The Legend of Lacy Black

Rating:
Summary: Book's good, covers GREAT
Review: I had no idea this book existed, wasn't even looking for it and had never heard of the author, but the cover (as evident from the photo) was so extraordinary it jumped out at me at my local bookstore. The color scheme is dramatic (but not gaudy) and the artwork of the title character (looking a lot like Lana Turner in face and Veronica Lake in hairdo--more like a 40's than 30's star I might add) is sort of a cross between an Erte and a Vargas Girl. The description indicated it would be my kind of story, and I'm happy to say it did not disappoint.

"The Legend of Lacy Black" is set against the nostalgic, exciting backdrop of Hollywood during its heyday and The Great White Way. The title character is a beautiful, admirable heroine who has three "existences", spanning from 1937 to 2002: Lucinda Blackburn: a virtuous, naive, long-suffering 17-year old rescued from an abusive father, manipulative sister, poverty and a deadend existence in a tiny, dreary, dusty Texas town and whisked away to Hollywood. Under the glamorized name of Lacy Black, she is groomed with extraordinary success and her legend is cemented with her tragic death at the height of her fame. Unbeknownst to all but a trusted few, Lacy did not die, but for her own reasons she decides to let "Lacy Black" stay dead as she emerges as socialite and celebrated Broadway actress Mirage Lord whilst resolving unfinished matters and disturbing revelations about the past.

The three pivotal men in her life are Mark Damien, a handsome, famous producer whose studio is in debt due to heavy gambling and not well-respected in the industry due to his sleazy, formulaic movies (We ain't talking Selznick Studios here!). Realizing Lucinda's appealing vulnerability and rare beauty could mean instant respect and big box office, he rescues the grateful girl from her unloving family and nowhere future, molds her into a sex symbol and marries her. He is only interested Lacy the image, not the person. He is a womanizer and possesses a very dark, domineering, selfish, sociopathic side (e.g. arranging for a pregnant and unsuspecting Lacy getting an "abortion" a la Gloria Swanson when she was with Wallace Beery) that will mean the end of "Lacy Black" when gratitude only lasts so long and she becomes her own person. The second man is Benjamin Lord, a polar opposite of Mark. He comes into her life at a time of great need, is the trusted keeper of secrets, and focuses on Lacy the person as opposed to the image, and the third man is Drew Mallory, Lacy's great love.

Well conceived, well told tale, especially for readers who have a hankering for characters and/or settings during Hollywood's Golden Age. The only "faults" I caught was in the beginning of the book: Lucinda's sister is drinking "bootleg" liquor with some boys--in 1937 alcohol had long been legal for years; when Lacy is groomed for stardom her Texan accent is passed off as genteel Virginian--in real life the studios would have provided extensive voice lessons to get rid of it; Lacy is often cast as seductress/other woman "in bed" with the man--this was not allowed in the movies at the time due to the Hays Code. However, these "mistakes" aren't jarring or frequent enough to take away from the book's appeal. If you enjoy this, I also recommend the excellent Michael Korda roman a clef novels "Queenie" (based on the life of Merle Oberon) and "Curtain" (based on Vivien Leigh) and William Woolfolk's "The Sex Goddess" (based on Ava Gardner).

P.S. This novel would make a mesmerizing movie, although if it happened it would most likely be on the small screen--My vote would be for the actress Cassidy Rae to play the title role, she looks just like Lacy is supposed to.

Rating:
Summary: The story of a lifetime!!!!
Review: I loved this book. There is something always so fascinating about reading someone's whole life story, whether that happens to be fiction or even non-fiction. Within the first couple of chapters you start to feel like you know Lacy. The characters become so life like. This book made me laugh, gringe, and cry. You definitely can't beat that!!! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story that travels.