Testimonials
Testimonials
It is wonderful to finally read a book dedicated to the women who followed these outlaws. For the book to be written by a woman's point of view is a definite plus. You could tell Ms. Poulsen had done painstaking, indepth research to write a book of this magnitude. I could almost feel the ostracism of Evelyn Frechette, both as an Indian and as one isolated from her own people by her choice of lifestyle. -Linda Mattix, widow of Dillinger historian Rick Mattix.
From the Pen of Paul Maccabee: “Until Ellen Poulsen stepped forward with this meticulously researched book, the story of the 1930’s Public Enemies-era focused exclusively on gangland’s men, from Dillinger to Creepy Karpis – a tale of male bravado, bullets, bank vaults and banditry. The extraordinary accomplishment of Don’t Call Us Molls is Poulsen’s revealing, for the first time, the hidden lives of the women who loved these nefarious outlaws. It is an untold story of desperate romance, astonishing escapes, unspeakable brutality, covert abortions and intra-gang rivalries for the affection of men, both in and out of prison. Alternately funny and horrifying, Don’t Call Us Molls brings back to life a band of strangely compelling women – many of whom said farewell to their men as they witnessed their boyfriends’ arrest or death in a shoot-out.”
- Paul Maccabee, author, John Dillinger Slept Here: A Crooks’ Tour of Crime and Corruption in St. Paul
"The glamour that shone on their notorious male counterparts did not exist for these devoted outlaw ladies. Ms. Poulsen takes the spotlight and places it squarely on the face of these once mysterious gals. Ellen's thorough research allows the reader to fully understand, for the first time, the incidents that impacted these so-called paramours. I dare say, that Ellen reveals things about these ladies that the gangsters themselves didn't know. Ms. Poulsen's flair for writing excites the reader to move on to the next page as she reveals the truth behind the existence of the gun molls."
- Jeff Scalf, John Dillinger's Great Nephew
"Should upon up new pathways in gangster history and gangster collecting."
- Patterson Smith, Antiquarian Bookseller
- Lori Hyde, John Dillinger Historian
“Poulsen’s book fills a serious void in true crime annals by telling the real stories, mostly sad, of the girlfriends and wives of John Dillinger and his accomplices.”
– Anthony Brucia, co-founder, Partners In Crime (PIC)
“Poulsen brings an era to life. She strips away the façade of legend to give us the gritty reality of the Depression-era outlaws, the sound and smells and pure desperation. Her emphasis on the women of the gang opens a refreshing new perspective. The meticulous research and gripping story here will appeal to all those who continue to be intrigued by this fascinating time.”
--Jack Kelly, author, Mad Dog and Mobtown
"In Don't Call Us Molls, Ellen Poulsen has produced an indispensible addition to the library of any '30's crime afficionado. The result of careful research and crammed with enough new information and insights to satisfy the most rabid gangster buff, Poulsen retells the Dillinger gang story by a unique slant -- from the amazing case histories of the gang's women. Forget the cardboard stereotypes of the past: the "cigar-smoking gun moll" image projected by Bonnie Parker and the "disease-ridden harlot" fantasized by J. Edgar Hoover. Evelyn Frechette, Mary Kinder, Helen Gillis, Pat and Opal and all the rest emerge as real women and products of their era and environments."-Rick Mattix, co-author of Public Enemies: America's Criminal Past, 1919-1940; and Thompson, the American Legend: The First Submachine Gun