The Blue Girl, Candy Lee Caine by Mickey J “Mike” Martin; Fascinating Portrait of a Troubled Marriage

The Blue Girl, Candy Lee Caine by Mickey J “Mike” Martin; Fascinating Portrait of a Troubled Marriage 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: If ever there was a book that was made for the cliche that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, The Blue Girl, Candy Lee Caine by Mickey J. "Mike" Martin would be it. 

It tells the story of a troubled marriage that gets worse because of the well meaning but thoughtless action of one spouse to another.

Mike Holder met Candice Lee “Candy” Caine Wilson at a college conference in 1969. The staid steady Mike was intrigued by Candy’s vivacious personality, her home life with doting adopted parents, and their mutual desire for a stable home life. The two married one year later.

What starts out as a seemingly happy marriage quickly becomes troubled as Mike climbs the academic ladder for an administrative position. This requires the couple to move around from college to college, town to town, state to state. At first Candy takes the moves in stride being complacent, uncomfortably so. She acquiesces by playing the supportive spouse externally but internally she displays symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Bipolar Disorder. Mike is unable to cope with the changes in his wife's emotional and mental state, so he tries to look for a solution or even a cause. His curiosity gets the better of him as he looks into Candy’s background and researches her life before her adoption, despite her repeated urges for him not to. The search for Candy's family history reveals some unpleasant things and inadvertently leads to a violent confrontation that tests the Holders’ marriage.

This is a marriage featuring a couple that loves and cares for each other but still are capable of causing great damage towards one another. Candy's mental health issues cause her to lash out and act unpredictably. She isn't always able to control herself and doesn't get the psychiatric care that she needs. Neither her adopted parents nor her husband encourage her to seek mental health services. Instead they attribute her emotions as just quirky personality traits that are just her being herself. 

Mike and Candy's parents don't see the potential danger until it's too late and the danger comes forward. They love her undoubtedly but her parents attributed it to her upbringing (more on that later) and errantly believed that once that was fixed then she would magically recover. They don't account for the long term post traumatic complications that would result or that when she reaches certain milestones in her life like marriage or a career, that she would be unable to handle them.

Mike also inadvertently puts a lot of pressure on her. He commits himself to his academic career and the material gains from it. He assumes that as long as Candy acts supportive and doesn't argue, that she actually is supportive and doesn't have reservations. The constant relocation where she often feels like an outsider isolates her and makes her more dependent on her husband. She feels like if she objects or disagrees, she will seem at best like a nagging shrew or at worst a mentally unstable person. She keeps it all inside and Mike is ill equipped to see beyond that and ask if something is actually wrong or what her actual feelings are about things.

 With some exceptions that peer into Candy's family history, the majority of the book is told from Mike’s first person point of view in hindsight. It's clear that he realizes that he made some colossal mistakes and regrets them. This keeps the Reader from seeing him as an abuser or a sadist who delighted in the pain that he caused Candy. He knows that he was a thoughtless heel and admits it. 

While their marriage is fraught with unspoken tension, it is when Mike researches Candy’s family history that he crosses the most lines. He is repeatedly told by Candy to drop it and that she doesn't remember or want to talk about it. 

He looks up records, newspaper announcements, and talks to distant relatives and family friends without Candy's knowledge or permission (which brings a plot hole that Mike would be unable to find most of that information, particularly official records without Candy herself being present and granting permission but no matter). 

Even when he gets the backstory to Candy's ancestry, that still isn't a clue to drop the subject. He is told about three generations of racism, alcoholism, trauma, mental illness, abuse, and neglect before getting to Candy's immediate family and childhood. It should have been enough to connect the dots and realize that chances are Candy's upbringing was not sunshine and roses but no Mike can't let the search die.

Mike feels that he has to be the problem solver, that learning about Candy's family will get to the root of her problems and she will get better. It becomes a mystery that his mind wants to solve but doesn't account for his wife's emotions or that maybe he's better off not knowing. For a time, the problem is more important than whether the solution leads to more unhappiness.

Mike confronts Candy using some of the most toxic language to do so. He does the “If you love me, you would do this” routine. He guilt trips her that marriage should be built in trust and honesty and browbeats her into talking about her childhood. It's a very emotional chapter that makes the Reader turn against the designated hero and question his motives. 

