- this edition published Harper Collins Publishers Australia 2007
- ISBN 978-0-7322-8134-2
- 479 pages
- source: my local library
- author website
A dazzling novel about two exceptional sisters, set in the Australian film world of the 1920s.
Two sisters, Adéla and Klára, must flee their home in Prague in 1920 after their mother is murdered by their duplicitous stepfather. They seek refuge with their estranged uncle and his Indian wife in Sydney, Australia.
Falling in love with the landscape and unique wildlife of her adopted country, Adéla becomes a film director at a time when the early local industry is starting to feel the competition from Hollywood.
But Hollywood is not Adéla’s only adversary. Separated from her true love by deceit, she must deal with conflicted feelings about marriage to a man she likes but does not love and her sister’s deepening mental illness. Danger from her past returns and ultimately dreams of the silver screen must compete with the bonds of a lifetime …
Weaving fact into inspiring fiction with great flair and imagination, this is a novel as full of hope, glamour and heartbreak as the film industry itself.
My Take
This was really on the border of what I generally read. Some crimes in it, but not really crime fiction, more romance, and family saga.
While the setting was historical, I felt that historical detail didn't play a great part. Perhaps I mean that in a political sense. I was never sure what was happening in the "outside" world, how much time was passing. I think I am right in saying that the time frame does not get beyond the 1920s. At the end of that decade "talkies" became dominant in the film industry here and in America, and signalled the end of the cheap silent film.
The social picture of Australia is carefully created and the characters are engaging and well drawn.
But just not really my sort of book: not enough mystery, not enough tension, and too much romance.
My rating: 4.2
About the author (author website)
An Australian born writer.
I hear many writers claim that they write to please themselves, but I can’t do that. I’m a born storyteller and I love to entertain people. I picture my readers while I’m writing – as if we were huddled around a campfire together swapping tales. I imagine that the people reading my stories, no matter where they live in the world, are people who love the same things I do – history, drama, family, mystery, romance, nature, animals and triumph over adversity. In that way, I think of my readers as my extended circle of friends.
The setting and historical periods in which I write are very important to me. I research my books almost like an actress preparing to play a part. As well as research about events, characters and the society of the period, I listen to the music, learn as much as I can of the language and culture, read the books that were popular, and pore over the interior design and cookbooks of the time.
Sounds very interesting, though (despite the length -- ouch!), even bearing in mind your caveats. I'm a bit of a sucker for novels about movie history, as you might have guessed, and this one sounds right up my street.
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