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From Dust to Stardust
From the bestselling author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk comes a novel about Hollywood, the cost of stardom, and selfless second acts, inspired by an extraordinary true story.
Chicago, 1916. Doreen O’Dare is fourteen years old when she hops a Hollywood-bound train with her beloved Irish grandmother. Within a decade, her trademark bob and insouciant charm make her the preeminent movie flapper of the Jazz Age. But her success story masks one of relentless ambition, tragedy, and the secrets of a dangerous marriage.
Her professional life in flux, Doreen trades one dream for another. She pours her wealth and creative energy into a singular achievement: the construction of a one-ton miniature Fairy Castle, the likes of which the world has never seen. So begins Doreen’s public tour to lift the nation’s spirits during the Great Depression—and a personal journey worth remembering.
A sweeping journey from the dawn of the motion picture era through turbulent twentieth-century America, From Dust to Stardust is a breathtaking novel about one determined woman navigating change, challenging the price of fame, and sharing the gift of real magic.
Chicago, 1916. Doreen O’Dare is fourteen years old when she hops a Hollywood-bound train with her beloved Irish grandmother. Within a decade, her trademark bob and insouciant charm make her the preeminent movie flapper of the Jazz Age. But her success story masks one of relentless ambition, tragedy, and the secrets of a dangerous marriage.
Her professional life in flux, Doreen trades one dream for another. She pours her wealth and creative energy into a singular achievement: the construction of a one-ton miniature Fairy Castle, the likes of which the world has never seen. So begins Doreen’s public tour to lift the nation’s spirits during the Great Depression—and a personal journey worth remembering.
A sweeping journey from the dawn of the motion picture era through turbulent twentieth-century America, From Dust to Stardust is a breathtaking novel about one determined woman navigating change, challenging the price of fame, and sharing the gift of real magic.
285 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2023
141 people are currently reading
4802 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Rooney
35 books1,362 followersKathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press, a publisher of literary work in hybrid genres, and a founding member of Poems While You Wait, a team of poets and their typewriters who compose commissioned poetry on demand.
She is the author, most recently, of the novels Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey. Her latest collection Where Are the Snows, winner of the XJ Kennedy Prize, was published by Texas Review Press in September 2022. Her novel from Dust to Stardust, was published by Lake Union Press in Fall of 2023, and her debut picture book--co-written with her sister Beth Rooney and illustrated by Betsy Bowen--was published by University of Minnesota Press in Fall of 2025.
Her fifth novel, Man Overboard!, is coming out with Gallery Books in July of 2026.
She is the author, most recently, of the novels Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey. Her latest collection Where Are the Snows, winner of the XJ Kennedy Prize, was published by Texas Review Press in September 2022. Her novel from Dust to Stardust, was published by Lake Union Press in Fall of 2023, and her debut picture book--co-written with her sister Beth Rooney and illustrated by Betsy Bowen--was published by University of Minnesota Press in Fall of 2025.
Her fifth novel, Man Overboard!, is coming out with Gallery Books in July of 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
September 5, 2023
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
Based upon real-life actress Colleen Moore From Dust to Stardust is a magical tale of the silent film era and what it took to be a "star". I loved how it also dealt with Doreen's personal life, not just her romances but her relationships with her friends, family, co-workers, her bosses and the press. The more I got to know Doreen the more I grew to love her. She stood up for herself when it wasn't commonplace for women. She tried her best through a tough marriage and fought for the pay and contracts she knew she deserved. And all the while she tried to stay true to herself.
I was fully captivated by Doreen's story and the castle (there really is one in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry) she built to boost morale during the Depression and to give the profits to charity. Doreen is a complex character and her heart and soul are embedded throughout the story. The author's research is impeccable so it was no wonder the story felt so real and tangible. Rooney handles the reality of alcoholism and spousal abuse in a delicate yet extremely real manner. I was so enthralled it was hard to get back to the real world of 2023. I adored this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
Colleen's Castle
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog
Based upon real-life actress Colleen Moore From Dust to Stardust is a magical tale of the silent film era and what it took to be a "star". I loved how it also dealt with Doreen's personal life, not just her romances but her relationships with her friends, family, co-workers, her bosses and the press. The more I got to know Doreen the more I grew to love her. She stood up for herself when it wasn't commonplace for women. She tried her best through a tough marriage and fought for the pay and contracts she knew she deserved. And all the while she tried to stay true to herself.
