Category: Books

Jennifer McVeigh burst onto the literary scene in 2013 with The Fever Tree, an exquisite novel that earned rave reviews (see below) and elicited comparisons to Gone With the Wind, The Thorn Birds, and Out of Africa. McVeigh now delivers on the promise of that debut with LEOPARD AT THE DOOR, a sweeping saga and January 2017 IndieNext Pick that spotlights East Africa in all its fierce beauty. McVeigh offers an unforgettable portrait of life in mid-twentieth-century Kenya, a British colony in violent transition with political and racial tensions erupting against the fading backdrop of the British Empire. Kirkus Reviews raved, “Readers who want a story that keeps them on edge will enjoy this historical novel rich with emotional and sociopolitical drama.”

Putnam published LEOPARD AT THE DOOR on January 3, 2017.

LEOPARD AT THE DOOR is at once a historical survey of the Mau Mau Rebellion, a bloody and brutal uprising that the author researched in her travels to remote areas of east Africa, and a story of blossoming love and hope amidst the hostile backdrop of a nation at war. Rachel Fullsmith grew up in Kenya at Kisima, her British parents’ sprawling up country farm.

When her mother died suddenly, the twelve-year-old was abruptly sent back to England for a proper boarding school education and a “civilized” life. Six years later and her schooling finished, Rachel boards a ship for Kenya to reunite with her father and her beloved childhood home. But after her arrival Rachel quickly learns that the Kenya of her dreams is slipping away.

Her father’s live-in companion, Sara, is a controlling, intolerant woman and the farm has changed dramatically without her mother’s loving hands to manage it. Her distracted father is disturbingly accepting of Sara’s casual cruelty toward Africans who for years have served the family and worked the land. Kenya’s political climate is growing more unsettled by the day, with the Africans pushing back against colonial control.

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Marlene: A Novel of Marlene Dietrich by C.W. Gortner

Marlene Dietrich’s femme fatale persona defined her, but behind the glitz of 1930s Hollywood was a remarkably modern woman, determined to live by her own terms.

A rebellious girl, Marlene’s genteel family expectations curtail her until Germany’s defeat in the Great War gives rise to the decadence of Weimar Berlin. Here, Marlene finds her niche as a cabaret actress. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, and androgynous tuxedo, she performs to packed houses and has a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention until she finds overnight success in the scandalous movie The Blue Angel. As Hitler seizes power, Marlene sets sail for America to become one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies, starring opposite Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. When Hitler tries to entice her back to Germany, Marlene defiantly declares her stance, risking her life to perform for Allied troops. And upon the war’s savage end, she finally returns to Germany to discover a heartbreaking secret amidst the war’s devastation.

MARLENE is out in paperback on December 13 and features exclusive extra content. A perfect gift for lovers of old Hollywood and strong dames! To find out more, please visit: www.cwgortner.com/Marlene.html.

Synopsis

Raised in genteel poverty after the First World War, Maria Magdalena Dietrich dreams of a life on the stage. When her budding career as a violinist is cut short, she vows to become an actress, trading her family’s proper, middle-class society for the free-spirited, louche world of Berlin’s cabarets and drag balls. With her sultry beauty, smoky voice, and androgynous tailored suits, Marlene performs to packed houses and conducts a series of stormy love affairs that push the boundaries of social convention until she finds overnight success in the scandalous movie The Blue Angel.

For Marlene, neither fame nor marriage and motherhood can cure her wanderlust. As Hitler rises to power, she sets sail for America to become a rival to MGM’s queen, Greta Garbo. As one of Hollywood’s top leading ladies, she stars with such legends as Gary Cooper, John Wayne, and Cary Grant. Desperate for her return, Hitler tries to lure her with dazzling promises. Defiant in her stance against the Nazis, Marlene chooses instead to become an American citizen, and after her new nation is forced into World War II, she tours with the USO, performing for Allied troops in Europe and Africa. But one day, she must return to Germany, where she will discover a heartbreaking secret amidst the war’s devastation that transformed her homeland and the family she loved.

An enthralling account of this extraordinary legend, MARLENE reveals the inner life of a woman of grit and ambition who defied convention, seduced the world, and forged her own path.

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Continue reading “Book Blast: Marlene: A Novel of Marlene Dietrich by C.W. Gortner” →