praise for GONE TO DALLAS, The Storekeeper, 1856-1861
“A lovely work of historical fiction, eminently readable and richly embroidered with period detail. This reader gets a Louisa May Alcott feel from this first-in-a-series historical novel, and that’s high praise! Laurie Moore-Moore projects a tale of decency and resourcefulness that is fundamental to the continuing identity of the American West in general and of Texas specifically.”
Paul Hobby
Founder, Genesis Park, LP and Former CEO, Texas Monthly
“The first line where Sara’s husband lies dead immediately pulled me into the story. Add the well-researched historical detail to a plot full of twists and turns and this was a real page turner for me. I certainly want to read the next book.”
Dr. Sharon Skrobareck
Member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas; Alamo Citizens Advisory Committee; and Associate Member, Bexar County Historical Commission
“Sara was fascinating—a strong and enterprising young woman. She had the grit and moxie that Texas women are known for. A good fictional read with real historical events thrown in—an interesting twist. I come from a long line of strong Texas women so I find Sara and the other women in this story inspiring.”
Teresa Burleson
Director, Stockyards Museum, Fort Worth; Western Music Association Female Poet of the Year, 2017 and 2019
“Fiction and fact combine to personalize and to introduce people to history. GONE TO DALLAS is the compelling story of a young widow who must build a new life in the 1850s in Dallas, a tiny log-cabin village. Sara’s story is compelling and teaches us—in a fascinating narrative—what was actually happening in Dallas at the time. !A recommended read to learn Texas history in an enjoyable manner.”
Douglass W. McDonald
Former CEO of The Alamo
“I was fascinated by this story. Beginning with the wagon train journey to Texas to the challenges of building a new life in a tiny, log-cabin village, it had the right balance of compelling story telling and historical details. I found it to be a brilliant book! It left me wanting to know what happens to each of the characters through the Civil War and beyond.”
Sam Tucker
Area Director of Sales and Marketing, The (historic) Adolphus Hotel and Hotel Emeline!
"A female protagonist who’s Tennessee Smart and Texas Tough! GONE TO DALLAS captures an historically accurate essence of what early Texas was like and how committed and tenacious early settlers had to be to make it—especially the women!”
Dr. W. Arthur (Skip) Porte
Professor and Associate Dean for Innovation, College of Natural Science, University of Texas at Austin (retired)!
"Finally! Historical fiction about the early days of Dallas! Though there are many books in this genre, there are few that tell the unique story of Dallas pioneers. Meticulously researched, it was such fun to encounter historical names I'd long known but never truly explored. It was refreshing to read about a female shopkeeper, especially !knowing Dallas' later history as a shopping destination. It was truly a pleasure to read this story about my home town."
Melissa Prycer
Historian
"Sara is a very engaging character, and I had to admire the way she handled herself when she got to Dallas and made the decision to stay. Her resourcefulness and determination served her well as she worked to establish a general store despite the many challenges. Some of those challenges were her own doubts about whether she could do this without Morgan, and her train of thought as she talked herself out of giving up was very realistic . . .The cast of characters in this story are fascinating with personalities that shine with realism and quirkiness. Some of the characters are based on real people who were instrumental in the founding of Dallas, such as John Neely Bryan, as well as the immigrants from Belgium, France, Germany, and Switzerland. The blending of those characters with the fictional ones was smooth and made the story all the more enjoyable to read. I highly recommend this book for readers who want a story with a strong female lead, an intriguing storyline with a touch of sweet romance, and some tidbits of history."
Maryann Roberts
It's Not All Gravy
“Moore-Moore has a knack for breathing life into characters, endearing them to you instantly. But while you are able to identify who can be trusted and who should be avoided rather quickly, the author is quite skilled at taking a sharp turn into a totally unexpected, yet completely plausible, series of events. I appreciated the thought put into including important pieces of history, even the unsavory bits, in order to serve the reader with a story that is quite robust . . .If you’re someone like me who is looking for hope and inspiration, you will love this book (GONE TO DALLAS). I can’t wait to read the next installment of the series.
Missy Gonzo
“. . .when the opportunity to read GONE TO DALLAS, The Storekeeper 1856-1861 was offered to me, I jumped at the chance! What a smart move on my part! Moore-Moore has written a real page-turner with her great western novel about a young, just married woman who leaves her family behind and joins a wagon team headed for Dallas, Texas to start a life as a Mercantile store owner . . . Moore-Moore has created a terrific protagonist that one can not help but root for, be impressed with, and want to support . . .This is the perfect blend of history and fiction!"
Julia Picks 1
“Hats off to Laurie Moore-Moore for hatching such an impressive plot that is patch
worked with an eclectic variety of characters. Prosaic daily life is mixed with plenty of
exciting twists, making GONE TO DALLAS an excellent choice for readers looking for
a bit of history, a strong female lead, a few evildoers, and a smattering of sweet
romance. What’s more, GONE TO DALLAS is a fun glimpse into a fledgling cow town
on the western frontier, complete with dirt roads and land grants for people willing to
settle and build a life in the unforgiving and volatile North Texas landscape. It is almost
impossible to imagine Dallas as anything but huge and modern, but GONE TO DALLAS
gives us a truly captivating fictional peek into the past of this great metropolis
through the eyes and the lives of a superb cast of characters.”
