THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY
A Novel
By Hazel Gaynor
William Morrow Paparbacks
May 31, 2016
Book Summary
Presenting a dazzling new historical novel … The Girl From The Savoy is as sparkling as champagne and as thrilling as the era itself.
‘Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown …’
Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life.
When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant.
But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something.
Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?
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My Thoughts
*Print Copy provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review*
Wow. This book totally blew me away. The Roaring 20s have long fascinated me, but after devouring this book, I find I am even more enamored with the era than before. The entire book had me spellbound. It’s a brilliant piece of historical fiction. Each scene is so fascinating, so vividly detailed and brimming with so much character depth and emotion, that it was all too easy for me picture the moments and to fall in love with the characters and the story.
Hazel Gaynor is a new to be author, but her writing style is utterly enthralling. Intense. Compelling. Hopeful. Every word on the page drew me further into Dolly, Loretta, Perry, and Teddy’s lives, captivating me with not only the time period but the imagery of scenes unfolding. This is a book I will cherish for a longtime to come, not only for the riveting story but also for the absolutely stunning cover. And for that fact that it made me cry!
Easily one of my favorite reads this year. Highly, highly recommend this one!
Final Analysis
A captivating read! Worthy of any keeper shelf!
5 “Must Read!” Stars
About the Author
Hazel Gaynor is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A MEMORY OF VIOLETS and THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. She was selected by US Library Journal as one of ‘Ten Big Breakout Authors’ for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages. Hazel is a contributing author to WWI anthology FALL OF POPPIES: Stories of Love and the Great War. As features writer for national Irish writing website writing.ie Hazel has interviewed Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Mosse, Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed, among others.
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