Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance

March 27, 2025

Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance

Elsie Gruner escaped her family’s hog farm in rural Ohio by eloping with an aspiring actor. They travel across the country to Hollywood, earning money by hustling players at pool halls. When they arrive in Hollywood, Elsie takes a job in a cafe while her husband Walt struggles to break into the movies. But Walt is just a hustler, a mediocre actor who only gets small parts. Elsie dreams of being a dress designer and she gets her chance  when she wins an internship to an American art school in Rome. But Elsie is soon swept up in a dangerous game that threatens to end her budding career almost before it starts.

The 1950s are one of my least favorite eras to read about, because of the paranoia, the persecution, and the super-rigid morality. Anyone who wasn’t mainstream was wrong - if you associated with anyone who had subversive views, your job and your future could be in serious trouble. Gossip could ruin your life. Elsie/Lena, the main character, is extremely naive and is caught up first by a con man and later by a spy ring. A little too much description of costumes and studio in-fighting and name dropping, which made the narrative drag. Disappointing, not as good as the author’s earlier books. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Film studio circa 1950

Christine Falls by Benjamin Black

August 2, 2024

Christine Falls by Benjamin Black

Quirke is a pathologist and a functioning alcoholic in Dublin in the 1950s. Late one night, drunk after a holiday party with the hospital staff, he stumbles into the morgue to find a new body has arrived, a very young woman who supposedly died from a pulmonary embolism. After is brother-in-law, a well-known OB-GYN, falsifies the dead woman's records, Quirke is determined to get to the bottom of the case, unaware that he is exposing himself to powerful outside forces that don't want him digging into the girl's death.

A literary mystery set in Dublin by the Booker prize winning author John Banville. Examines Irish cultural and societal values in the 1950s, including family, religion, and the laws of the time. Christine Falls is the name of the dead girl, not a location. The setting, overall darkness, the brushes with the underworld, the complex plotting, and the main character Quirke will remind you of noir fiction. Recommended for readers who enjoy the complex plotting of Stuart Turton and Stieg Larsson.

Typical morgue in the 1950s

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

June 26, 2024

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A mid-level  movie studio decides to make a film called The Seventh Veil of Salome. Every actress and starlet in Hollywood auditions for the role of Salome, but everyone is surprised when the director selects an unknown Mexican actress for the part. A struggling actress believes the part was stolen from her and is convinced that if she can get rid of the other actress, she will be able to step into the part.

This is a different direction for Moreno-Garcia, purely historical fiction with nothing mythical or supernatural. Three women, all struggling to find their identities and be heard in a male-dominated world: Salome, daughter of Herodias, niece of Herod Antipas, Princess of Idumea; Vera, a Mexican actress and newcomer to Hollywood; and Nancy, a struggling extra who has been trying to get her big break in Hollywood for ten years, convinced that she could be a major star. Two parallel storylines, one the life of Salome, the other the movie being made about her. Although there are multiple POV and narrators, I did not find it at all confusing. We are supposed to hate Nancy, the villain of the piece, but really she is her own worst enemy, sabotaging herself at every turn, so it's hard not to feel sorry for her for her dumb choices. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction, especially about the golden age of Hollywood.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Traditional depiction of Salome

Three Boys Missing by James A. Jack

January 1, 2024

Three Boys Missing by James A. Jack

On Sunday, October 16, 1955, three boys from the Jefferson Park neighborhood in northwest Chicago went to a movie at a downtown movie theater. They never returned home and were found murdered two days later. James Jack was one of the original detectives assigned to search for the missing children, and he details the case. The investigators were under pressure to solve the case quickly - little did they know that it would take 40 years to bring the killer to justice.

I live just north of Jefferson Park and I know the areas in this book very well. This crime occurred in the pre-Internet era, and police work was very different in the 1950s than it is today. Now there are surveillance cameras everywhere and there have been great advances in DNA testing. It does seem like the police spent a lot of time chasing down pointless leads. A number of the officers had fixed or pre-conceived ideas about who committed the crime - one of the persistent ideas was that a gang of teenagers had killed the boys. Most of the suspects brought in for questioning were guilty of something, just not of murdering the three boys. One witness starts filming the scene and a police officer is disgusted and confiscates the film - they'd be shocked that in 2023, everyone has a camera on their cell phone and people record everything. With law enforcement agencies not cooperating or communicating with each other, it was a wonder than any crimes were solved.

Milwaukee Avenue where much of the action in the book takes place, in the 1950s

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

December 23, 2023

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

David is an American expatriate living in Paris in the 1950s. David's girlfriend Hella, another American, is in Spain trying to figure out what is going on in their relationship. David is strongly attracted to other men and is doing his best to fight/hide his inclinations, which are more acceptable in Paris than in America. When he becomes involved with a beautiful young Italian man named Giovanni, he begins a downward spiral that threatens to destroy both their lives.