Ruthy Jones
Reading by Moonlight
"I did not know what I was going to get when I picked up GONE TO DALLAS, by Laurie Moore-Moore, but the title was intriguing and the book delivered. Entertaining while informative, GONE TO DALLAS is a good story. There aren't enough of these stories published anymore, and I'm glad I found out about this one through this blog tour . . .a good book and a page turner. It's historical fiction that keeps the reader interested. I'll remember Sara and her friends for some time to come.”
Sydney Young Stories
"Sara and her new husband are determined to make a life in Dallas. The trip from Tennessee is arduous and Sara learns some unpleasant things about her husband. Reaching Dallas without him, she fights to establish a future for herself in the rough and tumble town. . . .I found this book fascinating for its rich historical details. From the wagon train across the South to the brash new town of Dallas, the author entertains us with well known historical characters and events as well as more obscure facts about the town and the fledging state of Texas. Laurie Moore-Moore clearly knows her early Texas history and brings to life a long gone era . . .I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, western fiction, and readers interested in Texas history."
Book's Delight
"I found Moore-Moore's knowledge and ability to write an enthralling story while still teaching me a thing or two (and more) about Texas quite awesome. Above all, Sara's character is really my favorite part of this story because she makes for a strong and lovely character. This (story) has heart and so I recommend it to anyone who shies away from westerns / historical fiction (ahem, me). This work gives a great blend of having heart and being interesting that will keep any reader captivated until the last page.!"
Book Fidelity
“After years of researching Dallas history while heading up the Trinity River Corridor Project, I found the book Gone to Dallas riveting in its telling of the earliest days of Dallas city history. What a remarkable feat. I loved reading this book.”
Dr. Gail Thomas
Founder and Former President, The Trinity Trust and Co-founder, The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
“I was hooked at the very first sentence! Sara is a formidable, likable young woman supported and challenged by a whole host of engaging and interesting characters. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. The balance of storytelling and interesting historical detail was just right. . . . I’m eager to follow Sara in the sequel.”
Debbie Botelho
Early Reader, Vancouver Island, Canada
“Creative and captivating. GONE TO DALLAS is that rare debut novel you won’t want to put down. Scrupulous research. Laurie Moore Moore makes history real again with a compelling story set in early Dallas, Texas. If every history class would have been this interesting, we would all have been history majors. Remarkable and memorable. Five stars!”
Dan Gooder Richard
author of THE GOOD OR EVIL SIDE: MATAMOROS 1846
“I confess. I read the “Notes on the Story’s Characters” first. Even though the author warned it contained spoilers. To my delight the notes tickled my interest to meet the real historical figures salted throughout Gone to Dallas as the story drew me in. So few books give credit to women in the early west. Gone to Dallas is a strong story about even stronger women. A book I’ll definitely recommend to my reading group.”
Synnove B. Granholm
retired CFO, Arlington Virginia
“An unforgettable journey into the exciting yet turbulent times of a young Texas and the town of Dallas and beyond. Well written with a cast of characters that will capture your heart with their tenacity and spirit as they journey into unknown territory. Superb writing.”
BJ Mayo
Author of Alfie Carter and Sparrows of Montenegro
“GONE TO DALLAS has the reader hooked from the first page! Sara becomes a companion to the reader who roots for her all the way through her historically based adventure. The reader grows with Sara through her trials and tribulations, and at the end yearns for her next adventure.”
Linda Grams
Linda Grams
"Be swept away in GONE TO DALLAS, you'll feel like you're there and be captivated by all that happens. Looking forward to the sequel!”
Sarah Mashburn
Nardi, Florida
"The book is filled with many intriguing characters and it was interesting to read on the author’s website who was actually a part of Dallas’ history. Check out the bonus content but be aware there might be some spoilers…so maybe save it for after you read the book. And this is the second book I have read this year that talks about camels in Texas. Who would have ever guessed? There is going to be a sequel to this book called Cotton, Cattle and Conflict (per the author’s website) and I cannot wait to see how the story continues. There are so many other characters that contributed to the success and growth of Dallas and I am eager to learn more about this time."
Storybook Reviews
"GONE TO DALLAS The Storekeeper 1856-1861 is the first in a series by author Laurie Moore-Moore. This gem of a book is a fresh, historical story surrounding Sara. The killer first sentence of this book draws any reader in. Then the power of this story quickly turns to a business-savvy woman who can handle a gun. Starting on a wagon train in Tennessee, Sara, a young bride starts a journey to Dallas with her new husband. The story soon becomes a resplendent historical fiction of the early days of Dallas, Texas – with a lot of truthful history. While, Sara proves to be a resourceful, strong woman, GONE TO DALLAS is also a story that envelopes a cast of characters. GONE TO DALLAS! is historically accurate and is quite engaging, as well as well-researched. If you are a lover of historical Texas fiction then this first book by Moore-Moore is a must-read."
Forgotten Winds
“I was hooked at the very first sentence! Sara is a formidable, likable young woman supported and challenged by a whole host of engaging and interesting characters. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. The balance of storytelling and interesting historical detail was just right. . . . I’m eager to follow Sara in the sequel.”
—Debbie Botelho
Early Reader, Vancouver Island, Canada