Imani Jade Powers inhabits Olive McCormick, the titular character of Harrison’s (Montauk) latest novel, who tells her own story in the first person. Growing up in a conservative Minnesota family, Olive dreams of stardom, singing, and dancing, and schemes to land a coveted spot as a Ziegfeld Follies girl. She achieves that dream, but not without consequences. Powers uses subtle accents and a slight breathiness at times to convey Olive’s determination and self-absorption set against a backdrop of 1920s Broadway glamour, bohemian Greenwich Village, and the luxuriousness of the Adirondack retreats of the super-wealthy, teetering on the edge of the Great Depression. Touches of thematic music that bracket the entire narration and a historical note at the novel’s end add extra credibility.
VERDICT Recommended for readers who enjoy a decisive and talented, but sometimes very flawed heroine, as well as stories set during the 1920s and a peek at the Ziegfeld Follies.
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!