A Touch of Stardust

A Touch of Stardust blends fact and fiction, combining newly imagined original characters with unforgettable icons of Hollywood’s Golden Age, as Kate Alcott explores the topsy-turvy world of cinematic glamour and its impact on human nature. Julie Crawford, Alcott’s fictitious protagonist, is a bright-eyed, sensible girl from Fort Wayne, Indiana; a graduate of Smith College, she’s determined to pursue her dream of writing screenplays, walking in the footsteps of her hero, Francis Marion. When she arrives on the set for the menial publicity job that’s granted her passage into the glamorous, cutthroat world of Hollywood she’s swept up into the drama and grandeur of David O. Selznick’s seemingly ill-fated, all-consuming project: adapting Margaret Mitchell’s beloved novel, Gone with the Wind. On the set, Julie witnesses burning sets and fiery tempers as catastrophe after catastrophe threatens to derail what Selznick believes will be the best film in motion picture history. She meets fascinating people at every turn, but none as tremendous as the straight-shooting Carole Lombard, another daughter of Julie’s hometown. Hired by Lombard, whose affair with Gone with the Wind’s own Rhett Butler has Selznick making every effort to keep the press at bay, Julie finds herself ushered into an altogether more overwhelming world where dinner parties are fairytale-glamorous and – at Lombard’s whim – piglets are let loose in the foyer.

Alcott does a superb job with her handling of the notoriously disastrous filming of Gone with the Wind as the backdrop for her novel. She captures the genius of Selznick’s efforts – sometimes desperate, sometimes torturous for those in his employ – and her reimagining of the film’s stars is charming. Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel, Leslie Howard, Butterfly McQueen, George Cukor, Victor Fleming, and Louis B. Mayer all make appearances throughout the pages, working as delightful cameos in a novelization of one of the most memorable times in Hollywood history. Chief among them, of course, are Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, whose love affair and subsequent marriage is remembered for its uncharacteristic robustness – and its tragic ending. Their easy camaraderie and their chemistry are captured beautifully, as is Lombard’s ribald wit, unforgettable style, and charming, unflappable nature. Clark Gable is less the charismatic hero as he struggles under the insurmountable difficulties of filming and rails against Selznick at every turn, but it’s Lombard’s wisdom and intimacy with his character that guide him through each challenge. Though dealing in the fictionalized world of the novel, Alcott remains true to the faults and struggles of every bright star in the Hollywood sky.

Ultimately, though, A Touch of Stardust is the story of a young woman setting out to make it in a seemingly impossible world; of her unexpected friendship with an iconic star at the other end of the Hollywood spectrum and her journey to learn how to love – and trust – in a famously unstable business. Julie is a charming character, brought to life in a slightly different way than that of her history-based counterparts; this cements her as something of an outsider throughout the novel, but in a way that builds her up as an independent woman with a strong mind who won’t be drawn in by the pretenses of the glamorous world around her. With the fly-on-the-wall perspective of the Gone with the Wind set as the novel’s backdrop, it would undoubtedly be a challenge for any author to divert her reader’s attention elsewhere, but Alcott’s storytelling is so engaging and her heroine so honest as to easily captivate her audience. Julie’s romance with handsome producer Andy Weinstein, as complicated and thrilling as any Hollywood film, helps her to grow into her own. As a result, following Julie on her adventure as she begins to understand what she wants in the bright world of Hollywood becomes as enthralling as the screenplays she hopes to write. For fans of classic Hollywood, A Touch of Stardust is a rare combination of fascinating history and enchanting fiction that captures an iconic era in all its cinematic glory.

(Review © Casee Marie, originally published on LiteraryInklings.com. A copy of the book was provided for the purpose of review.)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for review on my blog.

Earlier this year, I reviewed Stewart O’Nan’s historical fiction novel, West of Sunset, about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s time trying to make it as a Hollywood screenwriter in the 1930’s. That book didn’t live up to my expectations, but it turns out that A Touch of Stardust is the 1930’s Hollywood novel that I was hoping West of Sunset would be…complete with cameos by F. Scott Fitzgerald! It’s a light, glamorous, entertaining read with lots of behind the scenes tidbits about the filming of “Gone with the Wind” (a fraught production, to say the least), Clark Gable (and his lover, Carole Lombard), Vivien Leigh (and her lover, Laurence Olivier), and David O. Selznick.

Beyond the juicy Hollywood gossip, what makes this book is a well balanced cast of characters (both real and fictional), each serving his/her purpose. Carole Lombard is a firecracker and a pain in the studio’s backside (she keeps saying inappropriate things to the media and generally doing whatever she wants without caring what anyone thinks about her).

Carole to a reporter:

“You want me to talk about sex. I think sex is wonderful and therapeutic, and girls here in Hollywood should quit being obsessed with losing their virginity. And no double standard. Men who stray should be forgiven, and I want the same freedom for myself. That cover it for you?”

But, Clark is much more vulnerable and insecure than his public persona lets on. The fictional (I think) Andy Weinstein (Assistant to Selznick) provides jaded, sarcastic commentary about the ridiculous ways of Hollywood and nicely complements the fictional Julie, who allows you to view the whole glamorous shebang with appropriately starry-eyed wonder.

You don’t have to be a “Gone with the Wind” fan to connect with this book, although it obviously helps. Alcott touches on the studio system in the 1930’s, how mega-stars try to maintain some sense of their true selves, what it was like for a young girl to try to “make it” in a male-dominated industry in the 1930’s, anti-semitism, the lead-up to the U.S. entry into World War II, and the challenges of a woman trying to follow her dreams instead of doing what is expected (i.e. marrying a nice Indiana boy).

I do have two small criticisms:

- Various moments when big stars go far out of their way to help out people that don’t matter stretch the imagination a bit.
- Some of the plot elements weren’t that surprising, but this isn’t a thriller that is overly reliant on mind blowing plot twists. The glamorous setting and behind the scenes tidbits really drive this story.

A Touch of Stardust is a fun, glamorous read and is a great choice if you're looking for something light.

Check out my blog, Sarah's Book Shelves, for more reviews.