Is he willing to jeopardize his marriage and his wife's fragile emotional state to find out the truth? Is he potentially an abuser without realizing it? Are they better off separated instead of trying to work through a marriage that is this bad? 

Once Candy talks about her life with her birth parents, the Caines, it becomes apparent why she didn't want to talk about it. She opens up memories of addicted abusive parents, a large unruly mob of loud angry delinquent siblings, and intense poverty and neglect. Candy's past was so traumatic that even though she was adopted by loving parents, the Wilsons, the long term damage was already done. 

Again to his credit, when she finishes Mike regrets asking her and is empathetic towards her suffering. He also sees that the confession of Candy's upbringing, tears open old wounds which never healed. What had once been forgotten or rather forced to the back of her mind is now put out in the open. Her mind regresses, so the comfortable middle aged woman disappears. In her place is the troubled young girl who reacts to violence with escalating violence.

Candy's breakdown leads to some actions that change the course of the book which for spoiler’s sake won't be revealed. But it changes her and Mike's status considerably and forces him to objectively look at his wife's upbringing and his own thoughtless actions in contributing to her downfall. He sees a woman who was let down not only by her birth family and society but by the people who loved and were closest to her.

 This revelation that Mike unwittingly contributed to Candy's unhappiness makes the ending a bit hard to swallow. It suggests hope and potential support between an older and wiser couple than we met before. However, it is established that they made each other miserable and added to their problems by acting happy when they weren't. 

Candy needed psychiatric evaluation and to face accountability but Mike needs help too. He needs to recognize his own controlling and potentially manipulative nature that led to this conflict. It might do him some good to seek counseling himself and spend time apart from Candy.

Perhaps they needed to temporarily separate and work on themselves instead of staying together. Mike and Candy need to work out their issues apart, strengthen their individuality, and then maybe discuss getting back together. That would have made a better more realistic ending for a couple who may love each other but sometimes love just isn't enough.

 

How We Were Before by Jonathan Kravetz; Anatomy of a Murder, Origins, and Aftereffects

 How We Were Before by Jonathan Kravetz; Anatomy of a Murder, Origins, and Aftereffects 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: In my review of Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River, I referred to it as a “whatdunnit,” as compared to a “whodunnit.” Instead of figuring out who committed a murder, the emphasis is on the murder and its aftereffects. We may already know who did the murder. Instead the real question is “something violent happened so what are you going to do about it?” 

Jonathan Kravetz’s anthologized novel, How We Were Before is another great example of a “whatdunnit.” It is a Crime Novel with a murder at the beginning and deals with how it impacted multiple characters. 

Elderly couple, Pete and Tara  Blythe, are murdered by Billy Lawson who is arrested, tried, and found guilty. The aftereffects are felt by multiple characters in different chapters. 

The present situations involving the characters alternate with flashbacks that focus on the pair’s lives from their meeting to their deaths at Billy’s hands. 

The narrative challenges the Reader with its complex and intricate storytelling and characterization. It is a testament to Kravetz’s writing skills that he gathers such a large cast and makes each character rich and complete. In each chapter, he recalls the murder and its effect in ways that are fresh and unique every time instead of becoming tedious and repetitive. To accomplish this, he pulls some interesting narrative techniques to engage the Reader in the character’s conflicts stemming from the murder and within their own lives. 

A perfect example of the complexities in this book can be found within the chapters that involve Police Chief Tim Pearson. His dereliction of duty and inactivity towards Billy Lawson’s escalating behavior ended up becoming key factors in the eventual murder. He is later revealed to have had a more personal involvement in the Blythe’s lives and later did and said the wrong thing to the wrong person.The fallout is seen through the eyes of his young son, Louis as Pearson engages in alcoholism and abuse to cope with his own failings and remorse. Louis’ home life becomes more tempestuous to the point that he steals a gun for protection. It takes several chapters and other characters’ points of view before Pearson’s story ends in a violent but inevitable conclusion. 

The aftermath of the murder and public trial are effectively felt by those most prominently affected by it: The Blythe’s daughters, Shelby and Samantha and Billy’s mother, Peggy. Shelby tries to overcome her aching loneliness and grief by finding romantic partners and trying to escape into romantic fantasies. She also begins writing to Billy to understand her own feelings towards him and maybe potentially find a path to forgiveness. Samantha’s journey is much more aggressive and upfront. She tries to maintain a public facade while her marriage is crumbling. She and her husband Carlton are filled with buried rage and simmering resentment that threatens to explode into more violence. 

