Synopsis: A woman sets out on a cross-country road trip, unknowingly tracing in reverse the path her mother traveled thirty years before.
In the 1950s, movie star Louise Wilde is caught between an unfulfilling acting career and a shaky marriage when she receives an out-of-the-blue phone call: She has inherited the estate of Florence “Florrie” Daniels, a Hollywood screenwriter she barely recalls meeting. Among Florrie’s possessions are several unproduced screenplays, personal journals, and—inexplicably—old photographs of Louise’s mother, Ethel. On an impulse, Louise leaves a film shoot in Las Vegas and sets off for her father’s house on the East Coast, hoping for answers about the curious inheritance and, perhaps, about her own troubled marriage.
Nearly thirty years earlier, Florrie takes off on an adventure of her own, driving her Model T westward from New Jersey in pursuit of broader horizons. She has the promise of a Hollywood job and, in the passenger seat, Ethel, her best friend since childhood. Florrie will do anything for Ethel, who is desperate to reach Nevada in time to reconcile with her husband and reunite with her daughter. Ethel fears the loss of her marriage; Florrie, with long-held secrets confided only in her journal, fears its survival.
In parallel tales, the three women—Louise, Florrie, Ethel—discover that not all journeys follow a map. As they rediscover their carefree selves on the road, they learn that sometimes the paths we follow are shaped more by our traveling companions than by our destinations.
My Thoughts: I absolutely loved the setting of this book! I loved reading about 1950s Hollywood and all the stops that Louise made on Route 66. The author did an amazing job of painting an amazing picture of life during that time: the clothes, the home decorations, the different places and people that Louise encountered. The 'visuals' she created were my favorite part of the story.
I also really enjoyed the diary parts of the story. I liked how Ethel tracked what she and Florrie ate and the cost of each ingredient; it was really interesting to see what was 'expensive' in 1926. I also liked that the diary let you see the events unfolding through both Ethel and Florrie's eyes; it was interesting to see how each one interpreted the same events. My only complaint about the diary is that at times it took a little bit to figure out whose voice we were hearing. It was always clear as it jumped back and forth between Ethel and Florrie.
Louise was my favorite character, she just seemed so ahead of her time. She wasn't portrayed as the typical 1950s woman, she had a complicated life and didn't fit in to the nice little wife stereotype. I also found her very sympathetic as she dealt with her marriage, the loss of her mother and her dreams of being taken serious as an actress.
The story did have a lot going on and at times, it seemed very busy. There were a lot of big issues touched on throughout the story and it seemed a little unrealistic that these few people would be dealing with all of that at the same time.
Overall, I did enjoy the story and I thought the ending was really sweet. 3 stars
I received this book from HFVBT in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author:
For more information, please visit Jessica Brockmole’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
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