Stained Glass Rose
This book tells the story of a murder that took place in 1937 in Grand Junction's Barbary Coast brothel district. The author's research intimates plausible solutions to the many mysteries still surrounding the case.
- Published
- 2002
- ISBN
- 978-1-890437-61-9
- Pages
- 143
- Publisher
- Western Reflections Pub.
- Listed at
- $16.13
Publication details from Open Library. The price shown is the last one on record and is historic, not a current offer. Cover image courtesy of Open Library.
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About this book
Stained Glass Rose is a short historical novel by D. A. Brockett, set in Grand Junction, Colorado, in the 1930s. It grows out of a real crime: the 1937 murder of a young woman in the city's Barbary Coast brothel district.
The Historical Novel Society review says the author found the historical record too thin for a work of nonfiction, so she filled the gaps with invented details. The story follows Rose Padrini, the daughter of an abusive Italian immigrant, and Marietta Morris, a brash woman who draws Rose toward the edge of prostitution and murder, according to a Grand Junction Daily Sentinel notice about the stage version.
The catalogue description says the author's research suggests plausible solutions to the many mysteries still surrounding the case. Per the same review, the afterword recounts the known details of the actual crime. Open Library lists the first edition as 2002.
Who it is for
Stained Glass Rose is for readers of historical fiction and for people interested in Grand Junction and Western Slope history. The afterword's account of the actual crime will also interest readers who want to know where the fiction leaves off. The Historical Novel Society reviewer found the book uneven, so treat this as a regional novel rather than a polished literary one.
Ways to use this book
Reading the 1937 news coverage yourself
If the crime itself interests you, the microfilmed Daily Sentinel is the place to look for how the city first reported it. Contact Mesa County Libraries before you go, since the guide says the Rashleigh room is reached by appointment.
Pairing a novel with a Western Slope trip
Readers who plan a stay in Grand Junction can add a drive through Colorado National Monument. Read the monument's history pages first, then browse our Colorado books at /library/ for more regional books to take along.
Go deeper
The case behind this novel belongs to Grand Junction in 1937. These pages point to the local newspaper record, the city's wider history and a national monument that sits just outside town.
Rashleigh Regional History Room guide
A Mesa County Libraries guide that says the Daily Sentinel is on microfilm from 1893 to 2010 and lists other local papers, including the Plateau Voice runs that cover the late 1930s.
Grand Junction in the Colorado Encyclopedia
A general reference article on the largest city on Colorado's Western Slope, with photographs of downtown in the 1920s.
Colorado National Monument history pages
The National Park Service's history section for the monument near Grand Junction, covering its people, its stories and its Civilian Conservation Corps road and buildings.
Good to know
Is Stained Glass Rose fiction or nonfiction?
Was the murder real?
Has it been adapted?
What are the page count and first publication year?
How do I get a copy of Stained Glass Rose?
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