San Francisco, 1915. As America teeters on the brink of world war, Charmian and her husband, famed novelist Jack London, wrestle with genius and desire, politics and marital competitiveness. Charmian longs to be viewed as an equal partner who put her own career on hold to support her husband, but Jack doesn’t see it that way…until Charmian is pulled from the audience during a magic show by escape … by escape artist Harry Houdini, a man enmeshed in his own complicated marriage. Suddenly, charmed by the attention Houdini pays her and entranced by his sexual magnetism, Charmian’s eyes open to a world of possibilities that could be her escape.
As Charmian grapples with her urge to explore the forbidden, Jack’s increasingly reckless behavior threatens her dedication. Now torn between two of history’s most mysterious and charismatic figures, she must find the courage to forge her own path, even as she fears the loss of everything she holds dear.
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I absolutely was so wrapped up in this book! I was hooked immediately! This book is about the complex relationships of the London’s and the Houdini’s ! My first book by Rebecca Rosenberg and I can’t wait to read all her future books !!
This was a remarkable story about Charmian London, a strong & resilient woman, and her adoration and love for Jack London, and their unusual relationship with the Houdini’s. This beautifully written novel renewed my appreciation for the eloquence of Jack London.
I loved this historical novel by Rebecca Rosenberg. It was amazing that, given the twists and turns, all the facts are correct. It was very difficult to put down and I learned several things that I had had no idea about, within the fascinating lives of the Londons. Charmian had such strength of character and Rebecca did a great job in showing this and the depth of feelings for all the characters. My bookclub read this book and everyone loved it and we had some very good discussions.
I really like historical fiction and a book about Jack London and Houdini…all the better! From the wife’s point of view. Always thought of Jack London as the outdoor, healthy guy…but we get a different story when read through the eyes of the wife. And did you know about Houdini’s help in the war efforts?
Two men, all know to us, and the love triangle that existed between them. This book weaves their lives together at a time in history when our country was close to going to war.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.
Charmian is Jack London’s second wife. He broke up his family to marry her. Their relationship is complicated. She’s more than his wife. She becomes his typist, editor and manager. She knows that he betrays her with other women, but she continues to love and protect him. Charmian is an amazing woman. She’s a talented author but her work with Jack doesn’t allow her to grow. I enjoyed The Secret Life of Mrs London. It’s a compelling story. Even after Jack London’s death, she protects his image and his work. Her involvement with Harry Houdini who is Jack’s opposite gave her love and tenderness she needed. However, he was married and Bess was her friend. Her story amazed and intrigued me. What drew these talented men to Charmian? She was a force of nature. Watching how she changed throughout the book touched me. Rebecca Rosenberg pulled me in to the world of a literary genius, a death defying magician and the woman they both loved.
This was an interesting, well-written debut novel focused on the life of Charmian London.
Charmian London was the second wife of Jack London, the famous author. While I learned a ton about who Jack London was, I can’t say I really liked him. He comes across as selfish and demanding and although there is no doubt about his intellect, he was quite frankly a bit of a dolt. The time period definitely has a hand in this, but I wonder what Charmian could have become without Jack London monopolizing every minute of her life?
Charmian herself was a facinating woman, although she was prone to poor judgement it seemed. She definitely couldn’t keep her hands off her “friends” husbands and I’m curious to know just what it was that attracted these high-profile suitors. It certainly didn’t take her long to seek out Houdini after Jack died.
Overall, the writing and attention to detail the author provided was beautiful and transported me easily into the years this story took place. Her descriptive writing style left my imagination both satisfied and wanting more. I spent quite a bit of time looking up pictures and further information on characters and places that grabbed my interest throughout the novel.
I look forward to reading more from this author!
