Calamity Jane examines the life and self-created legend of Martha Canary, a frontier worker and performer associated with the Black Hills and Deadwood. It follows her varied employment, travel and public claims of scouting and military adventure, many of which are difficult to verify.
The biography considers her friendship with Wild Bill Hickok, later appearances in western shows and the autobiographical pamphlet that helped shape her reputation. It places the celebrated persona against a harsher history of poverty, unstable work and the limited choices available to women on the frontier.
