The Chelsea Girls paperback goes on sale December 8th. This is my review from 2019 when it was publishing.
Hazel Ripley was supposed to be an actress following in the footsteps of her famous family, but she's neve achieved better than understudy status. To try to improve her chance to shine, she joins a USL troop in Italy during WWII. There she meets Maxine Mead, a talented actress. Hazel also finds her calling, writing radio scripts for Maxine to read.
In the fifties, Hazel and Maxine come together again in the famous Chelsea Hotel. The gorgeous Victorian hotel has been famed for creative artists who lived there. Hazel has now written a play and Maxine is to star in it. Their hopes are high, but this is a volatile time in the entertainment industry. McCarthyism is sweeping the country and the girls are caught up in it.
For me, the best part of the book was the excellent descriptions of the Chelsea Hotel. I could see the art, the furnishings, and best of all the out of the way spaces and passages that are unique to the hotel. The author has done an excellent job of folding her substantial research into the story.
The history of the McCarthy era and the House Un-American Activities Committee was fascinating and gave a good background for the plot which centered around love, trust, freedom and wartime memories affecting the main characters.
This is a good historical novel that well creates the era and showcases the famous Chelsea Hotel.
I received the book for this review from Dutton.
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