Flickers

by Kathryn Jordan

Set in the dynamic years leading up to the Roaring Twenties, Flickers turns its lens on California’s glamorous silent film era, as Victorian civilities are swept away by a bold new century . . .
 
Violet Winters is the daughter of one of California’s wealthy robber barons.  Jack Sutter is the gardener’s son.  In their youth, the two were inseparable. But in 1913 everything is changing, and despite their feelings for each other, adulthood has come between them. Their vastly different social positions leads Violet to marry the aloof but socially perfect Maury Rediston. Jack vows to win Violet back while carving out a new life for himself in the burgeoning motion picture industry.  Tip Rediston, Violet’s brother-in-law, also gets drawn into the bohemian world of the flickers. As handsome as he is troubled, Tip starts his climb to stardom despite his family’s disapproval.
 
But as social changes, political upheaval, and war change the world around them, Violet, Jack, and Tip learn that things are never as easy as they seem on the silver screen. . .

618 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2016

Reviews

[nikkia neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Kensington Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Very lyrical and romantic, a tale of heartbreak, love, and finding yourself

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4.5 stars. I found the story engaging & well written. From a historical perspective, I found it quite fascinating to read about the stigma of the early film industry, as well as the many taboos of the era. An era where your father chose your husband, most women weren't allowed a secondary education, but were instead left at the mercy of capricious husbands. Where class & standing meant everything to society. This is sprawling tale of love, heartache, betrayal, redemption & finding oneself. A tale about feminism, the right to vote, and so much more. Really, this tale has it all & it left me wanting more.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic! It is a sweeping tale about love in the 1910s, following both the rise of the film industry and World War I.

There is so much to cover, it's hard to know where to start. Violet is from a wealthy family in the 1910s. Her father is a businessman, and her mother is an invalid. At the start of the book, after a short narrative from her childhood, she is about to marry Maury Rediston, a man from her "set" who has the approval of her family. She doesn't really want to marry him, since she's in love with another man: Jack Sutter, the son of the town gardener. But she goes through with the ceremony, which sets her on a path she never expected.

There is a pretty good-sized cast of characters. Besides the main three in the love triangle, we also have her father Josiah, who is a stubborn old man. We also meet her invalid mother, who has psychological problems that are only just beginning to gain attention in this time period. Violet's parents are rather snobbish, especially her mother, but as we read on in the book we find out a bit more about them. There is a somewhat surprising revelation later in the book that explains a lot about how Violet was raised and how that made her the person she is.

We also meet her new brother-in-law Frazier, aka Tip. Tip is carrying a weighty secret which he has never revealed to anyone, and that secret influences much of his actions throughout the book. He is, what you could call, shiftless. He doesn't do his school work, would rather be out partying and enjoying his life. He's not a businessman like his brother Maury, which becomes very clear very quickly as he settles himself into Violet and Maury's life. He does manage to find his place in the world, what he loves doing above all, but WWI comes along and snatches that away. The impact the War has on him is staggering, both physically and emotionally. His story arc, while somewhat off to the side, is a major one which I found to be very interesting. He actually reminded me a little bit of Salamander from the Deverry series, a performer, always performing for other people to put them at ease. Tip is easily my favorite character of the book. Even though he wasn't the "main" character, I still wish I could have seen what became of him after the end of the book.

Maury is an old fish. I hated him for most of it, but I also pitied him toward the end. But just a little. I found the ending satisfying, although after almost 600 pages it seemed like it happened very quickly. I could have read on for another 10 or 20 pages to get a little bit more closure, but even so it was still a good ending.

Highly recommended! I really loved reading this and recommend it to anyone who likes a complex romance set in a complex historical moment.

[Laura]

This is a combination of Hollywood type gossip and behind the scenes of the lives of the wealthy and proper families. Taking place in times of great social change and political upheaval, the story centers on a love between mismatched neighbors and best friends, Violet and Jack.

Violet is the dutiful daughter. Her mother is too ill to run the household, so Violet learns at any early age where her responsibilities lie. She knows her place and what is expected of her.
Jack knows his place, but also feels he can overcome his circumstances. With a bit of luck and the aid of good friends, he builds his future.

This is a story of following ones heart and taking advantage of opportunity even when it is not supposed to be yours. Staying with your journey no matter how long and difficult.
Besides the main protagonists, the supporting cast of this book are complicated but compelling characters. The history of the movie studio beginnings and the land deal details add to the story depth. Shocking secrets are revealed. I appreciated the theosophy content.

This is not a quick read.
I was given a copy to review.

[Susan Amper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kathryn Jordan's FLICKERS is a disappointment. The description made it sound like an exciting tale of the 20s and the birth of movies. But it just went on and on about two young people in love, one of whom marries the wrong man. And blah, blah, blah. I kept reading, and reading, and the plot seemed encased in concrete. And like a good pair of cement overshoes, it should be ditched never to resurface.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite different from the fantasy/scifi novels Jordan has written as Katharine Kerr! This historical romance, set in the very early days of the American film industry, has quite a linear narrative, unlike the very convoluted Deverry timeline. It's a fascinating time to set a story - you've got WW1, the rise of the women's suffrage movement, the threat of Prohibition - and some of the themes are very familiar to Kit's regular readers.

[Redqueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming insight into California around the time of WWI & the beginnings of the movie industry. Details about class differences, racism etc. are not overplayed. The characters are interesting and feel very real. Fans of historical fiction will like this.

[Jenni O'Danu) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful work by Katherine Kerr in a different genre

1920s California comes to life in this wonderful story about movies, love, and changing times. The only thing it's missing is a sequel.