I was fully captivated by Doreen's story and the castle (there really is one in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry) she built to boost morale during the Depression and to give the profits to charity. Doreen is a complex character and her heart and soul are embedded throughout the story. The author's research is impeccable so it was no wonder the story felt so real and tangible. Rooney handles the reality of alcoholism and spousal abuse in a delicate yet extremely real manner. I was so enthralled it was hard to get back to the real world of 2023. I adored this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
Colleen's Castle
August 20, 2023
I’m a Kathleen Rooney fan. I adored both Lillian Boxfish and Cheri Ami. And I was also a fan of this story about Hollywood during the days of silent films. The story tracks Eileen Sullivan, who took the stage name of Doreen O’Dare, whose uncle wrangles her a screen test with Cecil B. DeMille. She goes on to become a star.
The story is closely based on Colleen Moore. Her name is mostly forgotten now, unlike Theda Bara, Lilian Gish, Clara Bow or Mary Pickford. But she was the star that made the bobbed haircut famous. And for three years running, she was the top of the world in box office receipts.
The book is sprinkled with all the names you associate with silent films and a lot of the gossip concerning them. Googling a few incidents, I learned they were all real. The story truly captures the early days of film up until the time when talkies began to take over.
During the years, Eileen created a miniature fairy castle. During the depression, she takes it on a national tour, using the money raised to aid children’s charities. In her later years, she gifts it to a museum. It’s as she’s detailing the rooms of the castle to a museum conservator that she also tells her backstory. I would have preferred a straightforward story as I was not excited by the details of the castle at all. These little forays into the later years took me out of the story and disrupted the pace.
I enjoyed Eileen. She was a hard worker, strong willed but also a romantic. And while not educated, she had common sense in abundance and a clear eyed ability to see all parts of Hollywood. In an interesting turn of fate, she became a financial advisor who specialized in helping women. The story is meticulously researched. I recommend this for fans of historical fiction.
My thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
The story is closely based on Colleen Moore. Her name is mostly forgotten now, unlike Theda Bara, Lilian Gish, Clara Bow or Mary Pickford. But she was the star that made the bobbed haircut famous. And for three years running, she was the top of the world in box office receipts.
The book is sprinkled with all the names you associate with silent films and a lot of the gossip concerning them. Googling a few incidents, I learned they were all real. The story truly captures the early days of film up until the time when talkies began to take over.
During the years, Eileen created a miniature fairy castle. During the depression, she takes it on a national tour, using the money raised to aid children’s charities. In her later years, she gifts it to a museum. It’s as she’s detailing the rooms of the castle to a museum conservator that she also tells her backstory. I would have preferred a straightforward story as I was not excited by the details of the castle at all. These little forays into the later years took me out of the story and disrupted the pace.
I enjoyed Eileen. She was a hard worker, strong willed but also a romantic. And while not educated, she had common sense in abundance and a clear eyed ability to see all parts of Hollywood. In an interesting turn of fate, she became a financial advisor who specialized in helping women. The story is meticulously researched. I recommend this for fans of historical fiction.
My thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy of this book.
April 2, 2023
Hurray for Hollywood!
Silent movies, some were good.
Rudolf Valentino, Greta Garbo
Buster Keaton, Gloria Swanson
Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin
Fatty Arbuckle, Stan Laurel (not forgetting Hardy)
Mary Pickford, Americas sweetheart
Theda Bara ,William S Hart
Tom Mix, Lillian Gish
The It Girl, Clara Bow
Theda Bara, Colleen Moore.
Who? Yes, that’s what I said too but in this novel Colleen Moore, one of the most fashionable actresses of the silent era, bob and all, comes alive as Eileen Sullivan, stage name Doreen O’Dare. He be melodrama, flappers, westerns, Historical epics and slapstick. All the above feature in one way or another.
