1966, NYC: Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls hits the bookstores and she is desperate for a bestseller. It’s steamy, it’s a page-turner, but will it make the big money she needs? In London, Jackie Collins’s racy The World Is Full of Married Men launches her career. But neither author is prepared for the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex.
Jacqueline and Jackie are lambasted by the literary establishment, deluged with hate mail, and even condemned by feminists. In public, both women shoulder the outcry with dignity; in private, they are crumbling—particularly since they have secrets they don’t want splashed across the front pages.
1965, NYC: College graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house, but she could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she will encounter. While working on Valley of the Dolls, she becomes friends with Jacqueline Susann, and, after reaching out to Jackie Collins about a US deal, she is responsible for the two authors meeting.
Will the two Jackies clash as they race to top the charts? Will Nancy achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, despite all the men determined to hold her back? Three women struggle to succeed in a man’s world, while desperately trying to protect those they love the most. ----bn.com
Scandalous Women takes you behind the scenes of the publishing world for women in the 1960s. What would be called sexual assault and sexual harassment today, was openly allowed and tolerated then. It was a male dominated world in that time, but three women were ready to take it on and turn it on it's ears. I was shocked to read what was allowed by male coworkers, but not surprised. As I read the story, I felt that women weren't really wanted and especially not if they were going to change how women were seen.
Both Jacqueline and Jackie were groundbreakers of their time. No one had written books so honestly from the women's perspective. And definitely not in a sexual way. These two women broke barriers and gave women a voice they never knew they could have. Whether you agreed with their subject matter, or not, they were speaking up for women when no one else dared to. I loved it.
Adding Nancy to the mix was a perfect addition. She arrives in New York City with the dream of being a publisher. Knowing she'd have to work her way to that role wasn't a problem. The problem was the male dominated field that wouldn't allow her to. Never mind that she knew her stuff. Never mind that she was able to find authors the people wanted to read. Never mind that she had all the qualifications her male counterparts had. They were allowed to cop all the feels they wanted while they trashed authors. She had to grin and bear it. Until she decides she no longer wants to. In time, Nancy's dream changes. Not only changes, but takes shape- and then takes off.
I loved watching the friendship between Jackie and Jacqueline form. I was expecting a rivalry, but what I got was an endearing friendship that grew stronger as the time passed. They supported each other and understood each other like no one else could, because they knew what the other was going through. The way Jackie helped Jacqueline when she needed it was gripping to read. These two strangers became kindred spirits who where the shoulders the other needed to lean on. I was just saddened it couldn't last longer. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few tears fall as I finished the book.
I will say the first half of the book is better than the second half. If you're looking for a fast paced story, you won't find it here. It took almost halfway through the book for the two ladies to just briefly meet. It's a little over half way into the story before Jackie's book comes out. You're expecting a rivalry, but you get an amazing friendship form instead. It's not until more than halfway in that you start to see the tow authors interact. But, once you do, you enjoy what you're in for.
0 comments:
Post a Comment