Peggy Lawson’s story is no less tragic. As the mother of the perpetrator, she has to not only contend with knowing about and fearing her son’s behavior but also being painted as the villain in the story. She withdraws into alcoholism and seclusion only to find that seclusion broken in the worst way by someone who takes advantage of her fragile state. 

The book alternates the present with the past by showing important moments in Pete and Tara’s lives. We see their idyllic meeting and early courtship. We see their troubled marriage and complicated relationship with their daughters and of course we see their inevitable demise. Kravetz writes them as complicated multilayered people filled with many flaws and virtues whose loss becomes even more felt the more that the Reader gets to know them. 

Similarly we also peer into Billy’s character. The book does not absolve him of the murders and he certainly deserves punishment but he is also written as multilayered and thought provoking as the rest of the cast. He is seen as a very troubled young man with very few advantages and an addiction that he can’t control. The moments where he shows his vulnerabilities and self-awareness reveal him as someone who knows what he did and accepts that he will spend the rest of his life paying for it. 

This book doesn’t just feature the people who are immediately involved in either the Blythe’s or Billy’s lives. There are many characters who have a peripheral involvement in the murder but still have their lives greatly affected and altered by it. Vice Principal Zachary Rivers desperately tries to save the life of Barry, one of Billy’s high school friends. Ballet instructor Wendy Watson’s relationships with her students, particularly Shelby Blythe, propel her into a troubled romance. Janey, a homeless woman, develops an unhealthy obsession with Samantha Blythe. Adam Liu, Louis Pearson’s best friend has a front row seat to the implosion of his friend’s family. Matt Foster and Emilia Stone, two reporters covering the murder and trial, get up close and personal to some of the participants and so on.

How We Were Before shows that two lives weren’t the only ones destroyed that night. The murder carried a ripple effect that impacted the lives of many others and will continue to do so for a long time to come.

Deliveries by Paul Smyth; Over Long But Adventurous Flight Plan

Deliveries by Paul Smyth; Over Long But Adventurous Flight Plan

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Paul Smyth’s Deliveries  is a suspense thriller that can get long and tedious but once it gets going, can be pretty suspenseful and thrilling.

Cargo pilot Paul Jackson accepts an assignment to deliver some cargo to his friend, resort owner, Jack Ward. With his co-pilot, Dave McMurray, Paul takes his Cessna 185F to the air in what should be a typical delivery flight. Unfortunately, inclement weather and a dwindling fuel line make the flight anything but typical. Worse, Paul displays some symptoms of poor health while he is in the air. Some news from Paul’s wife, Diane, makes the situation clearer: Paul should not be flying. He is ill and is currently on what is supposed to be his last flight. However, if they don’t land the plane soon, it really will be their last flight. 

The plot summary makes the book sound more exciting than it really is. For a novel about flying, the book ironically takes a while to get off the ground. Each plot point takes forever to develop before it actually does.

Paul exhibits a few warning symptoms in the air. Then ten chapters later, Diane gets a phone call about a changed appointment. She panics over it for several more pages before she learns what his condition is and what the ramifications are for him while flying. Then she tells his colleagues many, many pages later. It doesn’t build suspense or emotional conflict so much as the characters just repeat the same conversation about Paul’s condition and that he shouldn’t be in the air, etc. After a while the feeling is like, “We got it the first time. Can we move on now?”

Once it finally does, there are genuine moments of suspense. Paul and Dave are hanging on for dear life in the air and the turbulent weather adds to the overall effect of feeling trapped in a large cylinder in high altitude. It takes a long time for a crash or a landing to occur to the point where the suspense can either be gripping or repetitive. Oddly enough in this case it does both. It's repeated often but the Reader is at the edge of their seat while simultaneously rolling their eyes.

The stress by the people on the ground is also keenly felt. In an almost cathartic moment, Diane lets Paul's colleagues have it because of her worry and frustration. Her characterization is not particularly compelling and at times, she comes across as shrill and whiny. However, in this incident, she isn't wrong in her accusations and her outburst is completely justifiable.

Deliveries is like one of those long layover flights. It takes awhile to get you where you need to go, but once it actually gets moving you may like parts of the journey.