In 1916 aged 14 ‘Doreen’ boards a train in Chicago heading to California as she’s bitten by the movie bug and is determined to be a part of it. Encouraged by her magical Granny O’Shaughnessy but with the permanent disapproval of her mother, her Uncle Walter wangles a six month contract with D.W.Griffith at Triangle. It’s now 1968 and she’s on her way to the Museum of Science and Industry on Chicago’s south side to record a message for her donation of ‘The Fairy Castle’, a fantastical dolls house which becomes as famous as her. Doreen records her amazing story from the early days of movies through the Depression and to the 1960’s. What an inspiration she is!
The most powerful parts of the novel are the early days of Hollywood which the author really does bring alive. This is an era of fascination and I like seeing it through the eyes of someone we’ve all but forgotten. I grow to like and admire Doreen/Colleen, her life is not always easy especially her first marriage but she rises above it. She grows in strength despite the potential for scandals and she stands up for herself. Telling her story via the recordings to Gladys at the museum allows Doreen to be reflective on her life and burgeoning career. She is seen as a wholesome good girl who wants to be loved. I like her resilience, her adaptability, guts and humour. Hollywood at this time comes across loud and clear and is set well into the context of the times such as Prohibition, the attitudes of the day and changing technology. It’s colourful, lavish, OTT just like Hollywood and the insights are thoughtful.
However, although I really do enjoy reading this at times you do feel like you’ve lived Doreen’s life hour by hour. It does sometimes read like a bio rather than a novel although it can’t be denied the films are magical. The pacing is a bit irregular and I guess that may be because it’s patently obvious the author has extensively researched Colleen’s life and wants to get it all in! Nevertheless Kathleen Rooney definitely breathes life into this wonderful character and I’m so glad she draws her to my attention. Despite my reservations it’s well worthy of a four star rating.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Lake Union for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Silent movies, some were good.
Rudolf Valentino, Greta Garbo
Buster Keaton, Gloria Swanson
Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin
Fatty Arbuckle, Stan Laurel (not forgetting Hardy)
Mary Pickford, Americas sweetheart
Theda Bara ,William S Hart
Tom Mix, Lillian Gish
The It Girl, Clara Bow
Theda Bara, Colleen Moore.
Who? Yes, that’s what I said too but in this novel Colleen Moore, one of the most fashionable actresses of the silent era, bob and all, comes alive as Eileen Sullivan, stage name Doreen O’Dare. He be melodrama, flappers, westerns, Historical epics and slapstick. All the above feature in one way or another.
In 1916 aged 14 ‘Doreen’ boards a train in Chicago heading to California as she’s bitten by the movie bug and is determined to be a part of it. Encouraged by her magical Granny O’Shaughnessy but with the permanent disapproval of her mother, her Uncle Walter wangles a six month contract with D.W.Griffith at Triangle. It’s now 1968 and she’s on her way to the Museum of Science and Industry on Chicago’s south side to record a message for her donation of ‘The Fairy Castle’, a fantastical dolls house which becomes as famous as her. Doreen records her amazing story from the early days of movies through the Depression and to the 1960’s. What an inspiration she is!
The most powerful parts of the novel are the early days of Hollywood which the author really does bring alive. This is an era of fascination and I like seeing it through the eyes of someone we’ve all but forgotten. I grow to like and admire Doreen/Colleen, her life is not always easy especially her first marriage but she rises above it. She grows in strength despite the potential for scandals and she stands up for herself. Telling her story via the recordings to Gladys at the museum allows Doreen to be reflective on her life and burgeoning career. She is seen as a wholesome good girl who wants to be loved. I like her resilience, her adaptability, guts and humour. Hollywood at this time comes across loud and clear and is set well into the context of the times such as Prohibition, the attitudes of the day and changing technology. It’s colourful, lavish, OTT just like Hollywood and the insights are thoughtful.
