R M Pala

Hollywood and Wine R M Pala

Publisher Marketing: Linda McLane, orphaned at three, has lived most of her nearly seventeen years with her guardians, Roe Smithers, her late father's sister and Roe's drunkard husband. People in the English village know things are not right in the old McLane house, but without proof, they are reluctant to intercede. Linda is defiant in the face of increasingly frequent beatings from her uncle. Her last chance to escape is her father's younger sister, a famous actress who lives in Hollywood, California. The sudden arrival of an invitation from her aunt to come to work for her seems too good to be true. Linda accepts, though she has misgivings about this woman who has never bothered to contact her until now. Her destination in the early years of the Depression is in flux as the well-known actors of the silent era give way to the stars and especially the brilliant actresses, who will create the "Golden Age" of film in America. Of them all, none shines more brightly than Vera Sinclair. And none is in more danger. "Hollywood and Wine" is a world of sharp contrasts; of opulence and poverty, of talent and crime, of love and hate. Linda must learn fast to navigate the shoals, but even as her confidence grows, she learns about grave dangers that threaten to engulf her aunt. Linda, caught in the whirlwind of violence, tries to protect her aunt and ends up once more controlled by people who hate her. No one, not even the man she loves, can save her. She faces the darkness alone. Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2011 (EAN 9781463650193, Paperback)