Original title: Almost Famous Women: Stories
Pages: 256
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Format: Paperback
Genres: Short Stories
Goodreads
Blurb:
Twelve of the 13 stories in this collection take up the lives of historical women who are either virtually unknown or only known through association with more famous figures. As Bergman puts it in her author’s note, the stories “are born of fascination with real women whose remarkable lives were reduced to footnotes.”
My thoughts:
This is the book we read in Tales & Co. book club during January 2018.
I loved the whole collection. I enjoyed reading up on all of these women afterward to get more information about their lives.
Stories
The Pretty, Grown-Together Children
Truly sad story about two conjoined twins whose life turned out to be a constant fight with difficulties and humiliation.
The Siege at Whale Cay
This story I liked a lot for its atmosphere. Though the story is not that captivating, I could feel the tension in the air and all the suppressed emotions.
Norma Millay’s Film Noir Period
That story did not captivate me at all.
Romaine Remains
This one was quite an interesting read, though I did not like the character too much.
Hazel Eaton and the Wall of Death
This one is rather short and I literally couldn’t care about anything in it. It felt a bit flat. But as I have never heard about this woman it was a nice acquaintance.
The Autobiography of Allegra Byron
It was quite a touching story. I read later about the relationship of Byron to his daughter, but it was interesting and moving to see how the child goes with that drastic change in her life and find someone ready to perceive Allegra first as a little girl but not a daughter of a great figure.
Expression Theory
I had to read about Lucia Joyce otherwise I could not understand what was it all about.
Saving Butterfly McQueen
This was such an unusual introduction of this "almost famous" woman. There is almost no participation of Butterfly McQueen in the story development and still it is story about her.
Who Killed Dolly Wilde?
This is again a sad story and shows what bottom can reach a person touched by fame and does anything to stay at the top. This is also the joining point for two other persons from this collection: Joe and Romaine.
A High-Grade Bitch Sits Down for Lunch
The Internees
The Lottery, Redux
Hell-Diving Women
These last stories I liked the least.
Rating:
4/5 
4/5 
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