However, although I really do enjoy reading this at times you do feel like you’ve lived Doreen’s life hour by hour. It does sometimes read like a bio rather than a novel although it can’t be denied the films are magical. The pacing is a bit irregular and I guess that may be because it’s patently obvious the author has extensively researched Colleen’s life and wants to get it all in! Nevertheless Kathleen Rooney definitely breathes life into this wonderful character and I’m so glad she draws her to my attention. Despite my reservations it’s well worthy of a four star rating.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Lake Union for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
July 11, 2022
A tour de force from an author at the height of her powers!
April 2, 2023
“All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust”
—Tinkerbell
In “From Dust to Stardust”,
is a dazzling richly layered historical fiction, coming of age story.
The details are so richly vivid it made me want to live in the setting and experience the times.
“Once upon a time, an unprepossessing child with mismatched eyes—one brown, one blue—arrived to poor parents at precisely the right moment”.
“Eileen Sullivan, the girl I once was, was born on August 19, 1902, in Port Huron, Michigan. Doreen O’Dare, the girl I became, was born in the summer of 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, not long before she hopped a California-bound train”.
Doreen O’ Dare, is based on the boisterous American film actress, Colleen Moore who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable stars of the era and helped popularized the bobbed haircut. Her two passions were movies and Dollhouses.
This is not a sucky celebrity book…
….rather we get the nuts and bolts of the movie business during a remarkable era…..
filled with tons of personality, history and intimacy.
Kathleen Rooney did a marvelous job capturing the silent film era full of artistic innovation with interesting hard working talents of the days
She brought to life an unknown character - Doreen O’Dare - that helped me better appreciate the dreams one has in childhood and how they make that leap to having those dreams come true in their adult life.
I’m really moved and inspired by this book and all I learned.
I love movies and stage theater today, but my education and appreciation for the early days of silent films was lacking. And learning about the magnificent Dollhouse — a featured exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago was a huge treat.
The Dollhouse measuring 9 square feet is estimated to be worth $7 million - and over a million people visit the Dollhouse exhibit yearly.
The photos I found online are stunning.
Kathleen opened up a world for me - one I never knew I wanted or needed to see —
but something close to a transformational shift happened to me from reading this novel.
It filled in holes. I enjoyed reading about an array of known names ( but I didn’t know them) from the silent film era …. I learned a lot - and loved what I learned.
I also reflected on my own daughter’s acting and artistic developments in ways I never really thought about.
Our first born daughter -41 years old - is a professional actress working in Hollywood.
Having already been in dozens of children’s theater productions by age 8, she was cast in her first professional job with an equity Bay Area theater, TheatreWorks.
Katy was playing ‘The Little Mermaid’ with the San Jose, children’s musical theater group at the time, when the director from TheatreWorks saw her - got our home phone number wanting Katy to audition for them. Paul and I had reservations- we were not sure it was a good idea to set our daughter free in adult theater. She begged. We agreed. (I still question our choices) ….
After several call-back auditions, Katy got the job.
She played a young boy — young Emil in Act 1 of Willia Cather’s “O’ Pioneers”. Act 2 was played by an adult Emil.
Katy cut off her long hair into a very short boys haircut for the role. Kids at school made fun of her — but within months - many other 4th grade girls cut their hair too.
Katy’s second role with TheatreWorks was playing Michael Darling in a December Christmas production of Peter Pan.
Who knew that flying across the stage every night for six weeks was a child’s dream.
After a half dozen other roles playing a ‘boy’ ….our daughter was cast as a ‘girl’ playing a lead role for The San Jose Repertory theatre in “The Innocents” … a ghost story… a stage adaptation from
Henry James “The Taming of the Shrew”.
The rest is history… our daughter has worked for the Santa Cruz Shakespeare Company ACT in San Francisco….and other Bay Area theaters
She played the role of Helen Keller, Ann Frank as a young teen.
Later she moved to Los Angeles (after being a musical theater major in college).
Some of the roles she played in Los Angeles that I remember were lead roles in “Chorus Line”, and “Little Shop of Horrors”.