Wow! What an awesome book! I could totally see this happening for real in the life of Jack London’s wife, Charmian. This book has it all, from the jet-setting lives of the rich and famous, to the behind the scenes work of author, Jack London, and escape artist Harry Houdini. Mrs. London has front row seats to it all. I love the trip to Hawaii, as the husband and wife team work on new books, and try to recapture their long time romance. The emotional impact of this book at times is heart-wrenching, as Mrs. London does everything she knows to do to get her husband’s attention. And then the events in the second half of the book, with even more of an emotional roller coaster, I couldn’t stop reading this story. It’s totally captivating from the first page until the last. I highly recommend this book, The Secret Life of Mrs. London. A must read!
This well-written book tells the story of Charmian London, wife to famed author Jack London. A feminist before the word was coined, she was a strong woman, but her husband seemed to be old fashioned in his views of the female sex. Taking place in 1915 in San Francisco, Charmian finds herself oddly drawn to Houdini (yes THAT Houdini) when she is picked out of an audience to partake in one of his illusions. Eventually Charmian and Jack meet both Houdini and his wife, and this book allows that they, too, were facing some challenges in their marriage.
The characters jump right out of the pages of this book. Going well beyond a love story, they are quite complex and very interesting.
Charmian had put her own career aside so that her husband could continue his, but he doesn’t seem to appreciate that at all; it seems he just expected it to be so. She helps him with his writing – she types and devotes herself to helping him become successful, even as she once dreamed of being a writer herself. After she meets Houdini and his wife, she realizes she could have a future all her own and not just as the wife of famous Jack London.
Oooooo Mrs. London. I feel so bad for you. You were certainly born in the wrong time. Not only did I feel for her, but I connected to her in some ways.
Mrs. London (Charmian) is the wife of Jack London who is a renowned writer. I know a small bit about his work, but not enough to express an opinion really. Mrs. London is also friends with the Houdinis. Yes, the famous Harry Houdini that we all know and scratch our heads at. I liked Harry’s wife too. She was fun and I wish we got some more time with her.
I couldn’t stand Jack. Sure, I was intrigued and a part of me felt bad since he was in a lot of pain and his wife was always wanted more and more sex from him and you could tell he either didn’t have the time or was in pain. However, I thought he was a jerk a lot of the times and he was pretty open with his affairs (which most men were in the day). Don’t get me wrong…Charmian was not a perfect angel either she had her affairs as well. Honestly, I think she made a mistake marrying Jack. She should’ve picked Lawrence. I think she would’ve been happier with him. Just my opinion though 😉
There were some dry spots here and there. Overall, though, I was hooked and I couldn’t put the book down. I wanted to see what would happen next. I had my hopes that Charmian would get her wish to come true, but as time passed that wish would dry up and I felt so bad for her. I think if she was able to get her wish she might’ve been happier in her marriage. We’ll never know though.
I find the writing was done well and I am curious to see what else this author has in store for us. Maybe she can show the Houdinis POV! I want to learn about that wife of his who will forever live in Harry’s shadow. Poor girl. I liked her a lot.
In the end, this was good. I liked it a lot. Some dry spots, but I stayed hooked. If you like historical fictions or even want a good people book, I recommend this. Now….what shall I stamp this with? Mhmmmmmm….I’ll give it 4 stars.
I have to admit to not knowing much about the lives of Jack and Charmain London–which may have been an asset in reading this book. It meant that I could simply enjoy it as a work of fiction, without being too concerned about how accurately it portrayed their lives.
I found myself fascinated by the relationship between the Londons and the Houdinis as presented in this story. While Charmain seemed to find Houdini so very different to Jack, I thought they were remarkably similar–they both treated their wives badly while giving much more attention to other women, they both appeared to be very ego-driven and self-centered. Meanwhile, Charmain and Bessie, for the most part, accepted the men as they were and stayed in their marriages BECAUSE of who the men were, in my opinion.
This book is very well written and gives a great look into the literary/celebrity world during the WWI era. As a first novel, it’s a roaring success, and I look forward to future efforts from this author.
