevada, a state known for being loose with their laws - legal gambling, prostitution and what not - gave women the right to declare residency for six weeks as proof they intended to live apart from their spouses. Divorce ranches were half resorts, half boarding houses. The women were given safe, clean, comfortable lodging and meals. Often the ranches had swimming pools and offered excursions into Reno for shopping and gambling.
Lucy Hedrick's novel Six Weeks in Reno offers a glimpse into life at a divorce ranch. Evelyn Henderson remarks of herself "According to gossip columnist Walter Winchell, she is traveling west to get “Reno-vated.” Evelyn models to earn money because her husband has been unemployed for 20 years. She joins a group of ladies at a divorce ranch to await her day in court. But one of the ladies may have nefarious intentions. The story is a bit static, with no real conflict. Hedrik doesn't really give the ladies much backstory, which is important to show divorce has myriad causes. Evelyn's story is compelling, but the novel falls flat because what little conflict there is shows up late in the story with no real tension in the build up. Despite this Six Weeks in Reno is a unique look into a niche aspect of women's history.