I liked this book, but not necessarily for the best of reasons. You need to be the judge on this.
The plot involves its young heroine Julie Crawford. Fresh out of Smith College, she is a native of stodgy South Bend, IN and comes equipped with the sensibilities of a young woman raised with Midwestern values. Had her life followed its natural course, Julie would have married her hometown beau, moved into a perfect home, and had perfect children. However, Julie had a fire in her belly. She wanted to write for the movies having been inspired by a professor at Smith as well as lecture by one time prominent screenwriter Frances Marion. To get her ambition out of her system, she goes to Hollywood with nominal support from her parents to jump start her career. If she doesn't make it in a year, it's back to South Bend.
Her job isn't much. Since she can't type, her main function is sort of an all around gofer in the front office at the Selznick Studios. She meets a young producer named Andy Weinstein, an attraction develops, and she spends an incredible year learning about life, love, and Carole (Lombard) and Clark (Gable). Because Julie and Carole share South Bend as their hometown, Julie snags a coveted position as Carole's personal assistant.
The core plot of this book ---- Julie making a place for herself in Hollywood in a year's time and her growing love for Andy ---- takes center stage as Julie matures and her world expands. It's an o.k. plot that works and is interesting. However, what really sells this book is the 'story within the story' which centers on Gable and Lombard and their hush hush out of matrimony romance and love story. Peppered with plenty of real Hollywood gossip as well as the stuff that makes legends, this material is good and on some levels great. I love old Hollywood and thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this stuff because it was so accurate and really captured the spirit of the Gables, their home in Encino, and even the ridiculous stuff about their raising chickens and selling the 'King's Eggs'. Interspersed are famous Hollywood folk such as the manic producer Selznick and the gossip witch Louella Parsons. There is a huge level of accuracy in this aspect of the story. Kate Alcott née Patricia O'Brien does an nice job of developing her fictional characters and imbues them with personalities, but she absolutely goes to town on her real people. Most startling is Lombard's salty talk and freethinking attitude that covers everything with a liberalism that wasn't exactly in vogue at the time (1939). Sadly, Alcott fictional people can never compete with her Hollywood personalities that kind of sizzle and pop all over the place.
There is a lot of detail that went into this book. Comparisons of clothing and comparable stores LA's Bullocks Wikshire and South Bend's defunct Ayres had me laughing a bit. Alcott was so exacting in her research. There was a plug in the book about Margaret Mitchell's friend Susan Myrick who served as a technical advisor on Gone With The Wind. Myrick was somewhat obscure unless you really knew a lot about the making of GWTW.
As it turns out, Alcott/O'Brien is the widow of journalist/political advisor Frank Mankiewicz. Frank apparently had a lot of insider info via family members who were deeply involved in the film industry and his stories clearly inspired this book. However, I have to give credit to the author who clearly had vision and developed a wonderful understanding of Hollywood culture of the period.
The 'stardust' in this book is the draw and the thing I most thoroughly enjoyed about this book and I see that part as strictly 5* stuff. The rest is 4*' nicely done but it just can't compete with the nominally fictionalized Gabke, Lombard & Company.

I'm a big Gone with the Wind fan, so I thought this book was a very fun read. It has a good mixture where the filming of GWTW sets the backdrop, but the main plot of the story centers on a romance between Julie, a small town girl new to Hollywood and hoping to become a screen writer, and Andy, a GWTW production assistant. I thought both characters were relateable and the story line between them really sweet. The best part, however, are the frequent appearances by Clark Gable and this love, Carole Lombard. Their scenes and interactions with the other main characters are particularly entertaining, and while there are a few slow moving sections, for the most part the pace is good.

I think people generally would like this novel, but particularly those interested in the 1930s Hollywood era, and most of all GWTW fans will appreciate the behind-the-scenes tidbits.

Alcott has made a career out of writing book whose backstories are near an anniversary day. Her second novel, The Dressmaker (a fabulous read BTW), was published during the 100th anniversary year of the Titanic’s sinking. Her new novel, A Touch of Stardust, comes out on the heels of the 75th anniversary of the movie Gone With The Wind release.

Protagonist Julie Crawford wants nothing more than to become a Hollywood. After graduating from Smith College, she leaves her hometown of Fort Wayne behind and heads west. We first meet Julie in 1938. She has a menial job with David O. Selznick Studios. She is making her way to one of the backlots with an important message for Selznick. Julie founds herself on the set of GWTW’s burning of Atlanta set.

When she finally finds the director, he’s atop a tower, watching the action. After climbing to deliver her message, Julie gets to meet a lovely young woman, Vivien Leigh; the King of Hollywood, actor Clark Gable; and screwball comedy sensation, actress Carole Lombard. That night she also meets Andy Weinstein, Selznick’s right-hand man.

Alcott’s novel has many layers. First there is the Old Hollywood connection before WWII. Second is the love story of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara. Third is the love story between Gable and Carole. Fourth, the one between Julie and Andy. Five, the story the Jews and WWII.

I wouldn’t call this a romance novel, not by any means. I felt as if I was at Selznick Studios watching the filming of that remarkable movie. I felt as if I was a witness to the great love Gable and Lombard shared.

I give A Touch of Stardust 5 out of 5 stars.

This is my second Kate Alcott book and I am a fan. She writes about things I am interested in and has believable characters and situations.

This story is about the making of Gone With The Wind and Carole Lombard and Clark Gable's love affair. I am hooked right away.

Julie Crawford is a girl from Fort Wayne, Indiana who comes to Hollywood after scriptwriter Frances Marion speaks at Smith College encouraging women to follow their dreams. On her first day in the publicity department at Selznick Studios she meets Andy Weinstein an assistant Producer for David Selznick. It's also the first day of shooting for Gone With The Wind and the discovery of Vivien Leigh for Scarlett O'Hara.

Julie wants to be a screenwriter and Andy would like to direct some day, but first they have to pay their dues. Julie lucks out and Carole Lombard hires her to be her assistant so we all get an insider's view of the Lombard/Gable relationship.

I cared about Julie and Andy and their chance at survival. He has secrets he won't share and his Jewishness would be a problem for her parents to accept. She lived a fairly sheltered life but had the guts to move to California and try her luck. There also is that big problem going on in Europe with Adolf Hitler.

This is a winner for those who love movies and the Golden Age of Hollywood. It's also great for romance lovers and people who are interested in what the world was like in 1939. Kate Alcott captures that time perfectly.

"I live by a man's code, designed to fit a man's world, yet at the same time I never forget that a woman's first job is to choose the right shade of lipstick." Carole Lombard

As a longtime fan of both the book and movie "Gone With the Wind," I looked forward to this book which, although a novel, weaves a good deal of real life into the story. I was familiar with much of the turmoil involved in making the movie -- multiple directors, not casting Scarlett until the last minute, Clark Gable threatening to walk out. I knew Gable and Carole Lombard had a relationship and married after his divorce was final, but I didn't know much about the blonde comedienne herself. Lombard was breezy, profane and warm-hearted, and she knew how to handle her man and keep him in the role of Rhett.

