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New York, 1916. Monroe Simonov, a song-plugger from Brooklyn, is in love with a Ziegfeld Follies dancer who has left him for California. Inez Kennedy, a fashion model in a department store, has just one season remaining to find a wealthy husband before she must return to the Midwest. Ana Denisova, a glamorous political exile, gives lectures and writes letters while she waits for the Russian people to overthrow their Tsar.
Then America joins the war, jazz sweeps the city’s dance floors, the old order is swept away by newly minted millionaires and the entire nation is gripped by the Red Scare. Although the world is changing faster than they could ever have imagined, Monroe, Inez and Ana discover that they are still subject to the tyranny of the heart. In this richly atmospheric and deftly plotted novel, the paths of these three central figures cross and re-cross, leaving a trail of passion, infidelity and betrayal, and hurtle towards an explosive climax.
Then America joins the war, jazz sweeps the city’s dance floors, the old order is swept away by newly minted millionaires and the entire nation is gripped by the Red Scare. Although the world is changing faster than they could ever have imagined, Monroe, Inez and Ana discover that they are still subject to the tyranny of the heart. In this richly atmospheric and deftly plotted novel, the paths of these three central figures cross and re-cross, leaving a trail of passion, infidelity and betrayal, and hurtle towards an explosive climax.
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Reviews
'Full of suspense, this is an all-feeling novel, seductively and dramatically told'
'This absorbing read is both well researched and plushly written'
'A transfixing concerto of intrigue, passion, desperation, intrigue, love, heroism and tragedy'
'Bold, solid and clever'
Deftly captures the era's sense of frenzied invention and seductive promise . . . Colin . . . writes with a supple, whimsical charm. [The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite is] absorbing in its . . . authenticity
'Decadent, tantalising'
'A compelling story well told'
'This gripping and darkly seductive novel showcases the glitter and darkness of the Weimar Republic'
'Colin, who once lived in New York herself, retraces the era with consummate period detail and beautifully flowing prose'
'An exceptional novel . . . Colin is an entertaining storyteller'
'[An] evocative and accomplished piece of work . . . the writer does a good job of conjuring up the heady atmosphere of the times'
Praise for The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite:
'The storytelling is masterful and the language magical'
'Intricately plotted and filled with memorable characters, Beatrice Colin's gorgeous novel is a lush delight that perfectly captures the spirit of Berlin . . . compelling'
'Colin's descriptions of Berlin are as vibrant and alive as Lilly and the rich cast of characters around her'
'A big, plush velvet cushion of a book'