I thought this book was incredibly well written and brought the characters to life and made me feel as if I was there, in that era. What interesting lives Charmian and Jack and Houdini lived, so fun to find out that history in a most entertaining way. Looking forward to Ms. Rosenberg’s next book!
Most of us are familiar with these two names from twentieth century history: Harry Houdini and Jack London. But, what about Bessie Houdini or Charmian London? These women, the wives of Houdini and London, were the cornerstones of their husbands’ careers and the ties that kept all four friends and co-conspirators for most of their public lives.
Charmian London is the central character for Rebecca Rosenberg’s outstanding new novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON. While this is a fictionalized story of her life and marriage, it is so much more. Charmian isn’t “just Mrs. Jack London.” This story takes place during the early years of the 20th century when women’s roles are changing as rapidly as the political and economic world around them. Charmian makes the most of these tumultuous opportunities. While fulfilling her role as Mrs. Jack London, she was Jack’s worthy opponent in the boxing ring! She was a published writer, an artist and a pianist, a horsewoman and liked to hike and sail.
Charmian was Jack London’s second wife. It is thought that that his first wife was the mothering type and, when that relationship failed, he looked for and found a “mate” in Charmian. Charmian was alluring because she could stimulate him intellectually. She was sexually uninhibited and didn’t succumb to hysterics when Jack made her life miserable or fearful from his demands as an alcoholic or a famous writer. She was well read and well educated. Most important, Charmian recognized exactly when to push or pull Jack through his regular traumatic episodes. Rosenberg’s excellent writing brings out each of Charmian’s characteristics, carefully timed and without hitting us over the end with them. She takes the same care with each character without making them maudlin or unlikeable. Each character maintains a slight sense of mystery.
THE SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON is also the story of the Houdini’s and their marriages. The London’s and the Houdini’s were four strong people in two tenuous marriages where the women were very independent and at the same time dependent on the men in their lives. Both Bessie and Charmian found their security in the men they married.
Rosenberg uses excerpts from London’s writings and from Charmian’s diary to give the reader even more insight into these characters. She adds subtle but spicy enough details to keep whetting the reader’s appetite for more. What is missing in the book is a little more context of 1915 and the world around them. Rosenberg gives us some details but not enough until we get to the onset of the WWI.
Rosenberg never relents on the themes of love and passions, art and craft. Her characters resonate and, as a reader, I always need one I can root for. In this case it was Bessie Houdini….I really cared about this woman I had never heard of before reading THE SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON, a book that easily met all my expectations. Thank you, Rebecca.
Rebecca Rosenberg does an excellent job of fleshing out the back stories and quirks that made Jack London, Houdini, and Charmian London such interesting and charismatic public figures in an age of giant personalities.
The Secret Life of Mrs. London is a very well written slice into the early to mid-20th century in the United States. The geography, social stratas and mindsets are authentic, as are the publicly accepted views of the London’s and the Houdini’s. this is a period novel that is very hard to put down, and a look into the society of that time I found both interesting and important.
The Golden Age brought us many larger-than-life luminaries in a time when we needed heroes to distract and encourage us to keep moving through the trying days of world wars and injustices and economic collapse. Without the distraction of both the personalities and the works of those heros, more of us would have fallen by the wayside. This novel covers – very well – the driving forces behind three of those mythical beings we saw only in golden silhouette. Ms. Rosenberg takes us into the grit behind these celebrated personages without destroying the spirit that made them our heroes.
My father was, while in his cups, able to quote whole segments of Jack London novels and as a child I tackled several of his works – those about dogs and sea creatures – when I ran out of Uncle Buddy’s Zane Grey novels. In my thirties I re-read bits and pieces of London works to my little rug rats, and re-read a few of my own childhood favorites. Pushing 70, this novel has me anxious to start the cycle over again.
