The 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
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.
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
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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