 

Weekly Reader: Root of All Evil: The Deluxe Edition by Ayura Ayira; Dictator’s Wife Fights For Love, Freedom, and Her Own Identity

 

Weekly Reader: Root of All Evil: The Deluxe Edition by Ayura Ayira; Dictator’s Wife Fights For Love, Freedom, and Her Own Identity 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Ayura Ayira’s previous book, The Protectress, was an erotic power play between two rival warriors who tried to dominate each other but ended up fighting on the same side. Though there were large stakes, the emphasis was on the personal, the two enemies turned lovers. Ayira’s latest novel, Root of All Evil: Deluxe Edition, combines the personal with the political, showing the internal struggles between characters and the external struggles in which they live. As a result she created a better story that is just as erotic but also widely encompassing and incredibly involving.

Zayani Ada is the wife of dictator Changa Ada and not by choice. A former child soldier, she was taken during an ethnic cleansing raid and forced into marriage for political reasons. Her husband's grip on his country and his wife is tight as she sees him for the monster that he really is.  Surrounding Zayani are plots of rebellion and assassination, including from some of her own people. A handsome aid worker, Stefan Du Mal, then appeals to her to become an active participant in the resistance.

Zayani is a memorable protagonist in a very tough situation. She is part of the Ijuns who are considered a lower class and looked unfavorably by the Kcohomi, of whom Changa is a part. His goal in marrying Zayani is to make it appear that the Ijun and Kcohomi are working together when nothing could be further from the truth. He is controlling towards his people and his wife. He is like most tyrants: suspicious, paranoid, and corrupt. He can only lead by fear and intimidation because that's all he has. No new ideas, no ways of helping the people, no aid or comfort. Just shouting, belittling, arresting, and executing. Changa is physically, verbally, and sometimes sexually abusive towards his wife and tries to dominate her the way that he does everyone else.

While Zayani hates and sometimes fears her husband, she does not allow that to interfere with her goals of helping people. She secretly funds and volunteers for humanitarian projects to help the Ijun advance in society. While she does not take an active part in rebelling against her husband, she knows many that do and keep them secret from him. She considers these rebels to be family and doesn't want to turn in any of them. In one heartbreaking moment, she is forced to name one of the rebels and it's clear that this action will haunt her forever. 

It takes Stefan to guide Zayani into becoming a more active participant though not just for himself. When he tells her that some school kids are missing, Zayani realizes that she has passed a point of no return. She is now actively involved in the fight against Changa and that if caught could mean arrest, exile, or more than likely death. All of the times when she silently planned for her husband's death and a regime change now has to come true and she has to lead it.

Erotica plays a part in this book but isn't as evident as it is in the Protectress. There are some sexual moments between her and Changa that are uncomfortable and unpleasant but they are meant to be. Zayani is in a submissive position practically owned and sold into marriage. There is no love in their moments of togetherness. There is just his power over her and her subversive nature in debating and arguing against him.

 When Zayani is with Stefan, it's not only truly sensual. It's a breath of fresh air that she is with someone who is an equal match. He shares her ideals and sees her as an individual, not just the First Lady of her country. Zayani meets someone who is on her level and this love allows her to become more open to joining the fight.

There are certain twists that happen halfway through the book that change Zayani’s perspective. She emerges more active and takes a leadership position. She does things that the Zayani of the earlier chapters would never do but demonstrates a strength of character and the tough decisions that she has to make so that her country and people don't fall to another dictator.

Weekly Reader: Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes; Fascinating Character Study of A Gilded Age Woman Turned Suffragist

 Weekly Reader: Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes; Fascinating Character Study of A Gilded Age Woman Turned Suffragist

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Mistress Suffragette by Diana Forbes is a historical fiction and brilliant character study about a young woman from a traditional Gilded Age family turned into a suffragist. Forbes explains exactly why many women turned to the suffrage movement because of societal pressures and unjust laws that treated them as second class citizens who lived without freedom of choice.

In 1893, Penelope Stanton is facing an arranged marriage forced by her parents. Her family was fabulously wealthy now they are facing potential genteel poverty because of the Financial Panic. Since they have two daughters, Penelope and her narcissistic sister, Lydia, Mr. and Mrs. Stanton force marriageable aged Penelope to search for eligible bachelors, so she can marry wealth and the family can move back up in status. 

Lydia looks forward to all of the handsome male attention but Penelope is not nearly as thrilled. As Penelope points out, she attends balls with all the excitement of someone with a gun pointed to their head. She feels less like a person to her parents and more like a piece of valuable jewelry that they want to pawn off to someone else. Her parents are practically pimping their daughters out in front of Newport, Rhode Island's most eligible bachelors.

