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A review by 100pagesaday
The Girl from the Savoy by Hazel Gaynor
4.0
Dorothy Lane, Dolly to her friends, has always dreamed of more for herself than to be a maid. However, as World War I approaches, her love, Teddy is sent off and things change drastically for them both. Teddy returns with shell shock and Dolly has endured much in his absence. Now, Dolly chases adventure in London where she finds employment as a maid to the stars at the Savoy. While at the Savoy, Dolly takes up an advertisement for a musician looking for a muse. Perry Clements is a struggling composer, his sister Loretta May is a starlet of the stage. Dolly agrees to inspire Perry while Loretta teaches her to stand out in a crowd and brings Dolly closer to the life she has dreamed about.
A tantalizing story about love, loss, recovery and ambition that spans World War I through the Jazz Age in London. Switching points of view between Dolly, Loretta and Teddy there is a very full view of the damaging effects of the war from every angle. Dolly's was the most intriguing for me as her secrets kept during the war unravel and she begins to finally realize her dreams. Dolly is a true dreamer and adventurer. I admired her resilience and ability to chase her fantasy life. Teddy's point of view was also crucial for me, even though it didn't quite fit in with the Dolly and Loretta's shared experiences. His struggle with shell shock and remembering what he could have had was very delicately done and drew me into his experience. Finally, what drew me into the book was the setting and time period, the glamour of the Savoy was brilliantly described and the mood of the time could be imagined through the descriptions of music, theatre, dance and dress.
A tantalizing story about love, loss, recovery and ambition that spans World War I through the Jazz Age in London. Switching points of view between Dolly, Loretta and Teddy there is a very full view of the damaging effects of the war from every angle. Dolly's was the most intriguing for me as her secrets kept during the war unravel and she begins to finally realize her dreams. Dolly is a true dreamer and adventurer. I admired her resilience and ability to chase her fantasy life. Teddy's point of view was also crucial for me, even though it didn't quite fit in with the Dolly and Loretta's shared experiences. His struggle with shell shock and remembering what he could have had was very delicately done and drew me into his experience. Finally, what drew me into the book was the setting and time period, the glamour of the Savoy was brilliantly described and the mood of the time could be imagined through the descriptions of music, theatre, dance and dress.