The viewpoint in the story is that of Julie Crawford, a young Midwest writer who comes to Hollywood to try for a screenwriting job and winds up becoming Lombard's personal assistant and friend. Julie falls for Andy Weinstein, an assistant producer to David O. Selznick, who is portrayed as the egotistical genius he was in real life. Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier and others directly and indirectly involved with the film are portrayed accurately, based on my readings about the movie's history.

Even so, I felt my attention wandering from time to time. The romance between Andy and Julie did not really engage me, perhaps because I was more interested in the lives of the real-life characters in the book. The fact that I've read a number of nonfiction books about the making of the movie may have worked against me. Still, this is an entertaining romp through Hollywood just before World War II, which would change everything. I do like the fact that the author included an epilogue that tells what happened to Lombard, Gable and the other major characters during and after the war.

This was a very interesting book on so many levels. I loved reading about the filming of Gone With The Wind, but I also loved reading about the love story of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, and the story of a young female writer to came to Hollywood to make it there. All three stories are connected because the main character is the young woman from Indiana who arrives in Hollywood to work in one of the big studios and soon gets a job as Carole Lombard’s assistant. She gets to sit in on the filming of GWTW and becomes friends with Carole and Clark. I did not know much of their love story, and it was very interesting to learn more about them. There were also interesting details about the making of GWTW, so if you are a fan, you will enjoy this book. The journey of the young woman from minor office work to working on her first screen play was enjoyable because it gave great insight in how things worked in the 1930s in Hollywood, but also reflected the expectations that women faced back then (get married and stay at home). After just six months her parents arrive from Indiana to bring her back home even though they had given her a year to try and make her mark. Another interesting angle to the story was the fact that she falls in love with a Jewish assistant producer. Not only does that create problems, but the author also weaves in what was happening in Europe at that time. A multi layered book that was well written and had interesting and appealing characters. I have read three of Kate Alcott’s books so far and this is my favorite.

Copy provided through NetGalley.

“Each morning, she pulled herself from bed and joined the cleaning ladies and the plumbers and other sleepy travelers on the 5:00 a.m. bus to get to the studio early. That way, she could step onto the back lot alone and be in the old South and feel the magical world of Gone with the Wind come to life….It didn’t matter that she walked in a landscape of glued plasterboard, a place of fake structures held together by little more than Selznick’s frenzied dreams. It was vividly real.”

Any fan of Gone With The Wind cannot help but be intrigued by the blurb for this book – an imagining of the behind-the-scenes goings on of one of the most beloved and iconic movies of all time – irresistible! And while some aspects of this novel bring that prospect vividly to life, others, sadly, fall woefully short.

From the very outset of this book certain occurrences seem rather unbelievable and contrived. Julie’s initial encounter and subsequent hiring by Carole Lombard, for instance, while setting the stage for the entire book, is a little too convenient and does not feel entirely plausible. There is also a fair amount of superfluous storytelling and inconsequential detail that becomes a distraction rather than an enhancement to the story. So many topics are addressed in this work – movie making, screenwriting, the difficulties of prospective actors, women’s struggles, racial issues, antisemitism, the burgeoning threat of WWII – that it seems the author gets a bit lost amongst all the various threads and fails to do any of them full justice. All are worthy ideas, but it seems a more focused approach may have yielded a more cohesive narrative and a better book overall.

That said, however, the passages detailing the effort involved in making such a groundbreaking motion picture – the casting, elaborate sets, wardrobe, challenges faced by the actors, Selznick’s obsessive attention to detail – are compelling and provide a fascinating window into Old Hollywood and movie making. Another huge highlight is Carole Lombard. While neither the main character nor an actress in GWTW, there is a reason her photo is on the cover of this book. SHE is the real star of this tale. While protagonist Julie is a bit flat and underwhelming, Lombard, on the other hand, virtually leaps off the page in vibrant and dynamic detail. Her vivacious spirit, frank honesty, and wise insight add to the story enormously, and her presence is sorely missed during sections she is not at the forefront. So much so, in fact, that I rushed to Google to learn more about the remarkable woman behind the Hollywood glamor, and I would love to read more about her in the future.

This is not a bad book, but I must admit to being somewhat disappointed because, especially given the subject matter, it had the potential to be so much more. Still, a worthy read for GWTW fans, if only for a glimpse into the magic behind that most legendary film.

“Nothing could soar, could become magical, without sweat and a touch of stardust.”

(This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Any quoted material may have changed in the final release. Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.)

***This review and more can be found on Great Reads and Tea Leaves blogspot ow.ly/zaRf2***

The premise of this novel is promising; Julie Crawford, a corn-fed Midwest girl from Fort Wayne, Indiana by way of Smith College, arrives in Hollywood in 1938 determined to make her way as a scriptwriter. She gets a menial job on the set of "Gone With The Wind" and somehow falls in with screwball comedy star Carole Lombard, who hires her as an assistant. Lombard, who also hails from Fort Wayne, sees in Julie a kindred spirit and the two become friends with Lombard acting as Julie's mentor and guide to the ways of Tinseltown.

Lombard is living with the heartthrob Clark Gable who is awaiting a divorce while playing the role of Rhett Butler. During the novel, Lombard and Gable drive to Arizona to get married and Julie and her boyfriend are the only other people sharing the trip and the ceremony. Julie has fallen in love with Andy Weinstein, the right-hand man of studio owner David O. Selznick. So we have three love stories going on in this book -- the fictional one being shot between Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara, the real-life one between Lombard and Gable and the one the author has invented between Julie and Andy. The tension in this last relationship comes from the fact that Andy is Jewish and has family members trapped in Nazi Germany and France.

The most vivid character in this book is Lombard who lights up the pages, much as she lit up the screen, every time she appears. She is witty, profane, honest, gutsy and earthy. The author is clearly smitten with this woman who was tragically killed in 1942 in a plane crash. Gable also emerges from the book in a nuanced way. He at first refused to cry during the shooting of a crucial scene in "GWTW" saying it was not manly and would ruin his tough-guy screen persona -- but Lombard persuades him to do so and he creates cinema magic.

Julie gets a front row seat to the making of the epic movie, the firing of the original director George Cukor and his replacement by Victor Fleming, Vivien Leigh's complaints about the corsets she is forced to wear to make her breasts look larger and her frequent crying jags; the appearance of segregated rest rooms on the set which ignites a protest by black actors and extras -- and many more details.