 While Lydia is content to be married to a much older man, Penelope is raped by the already married businessman, Edgar Daggers. If she can't get married, her parents want to send her to work so they can help themselves to her earnings.

The Daggers want to hire Penelope as a secretary or governess for their future child which ensures that Penelope will never be safe from Edgar's leering eyes and wandering hands. However, her mother still encourages her union with Edgar reminding Penelope that "marriages don't last as long as they used to," even implying that she would still get a decent sum as an undeclared mistress.

It's a world of artifice, superficiality, and greed that Penelope's parents and Edgar are a part of and in which they want to sell their daughters. Penelope is screaming to get out and feels that no one is listening. It's no wonder that instead of accompanying The Daggers to New York, Penelope decides instead to move to Boston with her friend Lucinda to join the Suffrage Movement. Well Lucinda wants to join. Penelope is not quite sure yet.

When Penelope first arrives in Boston, she is confused by many of the suffragist's arguments, particularly about dress. She never thought about wearing a corset and assumed all women wore them. However, she sees Verdana Jones, a speaker and leader for the Movement, with her hair cut short and wearing bloomers and for the first time questions women's dress. Even though Penelope continues to wear a corset and traditional women's clothing through most of the book, the fact that she considers this question at all reveals her as someone who is beginning to look at women's roles more critically and objectively. She is even invited to speak at her first meeting in defense of corsets providing "structure and stability in a world about to unravel."

Penelope is hired by Verdana to recruit members and speak at conventions. Once she gains her voice, she becomes a vocal advocate for the suffrage movement.  

While navigating her way through the Suffrage Movement, Penelope meets a bevy of characters many of which are passionate about their causes: Her friend Lucinda becomes a card carrying feminist from the time they move in; Verdana provokes and amuses Penelope with her bisexuality, openly flirtatious manner, and militant outspokenness, Sam, Penelope's fifth cousin and ex fiance, is open enough to women's rights to become engaged to the very pushy Verdana; Stone Aldrich is an artist and illustrator whose realistic art depicts the reality of poverty in the cities like prostitutes, street kids, and trash cans; Amy Adams Van Buren Buchanan is a wealthy heiress who puts her money to good use by speaking out about important causes. These characters allow Penelope to view the world differently as she grows to admire their independent spirits.

Penelope's personal involvement increases when she experiences for herself the hold that society allows men to have over women. She and her colleagues are threatened by a neighbor and when the police won't do anything about it, she has to order him to leave them alone herself. Edgar continues to pester her and while he feigns support for the suffragists and gives Penelope a useful tip about Stone, who almost becomes Penelope's lover, , it is still clear that Edgar lusts after her and wants to keep her as his mistress. Later when Penelope returns to her family home in Newport, she realizes that her future brother in law uses duplicitous means to claim ownership over the family home. 

When the actions of men affect Penelope personally, she understands, truly understands, what the other suffragists were fighting for. Not just to wear comfortable dress without getting harassed. Not only for the vote. Not solely for legal rights to divorce, own property, or to have financial freedom. They are fighting for complete independence, the ability to choose their lives without conforming to some standard set by men. This realization turns Penelope into a dedicated member of the movement and allows her to change her own life.

Mistress Suffragette is a wonderful book about a woman who finally finds her own voice by speaking out for other women.

New Book Alert: Lady Be Good: The Life and Times of Dorothy Hale by Pamela Hamilton; A Fascinating and Brilliant True Story About The Life and Mysterious Death of A Talented But Now Forgotten Entertainer

 New Book Alert: Lady Be Good: The Life and Times of Dorothy Hale by Pamela Hamilton; A Fascinating and Brilliant True Story About The Life and Mysterious Death of A Talented But Now Forgotten Entertainer

SoBy Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: There are probably not many people today who are familiar with the name of Dorothy Hale (1905-1938). If they are admirers of the artwork of Frida Kahlo, they may recognize her as the subject of Kahlo's painting of The Suicide of Dorothy Hale, which depicts Hale as a beautiful woman falling from a building to her death. So in other words she is similar to Peg Entwhistle, the stage actress who tried to find success in Hollywood only to jump off the 13th letter of the Hollywood sign to her death. Like Entwhistle, if Hale is known at all, it is by the way that she left this world rather than her contribution within it. However, former NBC News Producer, Pamela Hamilton aims to change all of that with her fascinating and brilliant fictional biography Lady Be Good: The Life and Times of Dorothy Hale.

