"Starring Adele Astaire peels back the layers on Adele Astaire’s life beyond the stage while highlighting how ferociously an intrepid dreamer must fight for an edge into the spotlight. Eliza Knight’s in-depth research brings these stories to life in exquisite, vibrant detail that will captivate readers everywhere." — Madeline Martin, New York Times and international bestselling author
"Just as Adele Astaire received standing ovations for her performances, so too does Eliza Knight deserve to be similarly acclaimed for this book. I can’t believe I’d never heard of this incredible woman and I loved how the novel shone a well-deserved spotlight on this less famous but exceptionally talented Astaire sibling. Bravo Eliza Knight – and please take a bow. You’ve written a showstopper of a story.” — Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan
“Impeccably researched and beautifully written, Starring Adele Astaire is a peak behind the curtain of what it was like to be a woman and a performer in the 1920s-1940s. Eliza Knight explores the timeless question of whether a woman can truly have it all in this fascinating novel filled with love, heartbreak, resilience, and ultimately friendship.” — Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools
“From the stages of Hollywood to the war Front, Starring Adele Astaire dances with life and emotion, paying homage to a largely overlooked persona in Hollywood’s illustrious line-up of characters. Knight’s admiration for Adele Astaire—her talent and her passions, on stage and off—shines in this touching and compelling tale of a woman who strives to realize her dreams. A winner!" — Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of Strangers in the Night
"Long before Ginger Rogers came along, Fred Astaire’s dance partner was his sister Adele who positively dazzles in Eliza Knight’s latest work of historical fiction. We follow the spirited Adele from New York to London and beyond as she takes a young dancer under her wing. As their friendship grows, the women learn to juggle fame, love, loss and the devastation of war. Knight’s fan will surely appreciate how she once again seamlessly weaves her research into this rich tale, delivering another winner!" — Renee Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces
"Be swept away to London and New York between the wars with Starring Adele Astaire, a bittersweet true-life tale of one of early last century's greatest dancers and most famous siblings. By so deftly and compassionately bringing Adele to life, Knight gives us a most memorable and vital heroine for any age." — Natalie Jenner, internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society
"Fascinating, well-researched historical details about the lives of women in show business, many famous people, and World War II make this an emotionally satisfying retelling of the simultaneously privileged and tragic life of a real but mostly forgotten superstar. Will resonate with readers interested in show business, dance, and the history of women’s lives from the 1920s to World War II." — Library Journal
"With inviting characters inhabiting a richly described environment, the novel follows two women as they fall in love, survive terrible losses, and eventually find a way to stand on their own two feet. An intriguing piece of historical fiction that will engage readers and bring to light a rapidly changing world through the eyes of an early-twentieth-century star.” — Booklist
04/01/2023
Knight's (The Mayfair Bookshop) moving fictionalized portrait of Fred Astaire's sister Adele follows the real dancer from the 1920s to the 1950s, as she dances to fame on both sides of the Atlantic, marries into the British aristocracy, faces tragedy and World War II, and settles into life back in the States with a new husband. Currently less well-known than her movie-star brother, Adele started in show business when she was a child, performing with Fred in a duo more than a hundred years ago. Knight breathes life into Adele as a character, so readers will celebrate her career, then mourn as her yearning for a home and family is tragically thwarted. A parallel plot of poor London East End dancer Violet Wood adds depth and a friendship between women that stretches across decades. Fascinating, well-researched historical details about the lives of women in show business, many famous people, and World War II make this an emotionally satisfying retelling of the simultaneously privileged and tragic life of a real but mostly forgotten superstar. VERDICT Will resonate with readers interested in show business, dance, and the history of women's lives from the 1920s to World War II.—Jan Marry
This audiobook shifts between two narrators, Lisa Flanagan and Imogen Church, who portray Adele Astaire and the young dancer she takes under her wing, Violet Wood. The story opens in the 1920s, when Adele and her brother, Freddie, establish a dancing act. Later, Adele meets Violet and becomes her mentor. Both women are fearless and determined, and as their friendship grows, they learn to juggle fame, love, and loss amid the devastation of war. The narration and production of this audiobook are outstanding. Both narrators capture the characters. Listeners will feel like they've become part of Adele's story. A.P.D. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
