About the Book:
Welcome to the Starlite. Let your true self shine.
1962. In the middle of Brooklyn Heights sits the Starlite: boutique dress shop by day, underground women’s club by night. Started by the shop’s proprietor after her marriage crumbled, Madeline’s social club soon becomes a safe haven for women from all walks of life looking for a respite from their troubled relationships and professional frustrations. These after-hour soirées soon bring two very different women into Madeline’s life–Elaine, a British ex-pat struggling to save her relationship, and Lisa, a young stewardess whose plans for the future are suddenly upended–irrevocably changing all three women’s lives in ways no one could have predicted.
But when Madeline’s ne’er-do-well ex-husband shows up again, the luster of Starlite quickly dampens. As the sisterhood rallies around Madeline, tension begins to eat at the club. When an unspeakable tragedy befalls their sorority, one woman must decide whether to hide the truth from the group or jeopardize her own hopes and dreams. Sure to appeal to readers of Kathleen Tessaro and Suzanne Rindell, Glimmer As You Can captures the heartbeat of an era and the ambitions of a generation of women living in a man’s world–a world threatened by a wave of change.
Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & NobleIndieBound | Penguin Random House
Review:
In 1962 Brooklyn, Madeline began a women's social club at her dress shop, The Starlight after a messy divorce from her powerful husband. The Starlight provides a place for the women's friendship to grow as they practice art, recite poetry, dance, drink and talk without the disturbance of men. Elaine is a Stralight regular who is struggling with her fiancé after the death of his father. After a trip home Elaine invites Pan Am Stewardess, Lisa to the club. Lisa is worried about her relationship with long-term boyfriend, Billy and what that means for her future. The women all convene at the Starlight for camaraderie and to forget about their troubles. However, Madeline's ex-husband is up for re-election and isn't taking any chances with the women at the Starlight telling his secrets.
Glimmer As You Can is a story of friendship, independence and hope for a group of women in the 1960's. Through the stories Madeline, Elaine and Lisa we are shown how women are breaking barriers yet still contained by the constraints of their gender. Each of the women's characters are distinct and well thought out, displaying different restraints placed on them. Madeline's strength comes from her ability to power through the worst and bring other women together to help one another through. I loved the idea of the Starlight and the atmosphere that the women created. The Starlight showed the power of women's friendship and the spirit of the 1960's. Elaine is trying to break into the career world with a boyfriend who is depressed and unsupportive. Lisa loves the independence of travel, but her job is dependent on her age, weight and marital status and Lisa is feeling the pressure to be married before her age and weight deny her employment. The conflict created with Madeline's ex-husband and Lisa's boyfriend created suspense and danger as well as a reminder that this kind of exploitation was not that far in our past and still happens today. Glimmer As You Can moved at a fast paced and was a great reminder of the power of women working together.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Connect with Danielle
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Welcome to the Starlite. Let your true self shine.
1962. In the middle of Brooklyn Heights sits the Starlite: boutique dress shop by day, underground women’s club by night. Started by the shop’s proprietor after her marriage crumbled, Madeline’s social club soon becomes a safe haven for women from all walks of life looking for a respite from their troubled relationships and professional frustrations. These after-hour soirées soon bring two very different women into Madeline’s life–Elaine, a British ex-pat struggling to save her relationship, and Lisa, a young stewardess whose plans for the future are suddenly upended–irrevocably changing all three women’s lives in ways no one could have predicted.
But when Madeline’s ne’er-do-well ex-husband shows up again, the luster of Starlite quickly dampens. As the sisterhood rallies around Madeline, tension begins to eat at the club. When an unspeakable tragedy befalls their sorority, one woman must decide whether to hide the truth from the group or jeopardize her own hopes and dreams. Sure to appeal to readers of Kathleen Tessaro and Suzanne Rindell, Glimmer As You Can captures the heartbeat of an era and the ambitions of a generation of women living in a man’s world–a world threatened by a wave of change.
Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & NobleIndieBound | Penguin Random House
Review:
In 1962 Brooklyn, Madeline began a women's social club at her dress shop, The Starlight after a messy divorce from her powerful husband. The Starlight provides a place for the women's friendship to grow as they practice art, recite poetry, dance, drink and talk without the disturbance of men. Elaine is a Stralight regular who is struggling with her fiancé after the death of his father. After a trip home Elaine invites Pan Am Stewardess, Lisa to the club. Lisa is worried about her relationship with long-term boyfriend, Billy and what that means for her future. The women all convene at the Starlight for camaraderie and to forget about their troubles. However, Madeline's ex-husband is up for re-election and isn't taking any chances with the women at the Starlight telling his secrets.
Glimmer As You Can is a story of friendship, independence and hope for a group of women in the 1960's. Through the stories Madeline, Elaine and Lisa we are shown how women are breaking barriers yet still contained by the constraints of their gender. Each of the women's characters are distinct and well thought out, displaying different restraints placed on them. Madeline's strength comes from her ability to power through the worst and bring other women together to help one another through. I loved the idea of the Starlight and the atmosphere that the women created. The Starlight showed the power of women's friendship and the spirit of the 1960's. Elaine is trying to break into the career world with a boyfriend who is depressed and unsupportive. Lisa loves the independence of travel, but her job is dependent on her age, weight and marital status and Lisa is feeling the pressure to be married before her age and weight deny her employment. The conflict created with Madeline's ex-husband and Lisa's boyfriend created suspense and danger as well as a reminder that this kind of exploitation was not that far in our past and still happens today. Glimmer As You Can moved at a fast paced and was a great reminder of the power of women working together.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Connect with Danielle
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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