Michelle M

Outstanding!

Revisado: 04-23-25

Five stars for the story and Five stars for the afterward. Nat Cassidy, you are amazing. Thank you for choosing to continue your work.

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Fantastic

Revisado: 10-31-24

I loved this story so much. This is one that I wish that I could listen to again for the first time.

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Wonderful

Revisado: 10-20-24

I’m not sure that I have the words to do a proper review. It was wonderful, insightful, honest, and thought provoking. Thank you, Miranda. Love oo

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Excellent

Revisado: 04-22-24

Interesting and well told story. It was difficult to put down, start to finish. I will put other John Boyne books on my tbr and wishlist.

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Not good

Revisado: 04-09-24

Even at 2.0, the narration still seemed to slow. I did not connect with the characters and the twists didn’t pull me back in.

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Stories about Early Hollywood

Revisado: 03-24-24

I was very happy to receive the hardcover book that I ordered from Amazon, though I would have preferred the option to buy from an independent bookstore. The cover is beautiful in person and will be prominently displayed on my bookshelf.

Much of the story dealt with the psychology of the young actors during the emergence of the talking pictures. I found it interesting to read about the union issues in New York and how that gave rise to productions moving to the West Coast. The development of the Screen Actors Guild was also interesting, as well as the politics of the actors and studios during that time.

While mentioned throughout, I didn’t feel like Mary Astor was the primary focus of the telling. I enjoyed reading about the other well known actors of the time, and Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davis specifically.

The story did, however, highlight the struggles of a young Lucille to find her place in the World, apart from being Mary Astor. I love to know that the Catholic Church was a comfort to her. I appreciate knowing that she came to understand and embrace her vocation as a writer.

What I struggled with:
The font in the beautiful book was too small for me to read comfortably. Thankfully, there is a beautifully narrated version on Audible. The ebook is also available.

The flow was not chronological, so I felt lost at times. There were some interactions that were repeated, I think to provide context when a telling picked back up - after having been started in an earlier chapter.

I would have preferred a more chronological story, but I still enjoyed the book. It’s sparked a new interest in the early days of motion pictures. I loved the psychological view and can imagine that modern actors face similar challenges.

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Fantastic!

Revisado: 02-19-24

I wonder why this isn’t required reading in high school or college. Maybe it is. Through Nora’s self-discovery, it encourages one to look at one’s own regrets ~ but also the opportunities each day holds.

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Creepy!

Revisado: 02-07-24

Nat Cassidy is a treasure. I loved Mary, An Awakening of Terror. This one was different and scary, and also very well written.

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Good story

Revisado: 01-23-24

The end was very abrupt. I feel like it should have offered a wrap up.

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Long, repetitive

Revisado: 01-11-24

The author had to recap what happened so that even the characters could understand what the heck happened. The repetitive parts held little to no meaning to the story. I am just happy to be done with it, narrowly avoiding the dnf shelf.

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