‘Marry me,’ I blurt, which was not at all how I had rehearsed it.’
This novel, inspired by the life of 1920s Australian film icon Annette Kellerman, held my attention from beginning to end. The dual storyline shifts between Emma Quinn in 2024 and Rose Carey in 1923.
In 2024, Emma is working on a documentary at the Carrington Hotel in Australia’s Blue Mountains. Emm and her partner Lauren are trying to conceive through IVF, and Emma is preoccupied awaiting the outcome of their latest (and last) attempt. Emma discovers a box of vintage film reels, some handwritten letters that seem to belong to Rose Carey, a silent era film star from the 1920s, and an old camera which she takes with her when she leaves as she learns they are destined for landfill.
In 1923, Rose Carey is in Sydney. Rose is facing both bankruptcy and the end of her Hollywood career. She plans a spectacular production … which sends in tragedy. Who is trying to destroy Rose, and why? Who can Rose trust?
Both stories held my attention. Emma has issues of her own in 2024, and her marriage to Lauren is under strain. Emma is interested in learning more about the film reels she has rescued, and reading the handwritten letters provides her with an opportunity to escape (albeit momentarily) from present day concerns.
And Rose, trying to make sense of what is happening around her, becomes caught up in intrigue and suspense.
There’s a twist at the end which, while not essential to the story, provides a very satisfying conclusion. And now I am off to learn more about Annette Kellerman.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Tasmanian Bibliophile @Large 