THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE & Autographed copy

~ Cindy Roesel

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator’s Wife, a fascinating novel of the friendship and creative partnership between two of Hollywood’s earliest female legends – screenwriter Frances Marion and superstar Mary Pickford. 

In Melanie Benjamin’s latest historical novel, THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE (DelacortePress) , it is 1914, and twenty-five-year-old Frances Marion has left her (second) husband and her Northern California home for the lure of Los Angeles, where she is determined to live independently as an artist. But the word on everyone’s lips these days is “flickers” – the silent moving pictures enthralling theatergoers. Turn any corner in this burgeoning town and you’ll find made-up actors running around, as a movie camera captures it all.

In this fledgling industry, Frances finds her true calling: writing stories for this wondrous new medium. She also makes the acquaintance of actress Mary Pickford, whose signature golden curls and lively spirit have earned her the title “America’s Sweetheart.” The two ambitious young women hit it off instantly, their kinship fomented by their mutual fever to create, to move audiences to a frenzy, to start a revolution.

But their ambitions are challenged by both the men around them and the limitations imposed on their gender – and their astronomical success could come at a price. As Mary, the world’s highest paid and most beloved actress, struggles to live her life under the spotlight, she also wonders if it is possible to find love, even with the dashing actor Douglas Fairbanks. Frances, too, longs to share her life with someone. As in any good Hollywood story, dramas will play out, personalities will clash, and even the deepest friendships might be shattered.

With cameos from such notables as Charlie Chaplin, Louis B. Mayer, Rudolph Valentino, and Lillian Gish, The Girls in the Picture is, at its heart, a story of friendship and forgiveness. Melanie Benjamin perfectly captures the dawn of a glittering new era – its myths and icons, its possibilities and potential, and its seduction and heartbreak.

(Summary courtesy: Publisher)

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Melanie is a native of the Midwest, having grown up in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she pursued her first love, theater. After raising her two sons, Melanie, a life-long reader (including being the proud winner, two years in a row, of her hometown library’s summer reading program!), decided to pursue a writing career. After writing her own parenting column for a local magazine, and winning a short story contest, Melanie published two contemporary novels under her real name, Melanie Hauser, before turning to historical fiction.

Melanie lives in Chicago with her husband, and near her two grown sons. In addition to writing, she puts her theatrical training to good use by being a member of the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau. When she isn’t writing or speaking, she’s reading. And always looking for new stories to tell.

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We were very fortunate to meet Melanie in May at BookExpo. We have one autographed copy of THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE to giveaway. Just tell who is your favorite female film star from the “days of Mary Pickford.” We’ll announce a winner next week.

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35 thoughts on “THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE & Autographed copy”

  15. Love old movies. Favorite actresses Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, Loretta Young, Myrna Loy and Shirley Temple. Couldn’t name just one and I’m sure there are more that I can’t think of! 😊Thanks for the chance!

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  19. There were so many wonderful actresses. The ones that come to mind are Carole Lombard, Hedy Lamarr, Joan Fontaine, Gail Russell, Shirley Temple.

    Liked by 1 person

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  21. So many great ones to choose from like Shirley Temple, Greta Garbo, and Joan Crawford. Very talented and interesting to watch their movies. Thanks for the chance to read your book .

    Liked by 1 person

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  27. I’m not sure if she is considered from that era but I was very intrigued with the Carole Lombard/Clark Gable romance.

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