When I Was Alice

Grace Brighton was tired of living in her brother’s shadow, but when a car accident leaves him comatose, her guilt is immeasurable. Heading to his beloved Hollywood sign for a moment alone, she makes a vow that, if he recovers, she’ll do everything she can to cease her resentment and support his ambitions. When she accidentally falls from the sign, she is sure it’s the end; instead, she wakes up in 1953 in the body of up-and-coming actress Alice Montgomery. Though she is initially focused on getting back to her own life, Grace finds that Alice is surrounded by danger and begins to believe that perhaps the way to help herself is to help the young woman first. YA author Murgia (Forest of Whispers) presents a richly detailed historical mystery set against the backdrop of Old Hollywood. Though the exposition is occasionally tedious, listeners are rewarded in the final chapters with a tension that builds to a compelling climax. Narrator Lisa Larsen’s tone is measured, yet it still communicates the strain of Grace’s harrowing situation.