All the Beautiful Girls
A Novel
-
-
4.5 • 30 Ratings
-
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
“An exquisitely crafted novel of love discovered and friendship found.”—Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls
Ruby’s life glitters with success, but she still must conquer her tragic past and discover what love really looks like.
Lily Decker never meant to become a showgirl. As a young girl in small-town Kansas, she danced to forget the pain of losing her family in a car accident. And dancing made her feel beautiful when the attentions of her Uncle Miles only brought shame. In 1967, Lily is grown and ready to leave her past behind. She changes her name to Ruby Wilde and heads to the Rat Pack’s Las Vegas to make a name for herself as a troupe dancer. However, the competition is fierce and she finds work as a showgirl, instead, doing fan-kicks in sky-high headdresses and sparkling costumes. Her new life brims with glamour and excitement, but something is still missing. Is it love? What choices will she make to feel whole again, and at what cost?
With her uncanny understanding of the hidden lives of women, Elizabeth J. Church captures the iconic extravagance of an era and the bravery of a woman who blazes her own path to freedom.
Praise for All the Beautiful Girls
“[Elizabeth] Church’s lively coming-of-age tale transports us to a world of ostrich-plumed headdresses and pinky-ringed mobsters while tracing a tumultuous quest for acceptance and love.”—People
“A gorgeously written novel with the bite of a gin martini, All the Beautiful Girls goes beyond the splashy, gaudy dazzle of Las Vegas in the sixties to reveal the beating heart beneath the glamorous façade of a showgirl with big ambitions.”—Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of At the Water’s Edge
“A stirring bildungsroman that follows a girl from trauma in 1957 Kansas to self-discovery in 1960s Las Vegas . . . Church paints an unflinching, frequently heartbreaking portrait of a resilient young woman’s coming-of-age set against an exciting, glamorous backdrop.”—Publishers Weekly
“Church’s appreciation of language is apparent as she masterfully creates pictures with words . . . All the Beautiful Girls provides a delightful antidote to cold and dark mid-winter days.”—Associated Press
“A beautifully rendered tale of personal redemption filled with friendship, loss, extravagant furs, and feathery headdresses.”—Kirkus Reviews
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Church's second novel (following The Atomic Weight of Love) is a stirring bildungsroman that follows a girl from trauma in 1957 Kansas to self-discovery in 1960s Las Vegas. Lily Decker is eight when her parents and sister are killed in a car crash. Her childless aunt and uncle, stern Tate and cruel Miles, take her in. For the next 10 years, Miles sexually abuses her. During that time, Lily forms a bond with the man who drove the car that killed her family, Air Force pilot Stirling Sloan, and, with his support, discovers a passion for dance. After graduating high school, Lily changes her name to Ruby Wilde and sets her sights on the glitter and neon of Las Vegas. Her beauty and talent land her a spot as a showgirl in the Folies Berg re at the Tropicana, and Ruby finds a supportive group of friends. Money and success quickly follow, but Ruby desperately seeks love and meaning. Her deeply dysfunctional relationship with a young Spanish photographer soon proves transformative. Writing elegant prose, Church avoids excessive sentimentality and too-neat resolutions, paving the way to the satisfying, bittersweet finale. Church paints an unflinching, frequently heartbreaking portrait of a resilient young woman's coming-of-age set against an exciting, glamorous backdrop.
Customer Reviews
Head Turning Page Turner!!
Well written novel thoughtfully executed.