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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
yay for finish books Alayna!!!!!!
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC of this book. I had no real prior knowledge of Adele Astaire before reading this book. She and her husband, Charles showed up in another book that I read that was set at Chatsworth, the Cavendish family home. Adele had a wonderful relationship with her younger brother, Fred. They were quite a team and toured and performed extensively.. while performing in London, Adele befriends and mentors an aspiring dancer, Violet Wood. Violet’s roots are from the poorest part of London, and she works as a waitress to help support her mother and younger sister. Adele gives her the push and break she needs to break through and become a star. The story is told by both ladies and covers the stages of London during the reign of the bright young things where Adele is courted by the future king of England, the time during the war, where Adele spends a lots of time doing war work by entertaining the troops while her husband is literally dying from alcoholism at their home in Ireland. Violet and her younger sister work in a munitions factory in the country. Violet and Adele reason friends through it all. I felt that while there was clearly a lot of research completed and the story was compelling, it could have been more cohesive. There were a lot of loose ends and stories begun but not finished. All in all a good read by a favorite.
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've always been fascinated by the mystery of Adele Astaire and appreciated the thorough research.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, War
Beyond the glamour and parties, dancing and romance...STARRING ADELE ASTAIRE shows us a woman who loves being her brother's dance partner but keeps her dream of a husband and a house full of children tucked close to her heart. Along the way she meets Vi, a London waitress who longs for the stage, and the two become fast friends - a friendship that lasts through endless shows, two decades, two countries, and starkly different life experiences. From the Roaring Twenties to VE Day, you'll cheer for their triumphs and wipe a tear over their losses, while marveling at Knight's meticulous research that brings the story to vibrant, energizing life. Recommended read!
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this one. I never knew about either of them but what a life they both ended up leading.
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I’m a big lover of movie musicals, and especially of dancers like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, so I knew a bit of history going into this book. According to a biography I read of Adele’s famous brother, she was the real talent who could have gone just as far as Fred in the movies if she wanted to. The problem was, she didn’t want that.
Told in two different narratives, Adele’s first-person narrative, and a third person narrative of an East End dancer named Violet, I found that I didn’t like the format much even though I was enjoying the story. Violet’s story was interesting, but sometimes I didn’t feel like it belonged in a book about Astele Astaire; it felt like padding out the story. Later on in the story it made more sense, but in the beginning Violet seemed superfluous.
As I’d mentioned, Adele was the better dancer, and was funny and vivacious and real showstopper in real life, yet there were only a few times I felt that personality come through in the book.
Adele had been dancing with her brother since they were little kids on the vaudeville stage and wanted to settle down and have kids. As she neared age thirty, she wondered if she’d ever have the opportunity to meet a suitable man. As she and Fred travelled from Broadway to London and everywhere in-between, she realized how much she loved England. Through the course of the book, she falls in love with two men, but you could tell William, her first beau, wasn’t going to last. Much more interesting was the man that became her husband, with all the complexities a real relationship has.
While I overall enjoyed this story, I sure wish there had been some author’s notes at the end of the book to get to know Adele better; I feel like the story just scratched the surface of her character at times. And in case you’re wondering, Fred only makes brief appearances, which is fine, because enough is known about him, and this is his sister’s story.
I received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I’m a big lover of movie musicals, and especially of dancers like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, so I knew a bit of history going into this book. According to a biography I read of Adele’s famous brother, she was the real talent who could have gone just as far as Fred in the movies if she wanted to. The problem was, she didn’t want that.
Told in two different narratives, Adele’s first-person narrative, and a third person narrative of an East End dancer named Violet, I found that I didn’t like the format much even though I was enjoying the story. Violet’s story was interesting, but sometimes I didn’t feel like it belonged in a book about Astele Astaire; it felt like padding out the story. Later on in the story it made more sense, but in the beginning Violet seemed superfluous.
As I’d mentioned, Adele was the better dancer, and was funny and vivacious and real showstopper in real life, yet there were only a few times I felt that personality come through in the book.
Adele had been dancing with her brother since they were little kids on the vaudeville stage and wanted to settle down and have kids. As she neared age thirty, she wondered if she’d ever have the opportunity to meet a suitable man. As she and Fred travelled from Broadway to London and everywhere in-between, she realized how much she loved England. Through the course of the book, she falls in love with two men, but you could tell William, her first beau, wasn’t going to last. Much more interesting was the man that became her husband, with all the complexities a real relationship has.
While I overall enjoyed this story, I sure wish there had been some author’s notes at the end of the book to get to know Adele better; I feel like the story just scratched the surface of her character at times. And in case you’re wondering, Fred only makes brief appearances, which is fine, because enough is known about him, and this is his sister’s story.
I received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced