Thursday, August 27, 2015

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: The Forgotten Flapper

02_The Forgotten Flapper_CoverThe Forgotten Flapper: A Novel of Olive Thomas (Forgotten Actress Series, Volume 1) by Laini Giles

Publication Date: August 1, 2015 Publisher: Sepia Stories Publishing Formats: eBook & Trade Paperback Pages: 411 Genre: Historical Fiction/Biographical Add to GR Button A presence lurks in New York City’s New Amsterdam Theatre when the lights go down and the audience goes home. They say she’s the ghost of Olive Thomas, one of the loveliest girls who ever lit up the Ziegfeld Follies and the silent screen. From her longtime home at the theater, Ollie’s ghost tells her story from her early life in Pittsburgh to her tragic death at twenty-five. After winning a contest for “The Most Beautiful Girl in New York,” shopgirl Ollie modeled for the most famous artists in New York, and then went on to become the toast of Broadway. When Hollywood beckoned, Ollie signed first with Triangle Pictures, and then with Myron Selznick’s new production company, becoming most well known for her work as a “baby vamp,” the precursor to the flappers of the 1920s. After a stormy courtship, she married playboy Jack Pickford, Mary Pickford’s wastrel brother. Together they developed a reputation for drinking, club-going, wrecking cars, and fighting, along with giving each other expensive make-up gifts. Ollie's mysterious death in Paris’ Ritz Hotel in 1920 was one of Hollywood’s first scandals, ensuring that her legend lived on.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Review: I love reading books about local people. I didn't realize when I signed up for this tour exactly how local Olive Thomas was. Olive Thomas was born in Charleroi, PA.
That's where I live!!!
I couldn't believe it when I saw my town on the first page of the book I was reading. That was a huge reason for me to keep reading. I never knew we had such an illustrious person in part of our town's history, even though Olive and her family moved closer to Pittsburgh at a young age.
I really love how Laini portrayed Olive. I loved her as a ghost, which really is said to haunt the New Amsterdam theater in New York. But it was really learning about Olive's life that will pull you in. She was quite a "character," in every sense of the word.
She was definitely the epitome of the small town girl that longs to break out. She did whatever she could to get where she wanted to be including becoming a part of the scandalous Midnight Frolic show that was part of the Ziegfried Follies.
Olive is just a fun loving inquisitive girl. A good time girl, as some would say. I hated knowing what her fate was because she was really the type of person you were rooting for. I really wish she would have had a chance to turn her life around.
This was a great read and it was from one of my favorite time periods in American history. If you are a fan of old Hollywood this is definitely a book for you.
Rating: 5 flowers

03_Laini Giles_Author ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native of Austin, Texas, Laini Giles grew up the daughter of bookworms, and became a Nancy Drew devotee early on. When she realized there might be no escape from hairy tarantulas and bad guys with guns, she put her detective dreams on hold and wrote about them instead, finishing her first mystery novel with custom illustrations when she was eight. It was this love of mystery combined with a love of old MGM musicals and The Marx Brothers that led her to check Kenneth Anger’s Hollywood Babylon out of the library during her formative years. Ideas began to simmer. A graduate of the University of North Texas, she put the writing on hold for a while when real life got in the way (i.e.—she met and married her Canadian husband and headed north for maple-flavored goodies and real beer). She highly recommends moving to another country and not being able to work for a year for finishing any novels you may have laying around. Laini and her husband live in Edmonton, Alberta with their three gray girl cats, nicknamed The Supremes. For more information visit Laini Giles' website and blog. You can also find her on Twitter and Goodreads.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, August 3 Kick Off & Giveaway at Passages to the Past Tuesday, August 4 Interview at The Maiden's Court Wednesday, August 5 Book Blast/Spotlight at History From a Woman's Perspective Thursday, August 6 Review at Book Nerd Friday, August 7 Book Blast/Spotlight at What Is That Book About Monday, August 10 Review at Book Babe Tuesday, August 11 Book Blast/Spotlight at Room With Books Wednesday, August 12 Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More Thursday, August 13 Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog Friday, August 14 Spotlight & Giveaway at To Read, or Not to Read Saturday, August 15 Book Blast/Spotlight at Please Pass the Books Monday, August 17 Book Blast/Spotlight at A Literary Vacation Tuesday, August 18 Book Blast/Spotlight at Let Them Read Books Wednesday, August 19 Review at A Book Drunkard Thursday, August 20 Spotlight & Giveaway at View From the Birdhouse Friday, August 21 Book Blast/Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews Wednesday, August 26 Review & Giveaway at Raven Haired Girl Thursday, August 27 Book Blast/Spotlight at Svetlana's Reads and Views
Review at A Chick Who Reads
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