Cirque du Soleil offer Katy a job (Katy is a small-fry contortionist) … she worked for them a short time….but wasn’t a job she wanted.
Katy was on the TV show “American Horror Story… and just prior to the first covid lockdown….she produced her first musical in New York.
I’m no longer in much communication with Katy, (I know very sad) ….but she is
steadily working in Los Angeles today.
Not until this book did I think - so closely - about the development of our daughter’s artistic acting career associated with the many special relationships she had with adults……
her Shakespeare coach at ACT, her piano teacher, her voice teacher, her dance teacher, the many performances with friends and the classic children’s books she so deeply devoured-
She was always creating - dreaming - and working. I couldn’t seem to stop her if I tried ….
…. (minus the loophole of her horrific illness- anorexic- hospitalized several times) ….
But today Katy is healed….and I’m forever grateful.
It was clear to me from reading this book, that Doreen O’Dare’s dreams couldn’t have been stopped by her parents either.
Doreen’s Granny Shaughnessy was a huge inspiration to her growing up. Aunt Lib and Uncle Walter ( managing editor for the Chicago Examiner), believed in Doreen’s acting dreams, too. Walter actually made the arrangements for Doreen’s first audition.
D. W. Griffith owed him a payback favor.
Doreen’s parents, Agnes and Charles were not thrilled with Doreen’s silly acting aspirations. There were other problems at home too. I felt sad about the laborious relationship Doreen had with her parents….but thankful for Granny ….her aunt and uncle and later her friends in Hollywood.
Kathleen Rooney gives us a full bodied-panoramic experience of Doreen.
Doreen’s love for movies, dolls dollhouses, miniatures, were
fascinating.
Along with Doreen’s passions, beliefs, choices she made, opportunities that came and went, her driven vivacious determination….successes, the failures….marriages and divorces…blossoms and the flaws….
she lived an exuberant life.
Learning about many other unknown silent films, actors. directors, producers, cameramen, collaborators,
friends, and lovers of Doreen’s was totally interesting to me too. I googled often - wanting to know more about everything.
I couldn’t have enjoyed my own reading experience of “From Dust to Stardust” (a perfect title) and my extra-curricular-googling-silent- film era tidbits more ….
not for all the tea in China.
So…..
In “From Dust to Stardust”…..
we follow the astonishing Doreen from early childhood—to her rise-to-fame on screen popularity during the silent film era.
We also learn about her *phenomenal* creation of “The Fairy Castle” that is virtually a museum within a museum….a collection of miniature treasures in every room…displayed in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
Readers must goggle the images… it’s extraordinary. I’d love to visit the museum in person.
Today…millions of people do!!!! > each year.
.
The storytelling is packed with delicious gusto….fascinating facts — biographic film star snippets — low-downs — sagaciousness — a grandmother that we all wish we had (Granny Shaughnessy), family history, friends, lovers, seductions of all kinds….
There is much to take away, savor and contemplate.
Beautifully written prose…throughout…..
….captivating, wise, and greatly endearing.
A few excerpts:
As Granny Shaughnessy use to say:
“Diamonds come out of the Earth, cloudy. You have to work to make them gleam”.
“Granny and I set out our usual offerings for the fairies: a thin slice of bread, a saucer of milk and honey.
At fourteen I was old enough to suspect that these magic customs were childish, but I was not quite willing to give up their comfort, nor old enough yet to understand that they weren’t childish at all”.
“Everyone has their reasons for who they’ve come to be. Growing up, I saw how my dad could be terribly bitter about the discrimination that he encountered. Even after he managed to stabilize our finances, he’d bristle over the tiers he remained unable to ascend. ‘They’ll never ask a Catholic with a name like mine to join the country club, no matter how I break my back’. I hadn’t appreciated his humiliation until this audition. But I was there to act, not react, and I vowed not to give Dick the satisfaction of riling me”.
“Granny’s stories were dear, said my mother, because they were impossible. I pretended to agree, but I knew they were true. There were such beings as fairies”.
A few true snippets …..
Mildred Harris - An American actress: (1901 to 1944) she had been acting since age ten. Stage, film, vaudeville.