The biggest problem with the book is that neither Julie nor Andy emerge very vividly and I never bought into their love affair or cared much about it. The problems of Andy's grandparents and brother, who are trapped in Europe, was also not convincing. The author at one point has Andy talking of bribing Vichy officials to get his brother out of France -- but of course the book is set in 1938 and 1939 and the Vichy government did not come to power until the summer of 1940. That's plain sloppy. The author also has a scene in which playwright Ben Hecht expresses opposition to US involvement in Europe. But Hecht was a proud Zionist and leading political propagandist for the Fight for Freedom committee, urging America's entry into World War II and the campaign to save the Jews of Europe.

This is an easy read and it's also quite a fun read -- but it's not a book that goes very deep or will linger in the memory very long.

Just finished listening to A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott. I snapped it from the library shelf because of the picture of Carole Lombard on the cover and was delighted to find out that it centers on the making of Gone With the Wind.

Although the novel is a romance (well, three romances actually: Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, Carole Lombard and Clark Gable, and that of the heroine, Julie Crawford and Andy Weinstein), it also anchors the reader in the late 1930s with some history.
General History: Two wars, the Civil War and the Second World War as well as the US and Hollywood’s attitude toward Jews and African-Americans, Hitler’s build-up of arms and campaign against non-Aryans and Jews, and America's general attitude toward women
Specific History: The movie industry, popular music, clothing, slang, social mores including attitudes toward premarital sex.

This is all good stuff for me as I try to get my mind into the late 1940s. Yes, they're different eras – a world war of difference – but reading the novel has brought up some questions I need to investigate further. How much did Hollywood and American change in their attitudes toward Jews, African-Americans, and women in those ten years?

I think I know the answer, at least for women. Rosie the Riveter proved to men and women alike that females were capable of doing much of the work that was traditionally done by men. The Civil Rights Movement gained strength slowly after the war, but eventually grew into a powerful lobby against Jim Crow laws and inequality. To quote Sam Cook, “A Change Is Gonna Come.” As for Jewish refugees, their lot during the war and just after war, revealed the high level of Anti-Semitism in America and other western countries. However, awareness of the Holocaust began to influence younger generations and some of that prejudice lessened.

My characters, Billy Eastlake, Ambie, Alma, who are key to the prequel lived in the world when change was on the cusp but still far into the future.

Julie leaves the midwest for Hollywood. She doesn’t want to be an actress like all the other young women. She wants to be a screenwriter, a profession very few women have been successful at during Julie’s lifetime. She lucks out and gets a job as Carole Lombard’s assistant. Carole’s significant other just so happens to be Clark Gable. Carole is on the set during the filming of Gone With the Wind. For this reason, Julie also gets to be on the set. Julie’s story unfolds during the creation of this epic film.

I thought this was a very smart story line. We get a love story as we follow Julie along as she strives to make her dreams come true. We get a bit of a history lesson regarding Carole Lombard and Clark Gable’s relationship. And most interesting of all, the little tidbits related to the making of Gone With the Wind.
It took me a while to connect with the main character Julie. But I eventually warmed to her story. Ms. Alcott has created a character who is smart and ambitious. Writing this tale with Gone With the Wind as the backdrop made the book all that more interesting. Nicely done!

My thanks to Doubleday Books, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

What a delightful book about the golden age of Hollywood and the making of Gone with the Wind! I fell in love with smart, witty, wise-acre Carole Lombard. She and Clark were an irresistible duo! Lombard was beautiful woman on the outside and in. I'll need to watch more of her movies. I also appreciated the fictional characters: Julie, who grows into her own from naive and wide-eyed newcomer. She never loses her sense of wonder, but she becomes much more self-aware and confident. Andy, too, was fascinating: witty, a touch sardonic, good-looking, a pro at his job - but also dealing with the tragedy of what was going on in Germany at that time. As a Jewish man, it was particularly painful. He couldn't put on blinders and pretend it wasn't happening. I'm glad Alcott doesn't gloss over the beginnings of WWII. While the focus is definitely on Hollywood, she deftly weaves in the contrast between the "magic" of movies and the "real world." I also love Alcott's insider knowledge.Overall, this is an upbeat book with lots of romance, drama, and humor. Enjoy!

I LOVED this book! After reading several 'serious' books in a row, this was a breath of fresh air. Not to say this book was entirely frivolous - it touched on some very serious topics like WWII, anti-semitism, bigotry and racial injustice. For the most part, though, this novel was a delightful look at the filming of Gone With the Wind - one of my favorite books and movies of all time - and a peek into the lives of Hollywood's famous actors and actresses. Though based on facts, the book is a novel - and I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction!

The central characters of Julie and Andy were, of course, fictional. In my mind, for some reason I pictured Amy Adams and Nathan Fillion. Most of the other cast of characters, however, need no imaginary images - - Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard - - all of these were brought to life in the book.

The writing was excellent, the descriptions right-on. I felt as though I were watching a movie in my mind - and that's my favorite kind of read! A Touch of Stardust is a great escapism read but not just chick lit. I recommend it.

Gone With the Wind is one of my favorite movies so naturally I had to grab this book since it focused on the making of the movie and the love story between Hollywood legends Carole Lombard and Clark Gable.

The novel follows our protagonist, Julie, a good girl from Indiana, who come to Hollywood to be a famous screenwriter. Something women were not particularly known for yet. Through a couple of lucky breaks, Julie ends up becoming Carole Lombard's personal assistant and best friend. While this was a bit far-fetched, I did suspend my belief and wasn't too bothered by it. After all, who doesn't wish they could be their favorite actor's assistant? Julie achieved the dream.

What I Liked:
I LOVED the setting of 1930s Hollywood and seeing GWTW behind-the-scenes. There were a lot of little tidbits I didn't know about. For example, it took a really long time to find a Scarlett and thousands of actresses read for the part before it was given to Vivien Leigh. I've seen some of those screen tests and it's obvious that Leigh was the right one for the part. Also, Clark Gable was very much against segregation and demanded the bathrooms on the set be integrated. When it was known that GWTW's African American actors would not be welcomed at the Atlanta premiere, Gable actually refused to attend and basically had to be bribed. He actually seems like a pretty chill dude. However, there is one scene where he uses a slur against the openly gay George Cukor, but I had to remember that this is the 1930s and people were not particularly as accepting of members of the LGBT community as we are now.

