{"product_id":"quite-contrary-the-litigious-life-of-mary-bennett-love-9780896728745","title":"Quite Contrary: The Litigious Life of Mary Bennett Love","description":"\"California s first liberated lady\" \u003cbr\u003e Mary Bennett Love had a physicality exceeded only by her personality. Six feet tall and over 300 pounds, Love was anything but shackled by the mores of her day. In the 1840s, she moved west from Arkansas via the Oregon Trail. A few years later, she separated from her husband and took her six minor children to Santa Clara, where she acquired a Mexican land grant by forging an adult son s signature.\u003cbr\u003e Though illiterate, she knew the law thoroughly and used it to her advantage. No sooner had the American military invaded California than Mary squatted on public lands and engaged in dozens of lawsuits to advance her interests. Her love life was no less tumultuous. Harry Love, her second husband and slayer of Mexican bandit Joaquin Murrieta, died at her bodyguard s hands.\u003cbr\u003e \"Quite Contrary\" is the first book to focus on Mary Bennett Love. Aside from making for an entertaining story, she is representative of the relationship people had with the law in pre-Gold Rush California. Furthermore, her economic success demonstrates the often self-imposed notions of true womanhoodwhich Mary ignored, paving the way for future female entrepreneurs.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Texas Tech University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/15\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780896728745\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.02lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.25h x 6.44w x 0.79d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward:\u003c\/b\u003e WILLA Literary Award - Winner","brand":"David J. Langum","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":38606662369461,"sku":"9780896728745","price":29.71,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_ad800847-dd09-4858-878d-f5215269cec5.jpg?v=1614085848","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/quite-contrary-the-litigious-life-of-mary-bennett-love-9780896728745","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}