A woman sets out on a cross-country road trip, unknowingly tracing in reverse the path her mother traveled thirty years before. “Tender, touching, original, and rich with delicious period detail of Hollywood’s heyday—buckle up, because you’ll definitely want to go on a road trip after reading this delightful book!”—Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home In the … The Girl Who Came Home
In the 1950s, movie star Louise Wilde is caught between an unfulfilling acting career and a shaky marriage when she receives an out-of-the-blue phone call: She has inherited the estate of Florence “Florrie” Daniels, a Hollywood screenwriter she barely recalls meeting. Among Florrie’s possessions are several unproduced screenplays, personal journals, and—inexplicably—old photographs of Louise’s mother, Ethel. On an impulse, Louise leaves a film shoot in Las Vegas and sets off for her father’s house on the East Coast, hoping for answers about the curious inheritance and, perhaps, about her own troubled marriage.
Nearly thirty years earlier, Florrie takes off on an adventure of her own, driving her Model T westward from New Jersey in pursuit of broader horizons. She has the promise of a Hollywood job and, in the passenger seat, Ethel, her best friend since childhood. Florrie will do anything for Ethel, who is desperate to reach Nevada in time to reconcile with her husband and reunite with her daughter. Ethel fears the loss of her marriage; Florrie, with long-held secrets confided only in her journal, fears its survival.
In parallel tales, the three women—Louise, Florrie, Ethel—discover that not all journeys follow a map. As they rediscover their carefree selves on the road, they learn that sometimes the paths we follow are shaped more by our traveling companions than by our destinations.
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4.5 stars. Absolutely NOT what I was expecting at all. I was thinking this would be a mindless, fluffy Hollywood novel and it was not at all.
This book takes us back into the twenties after the First World War. The girls who had painted the dials on the watches used by the soldiers were suddenly coming down with unusual illnesses—anemia, teeth loss, spontaneously broken bones. They’re dubbed “The Radium Girls”.
The novel follows two of this girls as they travel across the country from New Jersey to Nevada. In a separate timeline, we follow Louise, daughter of one of the radium girls, years later when she is traveling in the opposite direction… LA to New Jersey. She discovers important facts about her mother’s history that affect her present.
I would definitely give this a read if you like historical fiction at all.
Ms. Brockmole put a great story – again. I remember my Mom talking about those “Tin Lizzys” & imagine 2 women driving across the U.S. – courageous! I don’t km\now those, but I was around with McCarthy commie search and the loss of jobs. I blame more interested in the cross country travel of those 2 women!
Great summer read
Learned a little bit of ‘radium girls’ history. Interesting characters. Quick read.
Reading what happened to those workers was shocking. Realistically, it is probably still happening in other fields despite all the safety regulations.
One of the most original reads in a long time. This story, set in the 1940s forward, is a fascinating story that will prove a great memory for those who remember those times and a good introduction for those who came along decades later. The story is a fabulous one of love and devotion that stretches backward and forward through time. Read it! You’ll be glad you did.
Great story but a little sad too. Interesting jumps between 1926 and `1952 with good information about both times periods. I thought the Author did a great job with her research.
worth reading
Jessica really researches her topics to the fullest and I love the way she writes about that aspect at the end of the book. She creates characters that make the era she is writing about really come to life and a story that you can’t put down.
Quite honestly, I can’t remember, it has been awhile but I did enjoy the book.
Better than I thought it would be.
I liked the character and thought the setting and story line compelling, but I found the transitions between the present and past a little confusing, and didn’t understand the relationship between the two story lines, initially, so had to go back to reread parts to make sense of it.
If you like stories of old Hollywood, this is for you.
Not my style, but appreciate the author’s efforts.
Good story – good characters – misunderstands and finally comprehension. learned a great deal about an unusual medical condition.
Slow and boring
Boring.
This book takes a few pages to understand. Once you get into the narrative, both stories are interesting and it is a great travelogue of the American Southwest. It also gives insight into the old Hollywood studio system. It is an interesting read, if not the most entertaining book I have ever read.
So so