The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

September 18, 2023

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

While preparing an exhibit of Hollywood costumes, a museum curator comes across a gown with a tag that says the designer was Zora Lily. But the curator has no idea who Zora Lily was. Seattle 1924 - Zora Hough's family lives in near poverty, but Zora is a talented seamstress and dreams of designing gowns for the rich and famous of Hollywood, even as she shares a bed with two of her sisters. In the evenings, she enjoys going with her friends to Seattle's speakeasies, where she meets a special man. But then her lover is deported for bootlegging and Zora is devastated. When she is offered the change to work on a movie in Hollywood, she decides to take a chance at achieving her dream of being a fashion designer.

I love fiction about the Golden Age of Hollywood and especially about costumes, design, and sewing (I have a 1920s fashion print hanging in my bedroom). The story does not really have a dual timeline - the museum curator in 2023 merely sets up Zora's story and then winds in the threads at the end. Zora is a very likeable character who makes some dumb mistakes (but if she didn't, there wouldn't be a story) but not so dumb that they can't be fixed. Zora is totally disillusioned when someone else takes credit for her work (like this has never happened to any of us). The descriptions of the speakeasies and the glamorous clothes were wonderful. Historical fiction recommended for readers who enjoy Fiona Davis and Melanie Benjamin.

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

Greta Garbo wearing one of her iconic gowns

The Joyce Girl by Annabel Abbs

June 10, 2020

The Joyce Girl by Annabel Abbs

Lucia Joyce, daughter of writer James Joyce, was a talented dancer in her own right.  Living in Jazz Age Paris, Lucia is exposed to all the latest ideas, a wide variety of artists and writers, and a night life that caters to all tastes.  But the family has some dark secrets that prove to be too much for Lucia's fragile psyche.  As her behavior becomes increasingly erratic, her family has her committed to a sanatorium and arrange for psychoanalyst Carl Jung to treat Lucia with the "talking cure."

Lucia's life began full of promise, but sadly her talent was never realized.  She excelled in gymnastic maneuvers as well as modern dance, and had artistic talent as well, studying drawing with Alexander Calder for a while.  Lucia pursued her interests to the point of obsession, whether it was dancing eight or more hours per day, making plans to open a dance school, or stalking her current love interest.  She was drawn to Irish writer Samuel Beckett and became obsessed with him, believing they were fated to be together even though Beckett was only interested in her father and did not return Lucia's adoration.  After Beckett spurned her, she transferred her hopes to Calder, although her obsession with Beckett stayed with her for the rest of her life.  While her father loved her dancing and considered her his muse, he wanted her to dance only for him and not professionally.  Her mother Nora did not approve of or support her dancing at all, and after a promising stage debut, her parents discouraged her from continuing with dance.  At the age of 22, Lucia decided she was not strong enough to be a dancer and that she would try teaching dance instead, but that soon fell apart as well.  Without the structure of dance, Lucia's life quickly fell apart.  After suffering a breakdown in 1930, Lucia became increasingly unstable mentally, and she was committed to a psychiatric hospital in 1934.  She remained institutionalized for the rest of her life.

Lucia Joyce doing her mermaid dance

Written in the first person in Lucia's own voice, the author provides a look into a damaged soul.  There are hints of incest with both her father and brother which are very disturbing.  Overall, I was interested in Lucia's life but the writing was a little flat.  There are too many descriptions of Lucia lurking in hallways waiting for Beckett, and also for Calder, although it does help to illustrate her obsessive nature.  Although her biography states that Beckett and Lucia were lovers for a short-time, Abbs does not have them consummate their relationship.  I did love the sepia-toned Jazz Age picture on the cover.

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