She was also the first wife of Charlie Chapman.
She died at age 43.
Robert Harron- (1893- 1920) American actor in the silent film era. He was one of Griffith’s favorites.
Famous for playing sensitive type roles. He acted in over 200 films….a huge celebrity in his time.
He died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot at age 27.
Henry Freulich: (1906-1985) American cinematographer for thirty-one years. He died at age 79.
He was Doreen’s favorite and personal cameraman.
Marion Davies - (1897-1961) - American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent.
She became a leading performer in the Ziegfield Follies.
She died at age 64.
W. R. was William Randolph Hearst. (1863-1851) -
Marion Davies was his mistress
He was a publishing magnate, sometime politician, who built the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.
He died at age 88
My grandmother- in-law lived on the beach in San Simeon…
The Hearst Castle was literally in her backyard.
She died at age 78.
Marshall Neilan (1891 - 1958) - an American actor, and director.
He died at age 67
John Barrymore (1882 - 1942) - an American actor on stage, screen, and radio.
He was related to the Barrymore family.
He was honored the Hollywood Walk a Fame square.
He died at age 60.
Cecil B. DeMille (1881 - 1959) - American film, Director, producer, and actor.
He made 70 films… Both silent and sound.
He died at age 40, suddenly of typhoid fever.
D. W. Griffith (1875 - 1948) …. considered one of the most influential figures in the history of motion picture.
Known for directing “The Birth of a Nation”.
He has a controversial legacy— but was widely celebrated.
He died at age 73
Florence La Badie - ‘Fearless Flo’ …. (gorgeous) was an American-Canadian actress in the early days of silent films….was in more than dozens of movies …a major star between 1911-1917. She died young at 29 ….in a car accident.
Theda Bara - (1885-1955) another American silent film and stage actress …..a nice Jewish girl from Cincinnati.
Nicknamed ‘The Vamp’. She played seductive vampire type roles in exoticism and sexual domination.
She died at age 69.
*Sara Teasdale* - (1884 - 1933) an American lyric poet
….I only learned about her poetry from reading this book.
“To a Flame, from a Fool of a Moth who has no regrets for his folly, to remind the Flame of some exquisite weeks, which to both of them, will remain unforgettable”.
soooo romantic—but even more!!!!
Ha ….
Now I want to read more of Teasdale’s poems. (it’s on my Amazon wish list)…..
As well as watch some old films:
….The Birth of a Nation
….The Sky Pilot
….The Wall Flower
….The Bad Boy
….Naughty But Nice
….The Lotus Eater
….Why Be Good
….Lilac Time
etc….
….. “When life makes you cry a thousand times, you have to smile a thousand times. This way, you will be able to overcome your sorrow and be happy forever”.
—Tinkerbell
A wonderful book…..
…..Kathleen Rooney is a magical searcher into the past.
—Tinkerbell
In “From Dust to Stardust”,
is a dazzling richly layered historical fiction, coming of age story.
The details are so richly vivid it made me want to live in the setting and experience the times.
“Once upon a time, an unprepossessing child with mismatched eyes—one brown, one blue—arrived to poor parents at precisely the right moment”.
“Eileen Sullivan, the girl I once was, was born on August 19, 1902, in Port Huron, Michigan. Doreen O’Dare, the girl I became, was born in the summer of 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, not long before she hopped a California-bound train”.
Doreen O’ Dare, is based on the boisterous American film actress, Colleen Moore who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable stars of the era and helped popularized the bobbed haircut. Her two passions were movies and Dollhouses.
This is not a sucky celebrity book…
….rather we get the nuts and bolts of the movie business during a remarkable era…..
filled with tons of personality, history and intimacy.
Kathleen Rooney did a marvelous job capturing the silent film era full of artistic innovation with interesting hard working talents of the days
She brought to life an unknown character - Doreen O’Dare - that helped me better appreciate the dreams one has in childhood and how they make that leap to having those dreams come true in their adult life.
I’m really moved and inspired by this book and all I learned.
