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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Thank you #GoodreadsGiveaway for this book. Apologies that my review is so delayed, I made the mistake of lending the book to a friend and she didn't give it back until recently.
I deeply enjoyed the story of a young woman whom history mostly overlooks. Knight does a beautiful job of showing Adele's story of fame compared to her brother Fred's. The struggle Adele faces with love, Hollywood and fame is beautifully played out in this novel.
4 out of 5 stars, I would recommend this book to history fiction fans and those curious about Hollywood's golden age.
I deeply enjoyed the story of a young woman whom history mostly overlooks. Knight does a beautiful job of showing Adele's story of fame compared to her brother Fred's. The struggle Adele faces with love, Hollywood and fame is beautifully played out in this novel.
4 out of 5 stars, I would recommend this book to history fiction fans and those curious about Hollywood's golden age.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Adele Astaire, older sister of Fred, is also a dancer & becomes famous worldwide dancing with her brother. Though she has almost everything she has ever wanted, what Adele really longs for is a happy marriage & children. On a trip to England to perform a tour of shows with Fred, she meets Lord Charles Cavendish, & it begins to look as if her life may be complete. Working class Violet Wood has a job waiting tables at a London theatre but she dreams of being onstage. A stroke of luck sees her not only get a coveted place in the chorus but she becomes friends with famous dancer, Adele Astaire.
This is a dual narrator story with alternate chapters from Adele & Violet. Although it is based on Adele Astaire's life, it is a fictional take & the author says that Violet is an amalgamation of several aspiring young stars of the time. I'd never heard of Adele Astaire before seeing the book online & reading it prompted me to look into her life further. It seems she was a gifted dancer & had a sense of comic timing onstage. Off-stage things weren't so good as she seems to have had a troubled personal life after retiring from dancing - she gave birth to three children but all of them died shortly after birth, plus there was the loss of her first husband at a rather young age.
I thought it was an interesting read but I wasn't really that interested in Violet's chapters. I understand that they allowed the author to show the other side of London life away from the glittering stage but she was a bit nondescript compared to Adele. I did enjoy the cameo appearances from several famous people from history including the Prince of Wales (future Edward VIII - i.e. the one who abdicated), Deborah Mitford, & Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy.
This is a dual narrator story with alternate chapters from Adele & Violet. Although it is based on Adele Astaire's life, it is a fictional take & the author says that Violet is an amalgamation of several aspiring young stars of the time. I'd never heard of Adele Astaire before seeing the book online & reading it prompted me to look into her life further. It seems she was a gifted dancer & had a sense of comic timing onstage. Off-stage things weren't so good as she seems to have had a troubled personal life after retiring from dancing - she gave birth to three children but all of them died shortly after birth, plus there was the loss of her first husband at a rather young age.
I thought it was an interesting read but I wasn't really that interested in Violet's chapters. I understand that they allowed the author to show the other side of London life away from the glittering stage but she was a bit nondescript compared to Adele. I did enjoy the cameo appearances from several famous people from history including the Prince of Wales (future Edward VIII - i.e. the one who abdicated), Deborah Mitford, & Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Terminal illness
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, War
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for a complimentary copy of this novel!
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!!! I felt it was well researched! Reading it makes me want to go and do more research on the Astaires and also on the relationship between Wallis and Edward. Adele and Fred, sister and brother, were dancing duos in NY in the 1920s. Adele ends up befriending and encouraging an up & coming dancer, Violet Wood. Their friendship lasts the remaining of their lives. Adele suffers the loss of her husband and children. Then England and eventually America get pulled into WW2. The women do their part to aid the war efforts. Despite everything Adele endured, she made the best of it and succeeded in life! This novel is currently available for purchase as of June 6, 2023.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!!! I felt it was well researched! Reading it makes me want to go and do more research on the Astaires and also on the relationship between Wallis and Edward. Adele and Fred, sister and brother, were dancing duos in NY in the 1920s. Adele ends up befriending and encouraging an up & coming dancer, Violet Wood. Their friendship lasts the remaining of their lives. Adele suffers the loss of her husband and children. Then England and eventually America get pulled into WW2. The women do their part to aid the war efforts. Despite everything Adele endured, she made the best of it and succeeded in life! This novel is currently available for purchase as of June 6, 2023.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
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:
No
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am always a fan of giving a spotlight to the lesser known but still important people of a bigger story.
At the beginning of their career, Adele didn't play second-fiddle to her brother, Fred, but history remembers her that way due to her lack of physical screen presence. It's said that there are no known existing recordings of her dancing on Broadway and most people when they think of Fred Astaire partners, think of Ginger.
I was disappointed that this wasn't a historical piece solely focused on Adele and that the author added a fictional character Violet, but I understoof why Violet was added. Without her we wpuldn't understand a lot of the context going around Adele at the time, as Adele was highly priviledged at a time when most people were living handout to handout.
Good book, made me want to learn more about Adele.
At the beginning of their career, Adele didn't play second-fiddle to her brother, Fred, but history remembers her that way due to her lack of physical screen presence. It's said that there are no known existing recordings of her dancing on Broadway and most people when they think of Fred Astaire partners, think of Ginger.
I was disappointed that this wasn't a historical piece solely focused on Adele and that the author added a fictional character Violet, but I understoof why Violet was added. Without her we wpuldn't understand a lot of the context going around Adele at the time, as Adele was highly priviledged at a time when most people were living handout to handout.
Good book, made me want to learn more about Adele.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol
Minor: War
hopeful
medium-paced