Reaching For Reveries

Abandoned by her husband, Sena must fight past heartbreak and shame to carve her own path-will she weave a future in textiles or chase the spotlight and reach for her reveries?

Jennifer Toelle seamlessly blends history, fiction and images, inviting readers to embark on an unforgettable journey. This debut novel marks the beginning of the Sagacity Stories Series, an exploration of the human condition across generations spanning from her coming-of-age to her elderly years.

Book two starts and concludes with Sena, our main character, in 1948 California. Then, the story reverts to 1900, the setting of Book 1's ending. The historical context of Butte, Helena, and Missoula, Montana, is also included.

A brief biography of Franklin J. Pierce, proprietor of The Gem, a concert hall and high-class vaudeville theater in Missoula, Montana. It also features the Paumie Dye House in Butte, Montana. The historical narrative features several actors and actresses from the vaudeville circuits of 1900-1907.

Historic and social context explores Montana's Wine Room Laws, Women's Christian Temperance Union and anti-gambling laws. It also explores the struggles vaudeville theater encountered, especially in the western United States. It went from the saloons and their vices to professional performances of a higher caliber, creating a hazy boundary between vice and professionalism.

Book Club questions.