I love movies and stage theater today, but my education and appreciation for the early days of silent films was lacking. And learning about the magnificent Dollhouse — a featured exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago was a huge treat.
The Dollhouse measuring 9 square feet is estimated to be worth $7 million - and over a million people visit the Dollhouse exhibit yearly.
The photos I found online are stunning.
Kathleen opened up a world for me - one I never knew I wanted or needed to see —
but something close to a transformational shift happened to me from reading this novel.
It filled in holes. I enjoyed reading about an array of known names ( but I didn’t know them) from the silent film era …. I learned a lot - and loved what I learned.
I also reflected on my own daughter’s acting and artistic developments in ways I never really thought about.
Our first born daughter -41 years old - is a professional actress working in Hollywood.
Having already been in dozens of children’s theater productions by age 8, she was cast in her first professional job with an equity Bay Area theater, TheatreWorks.
Katy was playing ‘The Little Mermaid’ with the San Jose, children’s musical theater group at the time, when the director from TheatreWorks saw her - got our home phone number wanting Katy to audition for them. Paul and I had reservations- we were not sure it was a good idea to set our daughter free in adult theater. She begged. We agreed. (I still question our choices) ….
After several call-back auditions, Katy got the job.
She played a young boy — young Emil in Act 1 of Willia Cather’s “O’ Pioneers”. Act 2 was played by an adult Emil.
Katy cut off her long hair into a very short boys haircut for the role. Kids at school made fun of her — but within months - many other 4th grade girls cut their hair too.
Katy’s second role with TheatreWorks was playing Michael Darling in a December Christmas production of Peter Pan.
Who knew that flying across the stage every night for six weeks was a child’s dream.
After a half dozen other roles playing a ‘boy’ ….our daughter was cast as a ‘girl’ playing a lead role for The San Jose Repertory theatre in “The Innocents” … a ghost story… a stage adaptation from
Henry James “The Taming of the Shrew”.
The rest is history… our daughter has worked for the Santa Cruz Shakespeare Company ACT in San Francisco….and other Bay Area theaters
She played the role of Helen Keller, Ann Frank as a young teen.
Later she moved to Los Angeles (after being a musical theater major in college).
Some of the roles she played in Los Angeles that I remember were lead roles in “Chorus Line”, and “Little Shop of Horrors”.
Cirque du Soleil offer Katy a job (Katy is a small-fry contortionist) … she worked for them a short time….but wasn’t a job she wanted.
Katy was on the TV show “American Horror Story… and just prior to the first covid lockdown….she produced her first musical in New York.
I’m no longer in much communication with Katy, (I know very sad) ….but she is
steadily working in Los Angeles today.
Not until this book did I think - so closely - about the development of our daughter’s artistic acting career associated with the many special relationships she had with adults……
her Shakespeare coach at ACT, her piano teacher, her voice teacher, her dance teacher, the many performances with friends and the classic children’s books she so deeply devoured-
She was always creating - dreaming - and working. I couldn’t seem to stop her if I tried ….
…. (minus the loophole of her horrific illness- anorexic- hospitalized several times) ….
But today Katy is healed….and I’m forever grateful.
It was clear to me from reading this book, that Doreen O’Dare’s dreams couldn’t have been stopped by her parents either.
Doreen’s Granny Shaughnessy was a huge inspiration to her growing up. Aunt Lib and Uncle Walter ( managing editor for the Chicago Examiner), believed in Doreen’s acting dreams, too. Walter actually made the arrangements for Doreen’s first audition.
D. W. Griffith owed him a payback favor.
Doreen’s parents, Agnes and Charles were not thrilled with Doreen’s silly acting aspirations. There were other problems at home too. I felt sad about the laborious relationship Doreen had with her parents….but thankful for Granny ….her aunt and uncle and later her friends in Hollywood.
Kathleen Rooney gives us a full bodied-panoramic experience of Doreen.
Doreen’s love for movies, dolls dollhouses, miniatures, were
fascinating.