I have been meaning to read this for a long time. I felt emotionally drained and sad at the end of the book. The two main characters struggle to come to terms with their identity, their masculinity, their sexuality. David knows on an intellectual level that he should fit into the expectations of society, his father, and his girlfriend, yet he is unable to resist Giovanni. His self-loathing prevents him from accepting Giovanni's love and seeking the life he secretly longs for, while Giovanni is willing to throw everything away for David. Daring for its time, still a classic today.

Paris in the 1950's

Picasso's Lovers by Jeanne Mackin

November 16, 2023

Picasso's Lovers by Jeanne Mackin

Pablo Picasso changed women like some men change their clothes. Nobody was off limits, and he didn't care if he hurt his wife Olga or whoever was his current mistress. He looked upon these women as his muses, his inspiration, and if he was going to paint a woman, he was also going to have sex with her. When aspiring journalist Alan Olsen receives an assignment from an art magazine to write something new about Picasso, she gets more than she bargained for.

I really liked Mackin's previous book The Last Collection, about Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel. I didn't find this one quite so compelling, probably because I'm not a huge Picasso fan. I found the last third of the book to be predictable, no surprises here, and I found myself doing a lot of skimming. If you're a big Picasso fan or read only historical fiction, you'll probably enjoy this one. If you're a woman, you'll probably think Picasso was a real jerk who used women and then tossed them aside. Just saying.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Irene Lagut, an artist who was a contemporary of Picasso and also one of his lovers

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

August 26, 2023

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

Memorial Day 1958. The citizens of Jewel, Minnesota, gather to remember those killed in the country's wars. But the festivities are interrupted when the body of a wealthy but unpopular resident is found floating in the river. Suicide, accident or murder? If it's murder, Sheriff Brody Dern has no shortage of suspected, since many locals had a reason to hate the victim.

This is a stand-alone novel, not part of the author's mystery series. The plot is complicated, and there are a lot of characters, so many that I started keeping a list of their relation to the dead man. The river is a character on its own, since so many scenes are enacted on its banks. Ultimately the story is about the human condition that we all share - almost all of the characters experience some kind of loneliness or alone-ness, and many are still traumatized by the wars of the the 20th century. While I didn't enjoy it as much as This Tender Land, it is still a remarkable novel, highly recommended to readers of literary fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Minnesota river

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

June 29, 2023

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

Marion Brooks has always wanted to dance, but even though she is extremely talented, her family discourages her, pushing her toward a "normal" life as a homemaker and mother, or if she insists on working, as a teacher, secretary or nurse. When she is hired to be a Rockette, instead of being happy for her, her father threatens to disown her. Marion decides to follow her dream and loves being a Rockette, but a serial bomber attacks the theater with dire consequences for her family. The police discount Marion's information because she is a woman, but she is determined to force them to listen to a psychologist who has a theory about the bomber.

Like the author's previous books, this is a well-researched historical novel that centers on a famous building in New York. Lots of history about the Rockettes as well as information about their dance/precision style. There are dual timelines set in 1956 and 1992. Marion's father seems repressive about her life choices, but things weren't that different in the 1970s when I was growing up. Anyone who enjoys dance or crime fiction will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at Radio City Music Hall.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Rockettes' famous "fall" during the Toy Soldier sequence

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

June 5, 2022

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson

Honey Mary Angeline Lovett is the adopted daughter of Cussy Mary Carter, one of the original pack horse librarians in Kentucky. Blue-skinned like Cussy, Honey and her parents have been hiding from the law all of her life. When her parent are arrested for their mixed-race marriage, 16 year old Honey has to find a responsible adult to look after her until she turns 18. Honey moves in with an old friend of her mother's, and to support herself, joins the Pack Horse Library Project, picking up her mother's old route. In the course of her work, she meets Pearl, the first woman park ranger in the state. Honey and Pearl both have to fight for their freedom to work and live independently.

I didn't enjoy this sequel as much as I did the first book (The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek), but it was still a good read. There was a little too much calamity, just one disaster after another. But the characters are engaging and the story is well-researched. And Junius the bad-tempered mule is still with us.

An Appalachian homestead like the ones Cussy and Honey would have visited

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

March 2, 2022

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

In June 1954, 18 year old Emmett Watson returns to his family home after serving a prison term at a juvenile work farm for involuntary manslaughter. His plan is to pick up his younger brother and then head for California to start a new life, and possibly find their mother who left them years ago. Their plan is to drive the Lincoln Highway. But two convicts from the work have followed him home and they have plans of their own. 

