LAURA LAMONT'S LIFE IN PICTURES

Emma Straub

25 April 2013
9781447203209
320 pages

Synopsis

Irving snapped his fingers, so loudly that it echoed through the room, over all the chatting and flirting. Elsa was surprised that such a sharp, loud noise could come out of such a small person.

"Laura Lamont," he said. "You want it? It's yours. Come see me when you're ready."

When the most famous producer in 1930s Hollywood plucks Elsa Emerson from a party and gives her a brand-new name, a star of the silver screen is born.

Step by step she succumbs to the consuming power of the studio. But her transformation is more profound than she could ever have foreseen . . .

'Emma Straub is a magician, full of brilliance and surprise' Lorrie Moore
‘Straub’s deft hand is gentler than any tabloid artist could hope to be, and her addicting portrayal of Laura’s life is one of a complicated woman who cannot fully grasp her own power but transcends her circumstances, nonetheless’ Booklist
‘At once a delicious depiction of Hollywood’s golden age and a sweet, fulfilling story about one woman’s journey through fame, love, and loss’ Boston Globe