Carole Lombard was my favorite character. I've seen any of her movies, but she seemsaid like she was an amazing person. There's a scene where one of the production studio'space employees asks to keep a record of her menstrual cycle and she basically tells him to stuff it (in harsher words than that). Even though she at first seems like a jaded Hollywood veteran, she's still optimistic about the world and her love for Clark.

What I thought was Meh:
I had a bit of a problem with the main character, Julie. She had absolutely no personality and was basically a conduit used to learn more about this world of Hollywood. She doesn't really make any decisions for herself and does whatever Carole or her boyfriend, Andy, says. Through her, you do learn about how difficult it was as a woman trying to make her mark in Hollywood. There's a scene where a man asks for sex in order to give her the job of her dreams. It's disgusting and you definitely feel for her.

Also, the main love story between Julie and David Selznick's assistant, Andy, really fell flat when parallel with the real story between Gable and Lombard and even the fictional one between Scarlett and Rhett. There was chemistry there but after reading about them arguing for the fifth time, their flame started to flicker. Also, many times Julie is left wondering why Andy is so distant and does not seem to understand he's a Jewish man living in 1939 with relatives in Nazi Germany. LIke obviously he has bigger things to worry about than when you're going to spoon next, Julie. Ugh, I wanted to smack her with a newspaper and then make her read it.

Even though I didn't enjoy the main character, A Touch of Stardust is an interesting story about making it in Hollywood. The scenes about making GWTW the iconic movie it is today is worth the read though.

I was fortunate enough to have been a First Read Winner of this book, and I am happy to leave a review. I was a bit conflicted about the book, because I loved some parts of it and others I thought fell a little flat. I was excited to get started because I have never seen "Gone with the Wind" and was curious about the behind the scene action. Julie's love interest, Andy, was not even mentioned on the description which surprised me because he held a major part in the book. But it was really Carole Lombard and Clark Gable that were my favorite part, the two of them brought the book alive for me and I wanted to know more about them. Julie just seemed dull in comparison and I was sorry about that because her storyline could have been more in depth. Perhaps there will be another book that will deal exclusively with her and her struggles to make it in a male dominated Hollywood at that time. But other than that I though Kate Alcott did a wonderful job in taking me back in time and get a glimpse at movie magic in the making, and I might actually watch the GWTW now.

Carole Lombard is my favourite Old Hollywood actress and I love everything about the era so I was pretty excited to read this one. Unfortunately the main character just didn't do anything for me. The story also followed the most basic romance template you can find and I couldn't wait to be done with it. People who enjoy romance novels will probably enjoy this one a lot more then I did.

Perhaps you have to be a lover of classic Hollywood films, or Gone With the Wind in particular to really lose yourself in this novel. I read a few of the one-and-two star reviews, and while those critics apparently found a few factual errors in the work, their opinions that the non-historical characters were boring didn't resonate with me. The girl is plucky and trying to grow up and lucks into jobs and friendships that help her greatly. Her love interest is a conflicted man with flaws but essential goodness (kind of like Rhett Butler himself.) The portrait of the daily battles to get that great movie made in 1938-39 were of huge interest to me. Real-life stars Carole Lombard and Clark Gable do seem accurately captured in terms of how they managed their off-screen lives. I had fun as a reader and a movie buff, people to root for and no real villains. In a week in which I was dealing with the loss of a relative and the frail health of in-laws, it was a tonic I needed.

This book is a combination of fact and fiction about the making of one of the greatest films of its time, Gone With The Wind, and the people involved in making it happen. From the love story of Carole Lombard and Clark Gable, to the frenzied perfectionism of the producer David Selznick, and the long hours put in by the cast and crew, this book touches on everything that made the movie great. I loved the descriptions of the different personalities, the scenery, and even the gossip columnists' feuds and power. The main fiction character, Julie, is an example of women's emerging independence and pursuit of a career outside of the home. The book enticed me to backtrack and research more on the history of the film and those involved in its production. A good, absorbing read.

Basing a novel on real events and people is in some ways easier, as the storyline is known, yet challenging to mesh new characters into those events in a believeable way. The use of the filming of Gone with the Wind makes this novel entertaining from the beginning. Bringing the stars and the scenes to the page draws one into this story. Carole Lombard and Clark Gable's legends are fascinating, and the use of their colorful characters certainly help carry this novel. Imagining what their lives must have been like is certainly enjoyable. The "every woman" heroine was not as well defined, or as interesting. She was able to walk right in to this historic filming and into the confidences of major stars from a first job. Seriously? Oh well, I did find this book fun to read, but the only places it bogged down were in Julie's story. The Gone with the Wind connection kept it going.

I really enjoyed A Touch of Stardust. Reading it was like watching a movie from the ’40s. I was immersed in many aspects of making GWTW. From casting to the actual filming to the premier in Atlanta – I felt like I had a front row seat to it all. I liked the Julie/Andy storyline but I thought the real star of the book was Carole Lombard. Alcott made her leap off the page every time she appeared. Her relationship with Clark Gable was so endearing and her unapologetic ways and colorful language made her larger than life.

If you’re a fan of Hollywood, Gone With The Wind, or stories about following a dream I think you’ll enjoy A Touch of Stardust. I sure did!
*I received a review copy in exchange for my opinion

A little escape into old Hollywood is always fun. Same old story about young girl coming to Hollywood with big dreams, and before the novel ends she has made it, this time not as an actress, but as a screenwriter. The author keeps the plot moving, and even though we have heard it all before (and read it too), its a fun, easy read. As an industry veteran, I know it never happened like this plot, but Tinseltown is built on smoke and mirrors, and that is part of the magic --- and what keeps the young girls and guys flocking to Hollywood by the thousands every year and what makes books like this sell. Hey, I read it and enjoyed the ride. Good escape reading that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.

The title of Kate Alcott's novel "A Touch of Stardust" will appeal to a certain type of reader: one looking for a bit of fun about the glamour days of 1930s Hollywood during one of the town's most significant events in cinema history--the filming of Gone with the Wind.

Even though Alcott interjects her story of an ambitious Smith graduate from Fort Wayne Indiana looking to make it as a screenwriter with political inferences from the time--Julie eventually must learn to stifle the power of an ingrained anti-Semitic background, view skeptically the less-than-hopeful statistics of success for women screenwriters and voice outrage against the racism and censorship of the Hollywood machine as it struggles to depict Margaret Mitchell's novel as a true adaptation--she makes such issues seem almost anecdotal, thrown in to create a genuine atmosphere rather than concentrate on what really shines within her pages. The relationship Alcott depicts between actress Carole Lombard and the film's Rhett Butler, Clark Gable redeems the novel from a triteness that would otherwise render the novel quickly forgettable. When viewed as a romp, despite the attempted pull of weightier subjects, "A Touch of Stardust" becomes a quick, fun read.

