The Roaring Days of Zora Lily: A Novel
"Noelle Salazar captures the hazy, liquor-soaked days of the Jazz Age in this mesmerizing tale . . . of family, ambition, love, and self-discovery." --Entertainment Weekly
"Beautifully written and vividly drawn . . . [a] dazzling and sexy, dangerous and inspiring journey through the speakeasies of the jazz age to the glamour and darkness of Hollywood." --Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools
The discovery of a hidden label on a famous gown unearths the story of a talented young seamstress in this glittering novel of family, love, ambition, and self discovery by the USA Today bestselling author of The Flight Girls.
2023, The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History: A costume conservator is preparing an exhibition featuring movie costumes from the 1920s to present day. As she gingerly places a gown once worn by Greta Garbo on a mannequin, she discovers another name hidden beneath the designer's label, leaving her to wonder--who is Zora Lily?
1924, Seattle: Poverty-stricken Zora Hough spends her days looking after her younger siblings while sewing up holes and fixing hems for clients to bring in extra money, working her fingers to the bone just to survive. But at night, as she lies in the bed she shares with one of her three sisters, she secretly dreams of becoming a designer like Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin.
When her best friend gets a job dancing in a club downtown, Zora is lured in by her stories of music, glittering dresses and boys. She follows her friend to the underground speakeasies that are at once exciting and frightening--with smoke hanging in the air, alcohol flowing despite Prohibition, couples dancing in a way that makes Zora blush and a handsome businessman named Harley. It's a world she has only ever imagined, and one with connections that could lead her to the life she's always dreamed of. But as Zora's ambition is challenged by tragedy and duty to her family, she'll learn that dreams come with a cost.
Don't miss Noelle Salazar's next sweeping story, THE LIES WE LEAVE BEHIND, where a fearless nurse must leave love behind when duty calls her back to the front...
More from Noelle Salazar:
"Beautifully written and vividly drawn . . . [a] dazzling and sexy, dangerous and inspiring journey through the speakeasies of the jazz age to the glamour and darkness of Hollywood." --Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools
The discovery of a hidden label on a famous gown unearths the story of a talented young seamstress in this glittering novel of family, love, ambition, and self discovery by the USA Today bestselling author of The Flight Girls.
2023, The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History: A costume conservator is preparing an exhibition featuring movie costumes from the 1920s to present day. As she gingerly places a gown once worn by Greta Garbo on a mannequin, she discovers another name hidden beneath the designer's label, leaving her to wonder--who is Zora Lily?
1924, Seattle: Poverty-stricken Zora Hough spends her days looking after her younger siblings while sewing up holes and fixing hems for clients to bring in extra money, working her fingers to the bone just to survive. But at night, as she lies in the bed she shares with one of her three sisters, she secretly dreams of becoming a designer like Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin.
When her best friend gets a job dancing in a club downtown, Zora is lured in by her stories of music, glittering dresses and boys. She follows her friend to the underground speakeasies that are at once exciting and frightening--with smoke hanging in the air, alcohol flowing despite Prohibition, couples dancing in a way that makes Zora blush and a handsome businessman named Harley. It's a world she has only ever imagined, and one with connections that could lead her to the life she's always dreamed of. But as Zora's ambition is challenged by tragedy and duty to her family, she'll learn that dreams come with a cost.
Don't miss Noelle Salazar's next sweeping story, THE LIES WE LEAVE BEHIND, where a fearless nurse must leave love behind when duty calls her back to the front...
More from Noelle Salazar:
- The Angels of Resistance
- The Flight Girls
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Community Reviews
This was a fabulous historical fiction book with some fascinating and compelling characters. The writing and research is incredible and made you believe there really was a Zora Lily Hough. The insight into the world of fashion, the Hollywood scene, the bootlegging and speakeasies of the Jazz Age, all come to life. You can almost envision the beautiful dresses that Zora creates.
Zora is a hard working girl from a poor family. Her father has fallen into alcoholism after a dreadful accident, leaving the older children to go out to work to support the large family. Their house has no electricity or indoor plumbing. When the oldest son, Thomas, is killed at a lumber mill, Zora, a skilled seamstress who had been helping her mother with sewing projects, goes out to work as a nanny for a wealthy family, but her real passion is fashion design. Her best friend, Rosie, convinces her to go out in the evenings to some of the jazz clubs. Rosie, a dancer, is dating a Black musician at one of the clubs. There she meets a handsome man who adores her and shows her the nice life of the wealthy. While at the nightclubs, the dancers often ask Rosie to use her seamstress skills to repair their costumes. When Rosie and another girl are asked to go to Hollywood, Zora goes with them as she is promised a role in designing costumes for film stars. Once she gets there, she is dismayed and disappointed with her position but continues to sketch and create beautiful designs.
There is so much to love about this book. It deals with family, friendship, poverty, racism, Prohibition, the Hollywood scene, love and heartbreak, and finding out your true passions in life. I couldn't put this book down and savored every word. It is by far, one of the best books I've read so far this summer. I will be recommending it to my book discussion group.
Zora is a hard working girl from a poor family. Her father has fallen into alcoholism after a dreadful accident, leaving the older children to go out to work to support the large family. Their house has no electricity or indoor plumbing. When the oldest son, Thomas, is killed at a lumber mill, Zora, a skilled seamstress who had been helping her mother with sewing projects, goes out to work as a nanny for a wealthy family, but her real passion is fashion design. Her best friend, Rosie, convinces her to go out in the evenings to some of the jazz clubs. Rosie, a dancer, is dating a Black musician at one of the clubs. There she meets a handsome man who adores her and shows her the nice life of the wealthy. While at the nightclubs, the dancers often ask Rosie to use her seamstress skills to repair their costumes. When Rosie and another girl are asked to go to Hollywood, Zora goes with them as she is promised a role in designing costumes for film stars. Once she gets there, she is dismayed and disappointed with her position but continues to sketch and create beautiful designs.
There is so much to love about this book. It deals with family, friendship, poverty, racism, Prohibition, the Hollywood scene, love and heartbreak, and finding out your true passions in life. I couldn't put this book down and savored every word. It is by far, one of the best books I've read so far this summer. I will be recommending it to my book discussion group.
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