Book Description:
“Without sin, can we know beauty? Can we fully appreciate the summer without the winter? No, I am glad to suffer so I can feel the fullness of our time in the light.”
Upstate New York, 1928. Laura Kelley and the man she loves sneak away from their judgmental town to attend a performance of the scandalous Ziegfeld Follies. But the dark consequences of their night of daring and delight reach far into the future.…
That same evening, Bohemian poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and her indulgent husband hold a wild party in their remote mountain estate, hoping to inspire her muse. Millay declares her wish for a new lover who will take her to unparalleled heights of passion and poetry, but for the first time, the man who responds will not bend completely to her will.…
Two years later, Laura, an unwed seamstress struggling to support her daughter, and Millay, a woman fighting the passage of time, work together secretly to create costumes for Millay’s next grand tour. As their complex, often uneasy friendship develops amid growing local condemnation, each woman is forced to confront what it means to be a fallen woman…and to decide for herself what price she is willing to pay to live a full life.
“Lovers of the Jazz Age, literary enthusiasts, and general historic fiction readers will find much to love about Call Me Zelda. Highly recommended.” –Historical Novel Society, Editors’ Choice
My Thoughts:
The story of Fallen Beauty is told in turns from the two Main Character, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Laura Kelly, an unwed mother/seamstress. It is fiction but Edna St. Vincent Millay is the famous poet from the mid 1930. She routinely packed auditoriums for her readings. Laura Kelly was a fictional character.
It took me awhile to warm up to this story but I am glad I stuck with it. It captures the time and place and once I got use to it, the writing was exquisite! Because Laura was an unwed mother and the way the priest in the town was portrayed in the story. It sometimes reminded me of ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne. However, it really is much different with a much different ending. That’s about all I can say without giving major spoilers but if you like historical fiction, the Jazz Age, and/or literary fiction, you should read Fallen Beauty! I highly recommend it!
4/5
I received the ebook through Net Galley for my honest opinion.
About Erika Robuck:
Erika Robuck has appeared on the Southern Independent Bestseller List for Call Me Zelda and is the critically acclaimed author of Hemingway’s Girl. Born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, Erika was inspired by the cobblestones and old churches. She is a contributor to the popular fiction blog, Writer Unboxed, and maintains her own historical fiction blog called Muse. For more information please visit www.erikarobuck.com, and Twitter @ErikaRobuck.
Thanks to Courtney Landi of Berkley/NAL, Penguin Group USA, I am giving away one print copy. Sorry, this giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on March 19, 2014. Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
the person sounds interesting
I admit I know even less about Edna St Vincent Millay than I did Zelda/Hemingway interests! I like that she has taken a more unknown character to fictionalize for us.
A compelling book which interests me greatly.
I’ve just been reviewing your old reviews, Teddy, from before when I followed the blog regularly. I’ve never read the book; I’m intrigued by the plot and hot cover. But, you have me laughing out loud imagining the permutations of a jazz age Scarlet Letter Redux. Thanks for that late night brain candy! Cheers — Kara
I’m glad I could make you laugh!