Its not that Julie's story isn't memorable--something tells me that Alcott might further explore the girl, her assured success and her romance with the zealous Andy Weinstein in a sequel--she's predictable, roughly drawn and as the author puts it in her Afterward an "Everywoman" that strives for some individual success. Unfortunately, in this case, "Everywoman" equals been-there-done-it-before.

I, for one, enjoyed the "Ma" and "Pa" relationship between Lombard and Gable and would have liked more of that repartee in addition to more insights into the making of the great film. Alcott weaves in many bits of Hollywood gossip and other incidental tidbits that reflect her research, but these manage to come off as cutesy expositions rather than necessary character depictions. Nonetheless, viewing the book as a "feisty Midwestern girl makes good on man-eating unknown turf despite the odds" kind of novel will ensure a pleasurable read.

Bottom line? Kate Alcott's novel "A Touch of Stardust" depicts the Hollywood before WW2 where profit-making is king and the huge endeavor of filming "Gone with the Wind" is a huge gamble. While main character Julie Crawford drives the story with her confused ambition--straddling her desire for career rather than the safety of marriage and eventual motherhood--the more colorful fleshed out personality of Carole Lombard keeps the reader entertained and somewhat forgiving of Julie's bumpy ride. Recommended as a fast read to while away the winter hours. After reading, indulge in a movie night starring Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara and marvel at its staying power. For those enamored by Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, 75th Anniversary Edition try the sequel by Alexandra Ripley Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" or indulge in a viewing of the mini-series Scarlett. Antebellum fun.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"Buzzard's Eye View"

This is fan fiction for very casual fans. The writer may have read a book or two about Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Hollywood film studios or Los Angeles in the 1930s. Little of that is evident in this book.

Another reviewer mentioned the white dress in the opening scene of Gone With the Wind. Not only did the writer get the costume designer of the film/dress wrong (it was Walter Plunkett not Edith Head) but the scene was filmed 6 months after the completion of principal photography. So if you are a fan of GWTW such details may bother you. There are other discrepancies too numerous to mention.

It is basically a story about a recent college graduate who moves away from home to make her way in the world and falls in love sort of plopped into a haphazard Hollywood in the 30s background.

A young lady named Julie Crawford leaves her home in Indiana to try to make it as a writer. in the Hollywood of the 1930's. Here, she gets her first job as a peon on the set of Gone with the Wind. She meets a love interest named Andy who happens to be Jewish which complicates their relationship. Also, her mentor becomes the actress Carole Lombard who is there because of her relationship with Clark Gable. The book is wonderfully written and effortless to read and a must for lovers of film or the movie GWTW as the reader gets an inside look at some of the many ups and downs of its production. For the thin skinned reviewers - it is fiction.

I liked this quick light read. After reading a heavy historical I needed a book to relax with and this was it. It's a romance with an aspiring screen writer heroine who becomes Carole Lombard's friend and a young Jewish man who works
magic with David Selznik, the talented and creative producer who is a difficult and creative producer. There is a little devoted to the war, Nazis and their treatment of Jewish people. There is a bit about racial discrimination as well but overall the author captures the glitzy but unreal world of movie making.

This book missed the mark for me. The back cover should read "Julie, a plucky young girl from Fort Wayne, Indiana moves to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a writer and she does." That's really all that happens folks. It's a very basic and predictable love story centered around two one dimensional characters. Julie's emotional journey is so childlike (this would NEVER happen in Fort Wayne!) it's almost as if the novel were actually written in 1939, the year it takes place. This unfortunately overshadowed the more interesting element of old hollywood and Gone With the Wind which was a disappointment.

I like old movies and Gone with the Wind, so this book was a natural for me. The story was pretty good. It had a "happy" ending. But, when you know that Carol Gable dies in a plane crash shortly after and then you figure her boyfriend has slim odds of making it out of Europe alive-you wonder how will Julie cope? So I felt a little ripped off. Like just when all the real world trauma was coming into play, she ended the book and thus a lost star.

It’s 1939.

Julie Crawford, a recent graduate of Smith College and native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has arrived at Selznick International Pictures to work as an office assistant. Through a few turns of luck she becomes the personal assistant to Carole Lombard, the bubbly actress rumored to be romantically attached to Clark Gable.

Gable has been contracted to interpret the dashing Rhett Butler in the production of Gone with the Wind. Lombard has been brought along to help him cope with the nightmare that the filming has become.

David O. Selznick has a very clear picture of what he wants to see as the final product. He doesn’t tolerate deviations from his vision or dissension. He will fight Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM and his in-law; he will fire George Cukor (the first director) and bring along Victor Fleming (fresh from filming of The Wizard of Oz); he will hire an army of screenwriters and reject every screenplay if necessary but the result will be nothing short of perfection.

All along, Julie will learn to navigate the treacherous waters of Hollywood and become Carole’s good friend. And she will realize her dreams and become the woman she ever thought of becoming.

A Touch of Stardust is a fascinating and meticulous account of the filming of Gone with the Wind. It is an ode to the movies and the magic of movie making, to the glamour and decadence of an age gone by, to the movie stars who were part of it, and to the making of movie history.

Alcott takes us on a tour backstage to show us the technical aspects of movie making: the writing of a script (and its likely dissection), the building (and burning) of a set, the direction and production stages, and the battle of egos from all the big personalities involved.

Within the pages of A Touch of Stardust real life personalities such as Carole Lombard (actress), David O. Selznick (producer), Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O’Hara), Clark Gable (Rhett Butler), and Frances Marion (screenwriter) come alive. After reading this novel it’ll be hard to think about the whole creative process of movie making the same way again.

DISCLAIMER: I received from the publisher a free egalley of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a heartwarming book about making life changes and running for the gold. This book has soul. It shows the backstage existence of two famous stars & showing us the human Vivian & Leslie along with Hattie & Butterfly McQueen, while also giving hints of the early backdrop of WWII. This isn't a book that unduly glorifies Hollywood as it shows a bit of it's seamier side, but also the price some pay to be part of it. But, most of all, it shows the glamour that is a thing of the past with Hollywood, and the perfectionism that goes into making one of the best, if not the best movie of all time.

I have always loved GWTW, the book and the movie & this book was wonderful! I usually read mysteries and suspense & I was surprised at how rapidly I was hooked on this novel. The writing flows so smoothly. Julie, the heroine, is very likable. Of course, this is ultimately the love story of Gable & Lombard, who are portrayed as 2 very human & likable characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the golden age of movies & a beautiful and doomed love story.

