At first glance, it would seem that Hollywood icon Grace Kelly led a charmed life - first as an award-winning actress, and later as the Princess of Monaco - before her tragic demise in a car accident in 1982. Grace, who was not only extraordinarily beautiful but wildly talented too, captivated audiences both on the screen and in person during the 1950s, acting alongside big-name stars such as Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, and James Stewart, and conducting illicit affairs with many of them throughout her short career. However, when Grace was at the top of her acting game, she gave up a promising future in film at the young age of 26 when she accepted a proposal of marriage from Prince Rainier of Monaco, leaving behind her life in America to become a European princess.
Kerri Maher, author of The Kennedy Debutante, pulls back the curtain on the life of Grace Kelly in her new novel, The Girl in White Gloves. Grace, born into a life of privilege with a flawless face and figure, was often stereotyped as an icy, untouchable blonde, but this accusation couldn't be further from the truth. Maher shows the magnanimous heart of Grace Kelly, and shines light on the struggles she faced in her climb to the top of the acting world. With a family that was less than supportive, and a string of passionate, yet short-lived, relationships, Grace struggled to find her place in a world that didn't know and wouldn't accept the real Grace Kelly. Perhaps even more tragic are the sacrifices she made in marrying the Prince of Monaco, essentially giving up any hope of ever living a life true to herself outside of her husband's whim and demands.
The triumph of The Girl in White Gloves is in how it vividly portrays the arc of Grace Kelly's short, yet eventful, life. Opening when Grace is a rising star, making a name for herself on the stages of Broadway, and then following her out to Hollywood where she becomes an award-winning actress, this novel intersperses glimpses of Grace's later life as an unhappy Princess of Monaco, trapped in a life she doesn't want with a man she no longer loves. This writing tactic portends so devastatingly the future that awaits Grace - a shining star smothered and snuffed out before she had even began to fully live and enjoy her life. There's so much heart and so much sadness packed into this novel that readers can't help but walk away feeling like the world was unduly robbed of Grace Kelly's talent and beauty - first through her impulsive marriage, and later by her untimely death.
Recommended for those who love novelizations of real people's lives, those who are fans of the Golden Age of Hollywood. and, of course, for anyone who has ever been intrigued by the triumphant, yet tragic life of the one and only Grace Kelly.
Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it)
Availability: Book; eBook in CloudLibrary; eAudiobook in CloudLibrary Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
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GENRE: Biographical Fiction; Historical Fiction THEME: Rich and Famous (These books are saturated with celebrity culture. )
WRITING STYLE: Compelling; Well-Researched LOCATION: Hollywood, California; Monaco TIME PERIOD: 20th Century SUBJECT: Actors and Actresses; Celebrities; Fame; Film Industry and Trade; Options, Alternatives, Choices; Princes; Princesses; Women's Role
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