City of Flickering Light, Juliette Fay
City of Flickering Light, Juliette Fay
2 Rating(s)
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

City of Flickering Light

Author: Juliette Fay

Narrator: Lisa Flanagan

Unabridged: 11 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/16/2019


Synopsis

Juliette Fay—“one of the best authors of women’s fiction” (Library Journal)—transports us back to the Golden Age of Hollywood and the raucous Roaring Twenties, as three friends struggle to earn their places among the stars of the silent screen—perfect for fans of La La Land and Rules of Civility.It’s July 1921, “flickers” are all the rage, and Irene Van Beck has just declared her own independence by jumping off a moving train to escape her fate in a traveling burlesque show. When her friends, fellow dancer Millie Martin and comedian Henry Weiss, leap after her, the trio finds their way to the bright lights of Hollywood with hopes of making it big in the burgeoning silent film industry.At first glance, Hollywood in the 1920s is like no other place on earth—iridescent, scandalous, and utterly exhilarating—and the three friends yearn for a life they could only have dreamed of before. But despite the glamour and seduction of Tinseltown, success doesn’t come easy, and nothing can prepare Irene, Millie, and Henry for the poverty, temptation, and heartbreak that lie ahead. With their ambitions challenged by both the men above them and the prejudice surrounding them, their friendship is the only constant through desperate times, as each struggles to find their true calling in an uncertain world. What begins as a quest for fame and fortune soon becomes a collective search for love, acceptance, and fulfillment as they navigate the backlots and stage sets where the illusions of the silver screen are brought to life.With her “trademark wit and grace” (Randy Susan Meyers, author of The Murderer’s Daughters), Juliette Fay crafts another radiant and fascinating historical novel as thrilling as the bygone era of Hollywood itself.

About Juliette Fay

Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of City of Flickering Light, The Tumbling Turner Sisters, The Shortest Way Home, Deep Down True, and Shelter Me. She received a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a master’s degree from Harvard University. Juliette lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children. Her website is JulietteFay.com.

About Lisa Flanagan

Lisa Flanagan is a classically trained soprano, comedian, voice-over artist, and Earphones Award–winning narrator.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Heidi

3.5 Early Hollywood has always fascinated me. From the first pages of this story, I was invested in our three friends— Irene, Millie and Henry. The book really shines in the first two-thirds as we get to know each of our Hollywood hopefuls and they begin to rely on each other. The inside look at ear......more

Goodreads review by Cindy

4.5 stars Juliette Fay’s new novel about Golden Age Hollywood is a gem from start to finish. Fay clearly did her research and includes cameos from a variety of famous silent film stars and others involved in the early “flickers” business. I highly, highly recommend this novel especially if you love t......more

Irene Van Beck has had enough of working for a traveling burlesque show. She has a plan, and together with fellow dancer Millie Martin, she is ready to start a new life. Tagging along with them is comedian Henry Weiss, and soon they are off to Hollywood on the next train. However, there it is one th......more


Quotes

“In the end Fay gives us hope and that’s what makes this novel so very special.” M. J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author

“Inspired by historic buildings, events, silent films, and real-life figures…a fascinating glimpse into Tinseltown’s storied—and sometimes scandalous—past.” Toronto Star (Canada)

“Fay vividly captures the grit and glamour of 1920s Hollywood…A dishy but never salacious tale, chock full of details that will delight readers fascinated with silent films and what goes on behind the scenes.” Publishers Weekly

“The descendant of a vaudevillian, Fay follows her tale of traveling acrobats, The Tumbling Turner Sisters, with this atmospheric portrait of early Tinseltown, peppering her characters’ escapades with real people and places and creating a buoyant tale of friendship and loyalty.” Booklist

“Listeners will be richly entertained by this historical audiobook, set in early 1920s Hollywood…Narrator Lisa Flanagan infuses each character with a compelling personality as she keeps the pace of the story moving. She employs a warm tone and steady pace to portray screenwriter Irene’s practicality and big-sister attitude. Actress Millie’s vivacious and caring nature comes through in Flanagan’s lighter pitch and spirited tone. In portraying leading man Henry, she shades the contrast between his secrets and his noble, steady personality. Unique voices are also created for several memorable supporting characters.” AudioFile

“Brings to life the wicked glamour of 1920s Tinseltown—and its story of friendship, love, and acceptance melts your heart.” Ann Mah, author of The Lost Vintage