Modern Day Cowboy by Nathaniel Sheft is an urban fiction novel about the world of organised gun fighting and the main character’s journey to become a highly trained gun fighter while finding her purpose in life. The story begins in the small town of Sackville, somewhere in Canada. The reader meets Mattie, a young woman frustrated with the lack of prospects in her hometown. She still has not found a promising career a year after graduating from high school, and in her depression about her stagnant life, she doubts that Sackville could ever offer its residents more than dead-end piece jobs. Mattie finds her escape in alcohol and Westerns, though it is the romanticised Old West with its iconic outlaws that capture her imagination. She finds the female outlaws inspirational enough to develop an enthusiasm for guns, going as far as to apply for a job at Sackville’s gun shop. Her boss eventually lets her in on a secret organisation of gun fighting and paid duels. Eager to be a part of this world, Mattie agrees to move to Tucson, Arizona, where she will endure tough training in order to become a deadly draw winning big money each …show more content…
The author referenced the trope of the American West promising adventure and refuge from the laws of civilisation in the 21st century, which I thought was interesting. The contrast between the freedoms of the lawless olden days and the control and corruption of modern society was an aspect of the story I wanted to see explored in depth. What I also found new and refreshing was the author’s focus on female gun fighters. Sheft’s observations about today’s economic difficulties and lack of opportunities for new graduates did resonate with me, and they were quite catalytic motivations for Mattie to take up a dangerous but lucrative