Release Date: April 16, 2019

Roxanne Granville was fortunate to be born into Hollywood Royalty as the granddaughter of a powerful studio mogul. Her grandparents raised her and she spent her childhood mixing with film stars at the studio and in her home.  When Roxanne has a falling out with her grandfather, she decides that it is time to step out on her own. She moves to a bungalow and uses her contacts to become an agent for writers.

During the 1950s there was fear of being on the “Hollywood Blacklist“ where your work would never be accepted. Television was also becoming a threat to the movie industry, and the civil rights movement was gaining momentum.

Roxanne’s agency takes off when she sells a script from a blacklisted writer and others come forward seeking her assistance. She knows the risk to her reputation if the truth were to be revealed but feels it is the right thing to do. She also takes risks in her personal life when she secretly becomes involved with an African American journalist which is unusual for the time period.

I enjoyed reading “The Great Pretenders” by Laura Kalpakian. It has a fun blend of Hollywood history, romance, family dysfunction, and scandal. I look forward to more works from this author.