Book Review: Scandalous Women
Thrilled as I am to be spoiled for choice when it comes to books to read, it’s a sad reality of the wide range of novels avalilable today that I know who Jaqueline Susann and Jackie Collins are, but have never had a chance to read their work. But now, with the release of Gill Paul’s Scandalous Women, more than ever I feel the need - and the urge - to finally take the plunge.
he novel takes the stories of these two women, and their very real rise to fame amidst the misogyny and literary snobbery of the 1960s, and weaves them together, entwining them also with the story of Nancy, a young woman with editorial ambitions facing the same societal hurdles as the two writers.
The novel charts their three stories, weaving them together and infusing them with the kinds of drama found in Susann and Collins books. Like those books as well, it also takes an unflinching view of what life and society was like at the time for women who stepped outside the norm of good behaviour or acceptable ambition. Scandalous Women is perfect for those who remember the scandalous history, those who are familiar with the authors and their work, and those who are learning about the depths of these women for the first time. It is hilarious, heartbreaking, and romantic all in one, and yes, as the title suggests it’s also just a little scandalous.
Scandalous Women is out August 13. Special thank you to William Morrow for the advance copy for review purposes.