I'm a huge fan of GONE WITH THE WIND (both movie and book), so was excited to read this fictional telling of what went on during the filming. These behind-the-scenes tidbits didn't disappoint, but what surprised me most was how much I fell in love with Carole Lombard. I had seen a few of her movies, but never gave much thought to her. Man, is she a fire-cracker, able to pull the gruff, insecure Clark completely out of his shell (and possibly save one of the greatest movie in history as a result!). Their relationship is one for the books and it was so great to see it chronicled here. I also liked the narrator, Julie, and although she's not as feisty as Carole, she has real backbone and ambition.

Perhaps others are more familiar with the back story to "Gone With the Wind." Since I was not, I was enthralled by the insider's look behind the scenes, incorporating a touching love story of Julie and Andy with the strong personalities of David O. Selznick and Louis B. Mayer. Having the protagonist accidentally become Carole Lombard's personal assistant and eventual best friend allowed the reader to become part of the inner circle during a fascinating time in her and Clark Gable's lives. The fact that they died within a few years of the filming of "Gone with the Wind" breaks your heart even more when you read the fictional/true account of them setting up house at the time of Clark's divorce. Carole's naughty mouth and Clark's shy, devilish grin amuse us as they fend off the huge egos in Hollywoodland. The nice touches by Kate Alcott of showing her parents around Los Angeles in the late 30's gives us a great period piece that itself should be made into a movie. Oh, look! There is Greta Garbo getting lipstick in the department store. Blended in throughout were acknowledgements of the racial tensions brought by the film as well as the anti-semitism present at that time. The "Casablanca"-style ending makes us wonder whatever became of that nice couple, Julie and Andy and hoping they reunited after the war and started their own family. The book inspired me to view "Gone with the Wind" again and enjoy it almost as much as the surprised first audience in late 1939, although I didn't whoop and holler and stand on my seat!

This is a story about the making of Gone With the Wind. It is more than that though as it follows a young aspiring girl newly arrived from The Midwest. As we follow Julie, we are thrust into the midst of the Hollywood scene meeting the stars but also seeing behind the scenes. I came away feeling I really knew Carole Lombard and perhaps a little of Clark Gable as well. It was a pivotal movie and a unique time in Ameriica's history, and this story captured those events and made them so real.

I'm still reading ....p. 136 (on Nook) and still searching for the plot. There are a few interesting scenes, but a really good book should be "un-put-down- able."
I've still not finished it because I have little motivation to pick it up again. Too much tedious dialogue; too little action.
I do love other Kate Alcott books, and we should not expect an author to be able to mold a masterpiece every single time. I love ya' Kate, but this one is slow and tedious. The Hollywood Daughter? Fabulous

I was attracted to this book because I loved the author's other book "The Dressmaker", and "Gone With The Wind" is my favorite movie of all time!!! I felt like I was there!!!! I will look for more of this author's books knowing how much I will enjoy them!!!!

Carole Lombard and Clark Gable really came to life in this book; the main character, Julie Crawford didn't. She just didn't interest me much, partly because I can't remember any physical description of her in the book. She was rather blah. That said, it was a fun read, if a bit of a slow starter.

I really like this story. I am a big fan of Gone With Wind and Clark Gable. I know this fiction but it was also nostalgic. I'm so glad I read this one
I didn't know too much about Carole Lombard, but loved the character in this book..

I have always loved Gone with the Wind and I search for anything that will give me a glimpse of the past when they made movies like this. So when I read a summary of what this book was about I couldn't wait to read it, but actually thought it would be a narrative of what the movie was like and something about the life of Carol and Clark. Instead this is one of the best books I have ever read. You really feel like you are going back in time on the movie lot. What it was like before computers took over all of the creativity. You can feel the both love stories. Truly a wonderful story.

This book was an enjoyable weekend escape. I liked the characters. The glimpse into 1939 was fascinating. Their anticipation or avoidance of The War was pertinent (but not the focus of the book). I'll look for more books by this author.

I couldn't wait for Kate Alcott to write a new novel and I wasn't disappointed!! She's just a clear and easy writer, you feel like you are there with the characters. This book was a different surprise because it mixed some reality in the fiction. Definitely worth your time to read and enjoy. Bravo Kate!!!

A totally enjoyable romp behind the scenes of my favorite movie, Gone With The Wind. Alcott gives us a picture of Hollywood in the 1930s and a real romance that I knew nothing about -- Carole Lombard and Clark Gable. Wonderful, wonderful. So much fun that I lugged the hardcover with me on the subway, on a plane, and into a cab because I couldn't put it down. Ignore the snow and cold, and enjoy the heat from this satisfying tale.

The Author has Edith Head working on Gone With The Wind. Did not happen. I get that this book is a fictional account based on historical sources and that some liberties would be taken but why such a big one? GWTW had a terrific costume designer in Walter Plunket and at this point in her career Edith Head was not working on big movies-check out her credits for 1939 on IMDB-lots of B Movies-Selznick would not have had her come anywhere near GWTW. Also too much of the authors research is put into the mouths of fictional characters who likely would not be privy to the info shared. A more ambitious writer would have cast David O'Selznick as the lead character in a novel about the making of GWTW and not bothered inventing characters that would be more at home in a story taking place in 2015 than in 1939. I guess the reason writers these days give characters modern attitudes towards race and sexuality is so they would be likable and to give the false sense of comfort that the previous generations were really a lot like us more enlightened souls. Feel free to read this but don't expect to think you are getting the truth. For better books on GWTW look to the Non Fiction accounts David O'Selznick's Hollywood by Ronald Haver and Patrick McGilligan's bio of George Cukor- A Double Life.

A fun read set around the making of GWTW. Carole Lombard and Clark Gable and their wonderful romance is the heart of the story along with a Midwest gal come to Hollywood to make good. What a lovely book!

Wooden, expository dialogue, a predictable, paint-by-the-numbers plot, and absolutely forgettable characters (with the exception of the real-life actors, who are not convincingly portrayed here) make this the worst novel I have read in memory.

If you love vintage Hollywood you will love this book. I felt transformed back in time. I m a huge fan of GWTW and loved pretending to be involved in the production and secrets. I don't want to put the book down and was sad when the ride was over.

