Fleeing the devastation of famine-ravaged Ireland, Frances Moriarty arrives in New York with nothing but grief and the memory of a lost love. To survive, she carves out a precarious, shadowy existence disguised as a shoeshine boy. But when rumors of the California Gold Rush ignite the city, Frances sees a desperate path to freedom.
Daring to stake her own claim, she embarks on the grueling overland trek toward the gold fields. Beyond the promise of wealth, Frances is searching for a rare sanctuary: a place where a woman can live, love, and thrive on her own terms.
Gold Digger is a meticulously researched debut novel that captures the grit of the American frontier. It is an epic journey of survival, reinvention, and the enduring power of queer passion in a world that demands conformity.