A Bookpage Best Books of pick The enchanting story of a midwestern girl who escapes a family tragedy and is remade as a movie star during Hollywoods golden age In Elsa Emerson the youngest and blondest of three sisters is born in idyllic Door County Wisconsin Her family owns the Cherry County Playhouse and more than anything Elsa relishes appearing onstage where she soaks up the approval of her father and the embrace of the audience But when tragedy strikes her family her acting becomes more than a childs game of pretend While still in her teens Elsa marries and flees to Los Angeles There she is discovered by Irving Green one of the most powerful executives in Hollywood who refashions her as a serious exotic brunette and renames her Laura Lamont Irving becomes Lauras great love she becomes an Academy Award-winning actressand a genuine movie star Laura experiences all the glamour and extravagance of the heady pinnacle of stardom in the studio-system era but ultimately her story is a timeless one of a woman trying to balance career family and personal happiness all while remaining true to herself Ambitious and richly imagined Laura Lamonts Life in Pictures is as intimateand as bigger-than-lifeas the great films of the golden age of Hollywood Written with warmth and verve it confirms Emma Straubs reputation as one of the most exciting new talents in fiction.