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel based on fact from Netgalley, Rebecca Rosenberg, and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
Rebecca Rosenberg’s novel is a unique insight into the life and times of Jack London through the perspective of his wife Charmian. The reader becomes engaged in Charmian’s life and difficult choices. For both men and women, this novel allows us to participate in the quest of an amazing woman who has overpowering characters who are both her allies and antagonists: Jack London and Harry Houdini. The book is a page-turner.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the character of Mrs. London. I did not previously know anything about Jack or his wife, and reading this novel prompted me to dig into the facts. I would recommend this quick, entertaining read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s a work of fiction based around historical people and I found that so intriguing. Jack London seemed like a mysterious genius and Charmian was his balance and could understand his depth of thought. I liked several lines from the book and this one fit me…”Jack’s thought process dazzles and befuddles average folks.” Charmian was able to take his thoughts and ideas and fine tune them. Charmian’s love for Jack was what kept her with him even through his moods. She said in one part of the book, “Jack is the tornado and I am the vortex that keeps him swirling.” Another quote that was in the book about how much Charmian loved Jack was this: (Charmian speaking) “Her favorite passage from “On the Makaloa Mat” “But oh, all the Pierce-Arrows and all the incomes in the world compared with a lover, the one mate, to be married to, to toil beside and suffer and joy beside , the one male man lover husband.” To me she loved Jack no matter what he did or how he was….as messed up as their life and “free love” thoughts were. He was an eccentric and never cared about if there was enough money or what he did to get what he wanted. She was a strong woman to love him through all he did. Then there is the part of the story where the Houdini’s are woven into their lives. Very interesting that they were actually friends and their lives intertwined after they met. I love historical fiction and this fit that so well. TY netgalley for the kindle version of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. I’m a huge historical fiction nerd. This book was so enthralling. Highly recommend
Wow! A very good book. I liked everything about this book; beautiful cover, excellent characters and a very unique setting. The Secret Life of Mrs. London is an intriguing work of historical fiction and if you like a deep and emotionally complex book with historical settings, this book is for you. It really is a great read. I want to thank the publisher and the author for a free ebook copy of this book.
Loved…loved…loved…this book!! What an incredible story! I truly did not want this book to end. Loved the style of writing. A definite must read!!!! I look forward to future books by this author.
Lindas Book Obsession
My Review of “The Secret Life of Mrs. London” by Rebecca Rosenberg. Lake Union Publishing, January 30, 2018
Rebecca Rosenberg , the Author of “The Secret Life of Mrs. London” has written an entertaining and captivating novel. I appreciate the way that Rebecca Rosenberg weaves the Genres of Historical Fiction and Fiction into her story. The timeline for this story is approximately 1915 in San Francisco, and takes place in other locations as well. This story takes place on the brink of World War One.
The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. This novel and characters would make a sensational movie. Some of the characters are motivated by power, political agendas, philosophy, self-worth, jealously, competitive natures, intelligence, creativity, artistic and literary achievements, romance and emotions and desires.
Charmaine London is the wife of famous writer Jack London. Charmaine types Jack’s stories and is at times a sounding board for his ideas, and at other times possibly a formidable partner in marriage. In this story, there seems to be the mention of feeling “free”. At times Charmaine seems dependent and held back by Jack’s possessive and jealous nature. Charmaine has also dabbled in writing, and at times wants the independence. Charmaine, her aunt, Jack’s sister seem to exist together in a dysfunctional way. Jack sometimes behaves in a toxic way, and it reflects in his health and the way he invests his finances.
During a magic show, Charmaine is pulled out of the audience by Magician Harry Houdini, to participate in his act. Harry Houdini is charismatic ,creative and motivated in his own way. Harry Houdini’s marriage is strange to say the least. There is an immediate attraction between Charmaine and Harry. Harry also enjoys risk and danger.
I was fascinated by the historical background, and both men’s lives. I would highly recommend this novel to readers that enjoy, Historical Fiction. I received a copy of this Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review.
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