I loved the author's two previous books, so nobody was more surprised than me that I didn't love this one. Emmett wasn't the protagonist or even the main character, and they don't travel on the Lincoln Highway. There's a road trip but it goes toward the east coast. There are a lot of silly antics by silly side characters. The plot (if you can call it a plot) is silly, too. The whole tone of the book was off somehow - even when there is a scene that involves a beating or murder, there is a clownish tone. I just didn't connect with any of the characters or the story. Although it got a lot of positive reviews, I'd give it a miss.

This is Happiness by Niall Williams

December 22, 2020

This is Happiness by Niall Williams

Change is coming to the small town of Faha, located on the western coast of Ireland where nothing has changed for a thousand years. Not only is electricity being installed, the rain has finally stopped.

Noel Crowe is 17 years old when the changes come, living with his grandparents. The death of his mother triggered a crisis of faith that caused him to leave the seminary in Dublin. Christy, one of the workers installing the electricity, comes to lodge with the family, but his job isn't the only thing that has brought Christy to Faha. 

Lyrical prose, beautiful descriptions, and endearing characters are all reasons to read this slow-moving story where not much happens but so much happens.  The story will stay with you long after you finish the book.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

April 27, 2020

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

After receiving a frantic letter from her recently married cousin Catalina, Noemi Taboada is sent by her family to visit Catalina and scope out the situation.  Traveling to a remote mountainous region of Mexico, Noemi arrives at High Place, the family home of the English Doyle family.  The house is isolated and neglected with a group of secretive and silent residents who follow a set of strict house rules.

The local doctor informs Noemi that Catalina has a mild case of tuberculosis and requires rest and good food to recover.  The family quickly squashes Noemi's efforts to bring in a psychologist to examine Catalina, and it becomes clear that Noemi is an unwelcome, meddlesome guest.  Soon after arriving at the house, Noemi begins to experience a series of disturbing dreams or hallucinations.  At the same time, she continues to push for more information about her cousin's condition and unexpectedly uncovers horrific secrets about the Doyle family that could threaten her very life.

There are strong gothic overtones similar to Wuthering Heights or Rebecca:  creepy setting, perpetual fog or mist, run-down old house, controlling patriarch, rigid housekeeper, imprisoned wife.  There is a little bit of everything here:  gothic, mystery, horror, historical fiction, folklore.  

I didn't like this one as well as Moreno-Garcia's first book Gods of Jade and Shadows.  But if you like your fiction with a dose of weird, this could be for you.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

October 13, 2019

The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley

After solving her first case, 11 year old Flavia de Luce is sure that her career as an amateur sleuth is over.  Then a well-known puppeteer is electrocuted in the middle of a performance at the church hall, and Flavia finds herself once again in the thick of it.  The death of a local child five years earlier and a patch of marijuana plants are also somehow involved in the investigation.  Meanwhile, Flavia’s widowed stamp-collecting father continues to have financial problems threatening the family home, and his sister Felicity comes from Hampstead to try to sort them out.

I wasn’t sure I liked Flavia in the first book in the series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, but she grew on me.  As a kid, Flavia can go snoop in all kinds of places and ask questions that adults are too polite to ask.  Her knowledge of chemistry comes into play more than once in the story.

One of the things I dislike about the series is that it takes at least 1/3 of the book to get to the mystery - there is a lot of time spent on setting up the scene.  However, I do enjoy Flavia’s eccentric family and quirky neighbors.  Aunt Felicity in particular surprises Flavia in this book by telling her that she looks and acts exactly like her late mother Harriet, and to pursue her dreams (Flavia always thought Felicity was an old stick in the mud).

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis

July 6, 2019

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis

The Chelsea Hotel in New York was always a home for artists and eccentrics.  Meeting on a USO tour during World War II, Hazel and Maxine form a friendship that lasts after they return home.  Maxine goes to Hollywood to try to break into the movies, while Hazel moves into the Chelsea Hotel and works on an idea for a play.  Another Chelsea resident reads the play and hooks Hazel up with some of her theater connections.  Maxine’s movie career has stalled, so she returns to New York and takes a room at the Chelsea. When she hears that Hazel’s play will be performed on Broadway, she is determined to star as the leading lady.  Maxine secures the role, but it results in disaster as both women and many of their friends are swept up in McCarthyism, HUAC, and the communist witch hunts of the 1950s.  I can’t think of another novel that addresses the activities of HUAC and the consequences for artists, actors, and others in the creative fields this well.  The Chelsea Girls would make a great book club book, since there is much to discuss here.

(If you don’t know what HUAC was, it was the House Un-American Activities Committee, originally formed to investigate the possibility of spies sending information to Russia, but quickly descended into a witch hunt focusing on the entertainment industry.  Sort of like a precursor to Homeland Security.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in return for a review.