Hale, nee Dorothy Donovan, was from an affluent Catholic family with Victorian values. Hale rebelled against her upbringing by pursuing a career. She eventually became a dancer and Ziegfeld Follies girl and was part of the chorus of the Broadway production of Lady Be Good. Hale also starred with her friend, Rosamond Pinchot in Abide With Me, a play written by another friend, Clare Boothe Luce. She also had small roles in the movies, Cynara and Catherine the Great.

Hale was married twice. Her first marriage to millionaire stockbroker, Gaillard Thomas ended in divorce. Her second to muralist, fresco artist, and portrait painter, Garland Hale ended with his death in 1931. She had many love affairs including with Constantin Alajalov, a cover artist, Russell Davenport, a writer for Time Magazine, Isamu Noguchi, a sculptor, artist, and designer, and Harry Hopkins, a WPA administrator and Roosevelt's top advisor. She was also a regular member of New York's Cafe Society having friends such as Kahlo, Luce, Cole Porter, Frank Crowninshield, Buckminster Fuller,and many of the best and brightest of New York society in the 1920's and '30's.

Her death was the subject of much speculation at the time which Kahlo's painting was a part of it. What is known is that the day before her death, she hosted a party inviting many of her close friends as a farewell party explaining that she was soon going on a long trip. The next day she fell sixteen floors to her death from her Central Park South apartment.

 It was unknown whether she fell, jumped, or was pushed. However, second hand accounts at the time reported of "financial troubles" and "disappointments about her age and unhappy love affairs." The press portrayed Hale as a fragile vulnerable woman who took her own life. Despite Kahlo's genuine grief over the death of her friend, her painting did much to add to that unverified assumption that Hale committed suicide.

Hamilton's book does a lot to discredit the speculation of Hale's death and instead focuses on her life. Far from the fragile depressed lonely woman that the press portrayed her after death, Hale is written by Hamilton as a vibrant and bright woman full of life and excited to be surrounded by a talented and eccentric group of friends and lovers.

Lady Be Good is practically a whirlwind of color, art, entertainment, glamor, and excitement. One that Hale is glad to be a part of even though she does not achieve as much personal success as she would like. She is surrounded by bright and talented people and for the most part, she is happy to be with them. The famous names that come in and out of the book and appear throughout Hale's life include Clare Boothe Luce, Frida Kahlo, Fred Astaire, Frank Crowninshield, Dorothy Parker, Rosamond Pinchot, Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, Eugene O'Neill, Isamu Noguchi, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Gertrude Stein, Samuel Goldwyn, King Vidor, John Barrymore, Buckminster Fuller, and many many others. It is a brilliant cast of the intelligentsia and literati of New York's Cafe Society and The Golden Age of Hollywood. 

Dorothy enjoys the life that she is in and the freedom that being a part of that group implies.This is the main reason why her first marriage doesn't work out.

 Hale is an exciteable and enthusiastic woman who enjoys going to clubs, theater performances, salons, and art shows. Gaillard is stiff and dull and is only interested in making money. Hale marred him mostly out of fear when a serious injury ended her dancing days. After the fear subsides, their differences becomes insurmountable and Hale heads for Reno to file for divorce.

Hale finds a happier life with Gardner Hale who because of his artistic talent and connections is also a welcome member of Hale's wide social circle. His death causes Hale to fall into a deep depression which takes her a long time to get through. Hamilton's writing suggests that her romances with Isamu Noguchi and Harry Hopkins were because of loneliness and to fill an empty void in her life.

After Gardner's death, Hale attempts a Hollywood career. She films a screen test that is widely received and she is even described as a "beautiful up and coming star." Unfortunately, she is unable to receive success with so many other stars in Hollywood's galaxy. 

She also stars in Abide With Me which even though critics brutally panned it, she had a good time performing in because of her friendship with Luce and Pinchot.

The point that Hamilton is trying to make with this fictional biography is to celebrate Hale's life rather than focus on her death. In fact when it does happen, the circumstances are rather aribtrary and are given short shrift. To Hamilton, Hale's life was more important and she was a woman who lived it to the fullest.