There comes a time is a reader’s life where you start moving into books that are not your typical story. By expanding my reading pleasure into more of the women’s fiction and historical fiction arena, I have been discovering loads of amazing writers that create stories that almost defy descriptive words. Today I want to share with you a book that caught me off guard but I am so pleased I was able to review it.
FALLEN BEAUTY by Erika Robuck
Publisher: NAL Trade (March 4, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-0451418906
Synopsis: “Without sin, can we know beauty? Can we fully appreciate the summer without the winter? No, I am glad to suffer so I can feel the fullness of our time in the light.”
Upstate New York, 1928. Laura Kelley and the man she loves sneak away from their judgmental town to attend a performance of the scandalous Ziegfeld Follies. But the dark consequences of their night of daring and delight reach far into the future.…
That same evening, Bohemian poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and her indulgent husband hold a wild party in their remote mountain estate, hoping to inspire her muse. Millay declares her wish for a new lover who will take her to unparalleled heights of passion and poetry, but for the first time, the man who responds will not bend completely to her will.…
Two years later, Laura is an unwed seamstress struggling to support her daughter, and Millay, a woman fighting the passage of time, work together secretly to create costumes for Millay’s next grand tour. As their complex, often uneasy friendship develops amid growing local condemnation, each woman is forced to confront what it means to be a fallen woman…and to decide for herself what price she is willing to pay to live a full life.
My Thoughts: When I first started reading this book, I have to admit I was a little lost. You have 2 story lines that do not seem to make any sense and with the author referring to Edna St. Vincent Millay as Vincent, I honestly thought that those sections were about a guy. That made me wonder a lot as Ms. Millay what quite the bohemian free spirit for the times. Once I re-read several sections, I realized the Vincent is indeed Ms. Millay but her nickname was Vincent for many of her friends. Thankfully, that made more sense to the story as she was quite the wild child with her anything goes lifestyle.
While the author depicted the lifestyle of the often misunderstood poet, this story couples the outrageous and very quirky poet with a simple seamstress who has been shunned within her own town. While their stories are very different, the treatment they receive from others is a catalyst to a precarious yet eventual comforting partnership.
The writing, simply put, is amazing. The author has such a way with words that you feel like you are in Ms. Millay’s head and feeling her huge mood swings – despair and then happiness. Laura, the seamstress, is a huge part of this book along with her trials and tribulations and the two balance out this memorable story.
I began this book slowly, but the further I got into the story the more absorbed I became. I really enjoyed reading this book and the author does a fabulous job depicting the time and crafting a great story that weaves a bit of history in with a bit of fiction.
Disclaimer: Chris has received no compensation for this post but did receive free product for purpose of review. These are her thoughts and views; your may vary. Please read our Official Rules before entering this giveaway. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for prize fulfillment. All Content on this site is Copyright of the Two Classy Chics All Rights Reserved.
It sounds like a very interesting story.
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I love to read and this sounds good!
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I need a new book to read!
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Thank you so much much for the free entry. Looks like a great read!
I liked and commented on the TCC facebook post with the link to the rocky road fudge recipe
I can’t wait to read this!
I love Edna St. Vincent Millay (You should totally read “Savage Beauty” if you haven’t already!) so this sounds like an interesting read!
sounds like a fun one!
Thanks for the free entry 🙂
thank you 🙂
I would love to read this book!!
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it looks like a fun book to read!
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This book is set in an interesting era. I’d like to read it!
I love books, and would love to read this one.
I’d like to win this book because it sounds like a great read!
Thanks for the chance to win this book!
This has been on my want to read list for a while. I would love to win.
Thank you! This looks like a good read
I would love to read this book…. I read the other book she wrote and loved it.
I would love to win this book because I am anavid reader and a love historical fiction
Thank you for the free entry!
Would love to read this –a mix of fiction and history…sounds very interesting to me.
I want to win this book because this looks like one that will hold my attention and one I will stick with and not get bored with and not finish.
Free entry thank you.
This looks like an awesome read! Love historical fiction!
Looks like a good book!
I love these genre of books. I’ve always loved reading about books that are not set in the present but more in the 1900s or historically. I really do want to read this book though…it sounds interesting
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Sounds like a good read! Adding it to my TBR list!