"Evoking all the glamour and grit of 1960s LA, this enthralling, razor-sharp novel dissects the complex, explosive friendship between two female writers."
Deception and honesty. Obsession and ambition. Envy and self-preservation. Ambition and addiction. Ella Berman’s LA Women weaves a nuanced story of the complex connection between two female writers. Written in an enticingly controlled style as it moves between two timeframes (from the mid-sixties to the “now” of 1975), it undulates with undercurrents of betrayal and revenge, rises to an intense crescendo, and leaves one longing to know what happens next — such is the intrigue of its leading ladies.
Charting the women’s connections from the mid-sixties, when Gala was a glamorous, good-time socialite and Lane was an outsider, on the fringe of the LA scene, by the mid-seventies Gala has gone missing, and Lane is an established writer. Determined to recover from poor reviews of her most recent novel, after her debut propelled her to literary stardom, Lane heeds her best friend Charlie’s advice to “just write the thing that feels most urgent to you, right now”. That thing is Gala.
Nuanced and incisive on atypical friendship bonds and the pendulum-like sways of balance between individuals, this gripping story also explores the ethics of writing fiction (the blurred lines between invention and drawing from real life), being gay in the 60’s and 70's, addiction, and motherhood. As such, LA Women is a gloriously all-consuming novel.
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
| Recommendations: |
An electrifying novel about the complicated friendship between two ambitious writers and the ultimate artistic betrayal: one writes a book based upon the other's life, revealing everything. From the author of Reese's Book Club Pick Before We Were Innocent.
After a steady descent from literary stardom, Lane Warren is back. She's secured a new book deal based off the life of her sometime friend and, more often, rival Gala Margolis. Lane's only problem is that notorious free spirit Gala has been missing for months.
Ten years earlier, Gala was a charming socialite and Lane was a Hollywood outsider amidst the glittering 1960s L.A. party scene. Though they were never best friends, Lane found Gala sharp and compelling. Gala liked that Lane took her seriously. They were both writers. They were drawn to each other.
That was until Gala's star began to rise, and Lane grew envious. Then Lane did something that she wouldn't ever be able to take back. Changing the trajectories of both their lives.
Bold, dazzling, and crackling with tension, L.A. Women plunges readers into the legendary parties and unparalleled creativity of iconic Laurel Canyon, while exploring the impossible choices women face when ambition collides with intimacy. At what cost does great art emerge? And who pays the price?
L.A. Women features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Star Books, Thriller and Suspense, Fiction
L.A. Women is available in Paperback, Hardback
L.A. Women was written by Ella Berman and published by Head of Zeus
L.A. Women has 435 pages
£15.29
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