Kate Alcott

Having seen the Movie (Titanic), I was a bit iffy about reading a novel with this event front and centre as a theme for the characters' becoming acquainted. However, Alcott wrote an exemplary re-telling of this disaster and brought forward some of the factual background that was based on original transcripts of the sinking.

Tess Collins, the main character, and her hiring by the Designer (Lucile, based on Lucy Duff-Gordon) added the fashion dress-making, along with the two men who became acquainted on board with Tess. These passages were less engaging, appeared contrived, especially the continued employment of Tess in Lucile's fashion workshop. There was less fashion and sewing than I expected, but the story revolving around the investigation into the sinking more than made up for that. Ultimately the romance aspects seemed artificial and all too swiftly developed. The novel could have appealed more strongly had these relationships been couched in more realistic terms.… (mehr)

Thank you to my Goodread friends for rating this book. Many of started your review with, "if you're a fan of Gone with the Wind...." Well, that cinched it for me since that is one of my all-time favorite books AND movies.
I appreciated the 4 main story lines in this book: the romance of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard; the trials and tribulations of making the movie; female writers in male-dominated Hollywood; and, of course the story of Julie Crawford and Andy. My favorites are the first 3. In the last one, the dialogue is too scripted and perfect for a budding romance, whereas the dialog for Carole and Clark is spot-on.
The comparison between reality and Midwest values with movie making almost teetered on the edge of being a brick-in-the-face. The musings of Julie as she learned the Hollywood ways did tether the comparisons enough to keep it worth reading.
There are many stereotypical pompous males in this story - some were acceptable, but some seemed just that - stereotypical. Maybe there were that many pompous asses in Hollywood at the time, I don't know. And then there is Julie's father...very old-school. He was one character I definitely did not like - but I think that was the point.
I liked the book and gave it 4 stars due to its great descriptions, and its premise. I am, afterall, a great fan of GWTW.… (mehr)