Heart Radio x Dreams Bedtime Bookclub April Book of the Month
The dazzling, powerful story of a gutsy showgirl who tries to conquer her past amongst the glamour of 1960s Las Vegas – finding unexpected fortune, friendship and love.
In the summer of 1968, Ruby Wilde is the toast of Las Vegas. Showgirl of the Year, in her feathers and rhinestones, five-inch heels and sky-high headdresses, she mesmerises audiences from the Tropicana to the Stardust. Ratpackers and movie stars, gamblers and astronauts vie for her attention and shower her with gifts.
But not so long ago Ruby Wilde was Lily Decker from Kansas: an orphaned girl determined to dance her way out of her troubled past. When she was eight years old, Lily survived the car crash that killed her parents and sister. Raised by an aunt who took too little interest in her and an uncle who took too much, dancing was her solace, and her escape. When a mysterious benefactor pays for her to attend a local dance academy, Lily’s talent becomes her ticket to a new life.
Now, as Ruby Wilde, the ultimate Sin City success story, she discovers that the glare of the spotlight cannot banish the shadows that haunt her. As the years pass and Ruby continues to search for freedom, for love and, most importantly, herself, she must learn the difference between what glitters and what is truly gold.
Genre: Historical
The dazzling, powerful story of a gutsy showgirl who tries to conquer her past amongst the glamour of 1960s Las Vegas – finding unexpected fortune, friendship and love.
In the summer of 1968, Ruby Wilde is the toast of Las Vegas. Showgirl of the Year, in her feathers and rhinestones, five-inch heels and sky-high headdresses, she mesmerises audiences from the Tropicana to the Stardust. Ratpackers and movie stars, gamblers and astronauts vie for her attention and shower her with gifts.
But not so long ago Ruby Wilde was Lily Decker from Kansas: an orphaned girl determined to dance her way out of her troubled past. When she was eight years old, Lily survived the car crash that killed her parents and sister. Raised by an aunt who took too little interest in her and an uncle who took too much, dancing was her solace, and her escape. When a mysterious benefactor pays for her to attend a local dance academy, Lily’s talent becomes her ticket to a new life.
Now, as Ruby Wilde, the ultimate Sin City success story, she discovers that the glare of the spotlight cannot banish the shadows that haunt her. As the years pass and Ruby continues to search for freedom, for love and, most importantly, herself, she must learn the difference between what glitters and what is truly gold.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"A brave and powerful novel that captures the very soul of a young woman coming of age . . . With heart-wrenching immediacy and gorgeous prose, Elizabeth Church examines the often desperate choices women must confront, and the secrets they must protect." - Lauren Belfer
"A razzle-dazzle novel about loss, love, and friendship . . . All the Beautiful Girls pulls back the curtain on the glamorous, titillating world of showgirls, revealing the emotional bruises hidden beneath the dazzling costumes." - Melanie Benjamin
"On the run from misery, eighteen-year-old Lily Decker transforms herself into Ruby Wilde, devouring Las Vegas in glittering bites. Church has given us a true heroine, both flawed and beautiful, who rises even as she falls." - Juliette Fay
"A riveting novel, at once raw and tender, of a woman's struggle to heal the wounds of a devastating childhood . . . Church makes us feel Ruby Wilde's pain and root for her to survive. This is a heartbreaking story, passionately told." - Ellen Feldman
"A gorgeously written novel with the bite of a gin martini, All the Beautiful Girls goes beyond the splashy, gaudy dazzle of Las Vegas in the sixties to reveal the beating heart beneath the glamorous facade of the showgirl with big ambitions. Our protagonist Lily's grit, determination, and grace as she discovers the heady possibilities and dark perils of the American dream make Elizabeth Church's second novel unforgettable." - Sara Gruen
"An exquisitely crafted novel of love discovered and friendship found . . . No one captures the exuberant passions and inner struggles of women like Elizabeth Church." - Martha Hall Kelly
"A razzle-dazzle novel about loss, love, and friendship . . . All the Beautiful Girls pulls back the curtain on the glamorous, titillating world of showgirls, revealing the emotional bruises hidden beneath the dazzling costumes." - Melanie Benjamin
"On the run from misery, eighteen-year-old Lily Decker transforms herself into Ruby Wilde, devouring Las Vegas in glittering bites. Church has given us a true heroine, both flawed and beautiful, who rises even as she falls." - Juliette Fay
"A riveting novel, at once raw and tender, of a woman's struggle to heal the wounds of a devastating childhood . . . Church makes us feel Ruby Wilde's pain and root for her to survive. This is a heartbreaking story, passionately told." - Ellen Feldman
"A gorgeously written novel with the bite of a gin martini, All the Beautiful Girls goes beyond the splashy, gaudy dazzle of Las Vegas in the sixties to reveal the beating heart beneath the glamorous facade of the showgirl with big ambitions. Our protagonist Lily's grit, determination, and grace as she discovers the heady possibilities and dark perils of the American dream make Elizabeth Church's second novel unforgettable." - Sara Gruen
"An exquisitely crafted novel of love discovered and friendship found . . . No one captures the exuberant passions and inner struggles of women like Elizabeth Church." - Martha Hall Kelly
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Used availability for Elizabeth J Church's All the Beautiful Girls