I LOVED THIS STORY, ESPECIALLY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAROLE LOMBARD AND JULIE. ALSO FELT FOR ANDY AND HIS HORROR OVER WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE JEWS IN EU ROPE INCLUDING HIS FAMILY. NOW I NEED TO WATCH GONE WITH THE WIND AGAIN WITH A WHOLLY NEW PERSPECTIVE.

I have always been fascinated ny the Carole Lombard and Clark Gable romance. This was a well written and romantic look at one of Hollywood's first supercouples and told a great tale of the early days of American cinemetography...I loved it!

In December, 1938, young Julie Crawford reports to 9336 Washington Boulevard, in Culver City, as a studio messenger. She is at Selznick International, known commonly today as the Back Forty. The studio was built by Thomas Ince in 1918. Young Julie could not know that she is about to meet Hollywood mogul David O. Selznick, and then Carole Lombard and her lover, Clark Gable. Julie could not know that she is about to witness the"Burning of Atlanta", filmed on the giant wall-fortress set from 1933's "King Kong". It was built in 1927 for "King of Kings". Our dear young Julie could not know that she will be watching the filming of "Gone With the Wind". She gets to know sultry blonde Carole Lombard, who toasts everyone with her nasty language. One newspaper reporter asks Carole: "Carole, can you tell us about your menstrual cycle?" We can't print here what became of Carole's reply. A frank and saucy good time, "A Touch of Stardust" is the latest from best-seller Kate Alcott, who wrote "The Daring Ladies of Lowell", another story about imaginary characters in real-life historical events. "A Touch of Stardust" is all about the movies. Some movies have a message. Early-on in "Gone With the Wind", Scarlett O'Hara confronts Ashley Wilkes and says: "War. War. War. Don't you want to have a war?". Ashley Wilkes stares her down and says: "Most of the great tragedies of the world were caused by war. And when all the wars were over, nobody ever knew what they were about anyway......"

This new book reignites the pure joy experienced when first seeing Gone with the Wind. It's a fantastic story about the making of the film and almost as good as the original article. I can't recommend it highly enough. The characters (fictional and historic) come to life with all sorts of new angles. Loved it.

Kate Alcott writes books that bring in great historic facts about GONE WITH THE WIND along with weaving in a great fictional story. The Dressmaker... with Titanic history ...was a order full as well.

If you are a fan of Gone With the Wind or enjoy reading about old Hollywood,this is the book for you! This novel tells the story of a young Smith graduate who dreams of becoming a screenwriter and ends up on the set of GWTW. The details about the making of this classic movie make it a fun read!

I love old hollywood books and this is a gem! The author truly brings these characters to life - I felt like I was friends with Clark Gable and Carole Lombard by the end of the book. I now plan to read other books by this author.

This was a book that I've been looking forward to reading since I saw the first reviews of it in Kirkus Reviews. I have always loved the Hollywood from the 1940s and 1950's. The actors and actresses were so glamorous and so much larger than life. Movies were magical experiences and the release of a new movie was a huge social event. None more so than the hype around Gone With the Wind. When the movie came out in December of 1939, it changed the movie industry forever. First, it was long (almost 4 hours), and it was packed to the gills with big name talent like Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Vivian Leigh and many others. The movie won 9 Oscars and it has made $1.64 billion since it's release (when adjusted for inflation). This book gives us a birds-eye view of the making of this blockbuster and is full of real-life people like Clark Gable and Carol Lombard. The fictional characters are well-drawn and realistic too and the story is magical, as it's name implies. Young Julie heads to Hollywood to try to become a screenwriter. As she is from Fort Wayne, and as Carol Lombard was from there, they develop a friendship when they meet and Julie's first job in Hollywood was Lombard's assistant. Ms. Alcott has penned a delighttlul portrayal of the uninhibited Lombard and her relationship with Gable. They were a true Hollywood love match that ended way too soon with Lombard's death in a plane crash at the age of 33. But this book is about Gone With the Wind and the magic that went into the making of this wonderful film. Yes, there were lots of difficulties and pitfalls in the creation, but the film is arguably one of the best ever made. I love the movie and I really enjoyed this book.

I thought it would be more about Carol Lombard. I was disappointed but, the story after I realized it was not about Carol Lombard was ok. The story included Carol Lombard and Clark Gable with the back story but I would have liked to have read more about Lombard's life from younger years to death.

As a longtime fan of both the book and movie "Gone With the Wind," I looked forward to this book which, although a novel, weaves a good deal of real life into the story. I was familiar with much of the turmoil involved in making the movie -- multiple directors, not casting Scarlett until the last minute, Clark Gable threatening to walk out. I knew Gable and Carole Lombard had a relationship and married after his divorce was final, but I didn't know much about the blonde comedienne herself. Lombard was breezy, profane and warm-hearted, and she knew how to handle her man and keep him in the role of Rhett.

The viewpoint in the story is that of Julie Crawford, a young Midwest writer who comes to Hollywood to try for a screenwriting job and winds up becoming Lombard's personal assistant and friend. Julie falls for Andy Weinstein, an assistant producer to David O. Selznick, who is portrayed as the egotistical genius he was in real life. Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier and others directly and indirectly involved with the film are portrayed accurately, based on my readings about the movie's history.

Even so, I felt my attention wandering from time to time. The romance between Andy and Julie did not really engage me, perhaps because I was more interested in the lives of the real-life characters in the book. The fact that I've read a number of nonfiction books about the making of the movie may have worked against me. Still, this is an entertaining romp through Hollywood just before World War II, which would change everything. I do like the fact that the author included an epilogue that tells what happened to Lombard, Gable and the other major characters during and after the war.

What a great look at Hollywood and the creation of the movie, GONE WITH THE WIND. In fictional form, both Carole Lombard and Clark Gable became human, not just stars we see on the screen. The story revolves around Julie Crawford who came to Hollywood to be a writer. It seems she leads a charmed life, because not only does she fall in love with a Jewish writer, Carole Lombard picks her as a personal assistant, giving Julie an inside look at the romance of Carole and Clark Gable. Add to this the challenges of making GONE WITH THE WIND, and you’ve got a sure fire fun and interesting read about Hollywood.

I love old movies and the "glamour" of Hollywood, and a good story, too. All these elements were woven into this book, which spans the time frame it took to film Gone with the Wind. I totally got swept into the tale of a young girl from Indiana coming to Hollywood to find herself and try to make it as a screenwriter. The romance of Carole Lombard and Clark Gable, the making of the movie, the wheeling and dealing of movie makers, and even the upcoming war, and prejudice - so many topics are to be found within the cover of this book. I enjoyed it all!!!!