Thank you St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the advanced copy of The Show Girl in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio
Published: August 10, 2021
Summary:
It’s 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more–even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.
Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy–the only man she’s ever met who seems to accept her modern ways–her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.
My thoughts:
I became a fan of Nicola Harrison after loving her debut novel, Montauk. And as soon as I saw this was set in 1920s NYC, I just knew I would love it and I did!
I was completely immersed in this story right from the start. Harrison does such a great job balancing historical facts with a fun, engaging story. Our FMC, Olive, a teenager from Minnesota is the type of character you can’t help but get behind. With bold dreams of becoming a Ziegfeld girl, she moves to NYC and is not willing to let anything stop her from achieving this dream – not society or her over-protective father.
I had such fun reading this. I’ve always been curious about the Ziegfeld Follies and found myself heading down some rabbit holes of research a few times – my favorite part of reading historical fiction. I loved the themes that Harrison wove through this book – acceptance, ambition, love, and a deep dive into what it was to be a Ziegfeld girl.
Audio thoughts:
This was amazing on audio, with Imani Jade Powers narrating it. She infused just the right amount of emotion and tenderness into her voice to make this a spectacular listening experience.