Along with Doreen’s passions, beliefs, choices she made, opportunities that came and went, her driven vivacious determination….successes, the failures….marriages and divorces…blossoms and the flaws….
she lived an exuberant life.
Learning about many other unknown silent films, actors. directors, producers, cameramen, collaborators,
friends, and lovers of Doreen’s was totally interesting to me too. I googled often - wanting to know more about everything.
I couldn’t have enjoyed my own reading experience of “From Dust to Stardust” (a perfect title) and my extra-curricular-googling-silent- film era tidbits more ….
not for all the tea in China.
So…..
In “From Dust to Stardust”…..
we follow the astonishing Doreen from early childhood—to her rise-to-fame on screen popularity during the silent film era.
We also learn about her *phenomenal* creation of “The Fairy Castle” that is virtually a museum within a museum….a collection of miniature treasures in every room…displayed in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
Readers must goggle the images… it’s extraordinary. I’d love to visit the museum in person.
Today…millions of people do!!!! > each year.
.
The storytelling is packed with delicious gusto….fascinating facts — biographic film star snippets — low-downs — sagaciousness — a grandmother that we all wish we had (Granny Shaughnessy), family history, friends, lovers, seductions of all kinds….
There is much to take away, savor and contemplate.
Beautifully written prose…throughout…..
….captivating, wise, and greatly endearing.
A few excerpts:
As Granny Shaughnessy use to say:
“Diamonds come out of the Earth, cloudy. You have to work to make them gleam”.
“Granny and I set out our usual offerings for the fairies: a thin slice of bread, a saucer of milk and honey.
At fourteen I was old enough to suspect that these magic customs were childish, but I was not quite willing to give up their comfort, nor old enough yet to understand that they weren’t childish at all”.
“Everyone has their reasons for who they’ve come to be. Growing up, I saw how my dad could be terribly bitter about the discrimination that he encountered. Even after he managed to stabilize our finances, he’d bristle over the tiers he remained unable to ascend. ‘They’ll never ask a Catholic with a name like mine to join the country club, no matter how I break my back’. I hadn’t appreciated his humiliation until this audition. But I was there to act, not react, and I vowed not to give Dick the satisfaction of riling me”.
“Granny’s stories were dear, said my mother, because they were impossible. I pretended to agree, but I knew they were true. There were such beings as fairies”.
A few true snippets …..
Mildred Harris - An American actress: (1901 to 1944) she had been acting since age ten. Stage, film, vaudeville.
She was also the first wife of Charlie Chapman.
She died at age 43.
Robert Harron- (1893- 1920) American actor in the silent film era. He was one of Griffith’s favorites.
Famous for playing sensitive type roles. He acted in over 200 films….a huge celebrity in his time.
He died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot at age 27.
Henry Freulich: (1906-1985) American cinematographer for thirty-one years. He died at age 79.
He was Doreen’s favorite and personal cameraman.
Marion Davies - (1897-1961) - American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent.
She became a leading performer in the Ziegfield Follies.
She died at age 64.
W. R. was William Randolph Hearst. (1863-1851) -
Marion Davies was his mistress
He was a publishing magnate, sometime politician, who built the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.
He died at age 88
My grandmother- in-law lived on the beach in San Simeon…
The Hearst Castle was literally in her backyard.
She died at age 78.
Marshall Neilan (1891 - 1958) - an American actor, and director.
He died at age 67
John Barrymore (1882 - 1942) - an American actor on stage, screen, and radio.
He was related to the Barrymore family.
He was honored the Hollywood Walk a Fame square.
He died at age 60.
Cecil B. DeMille (1881 - 1959) - American film, Director, producer, and actor.
He made 70 films… Both silent and sound.
He died at age 40, suddenly of typhoid fever.
D. W. Griffith (1875 - 1948) …. considered one of the most influential figures in the history of motion picture.
Known for directing “The Birth of a Nation”.
He has a controversial legacy— but was widely celebrated.
He died at age 73
Florence La Badie - ‘Fearless Flo’ …. (gorgeous) was an American-Canadian actress in the early days of silent films….was in more than dozens of movies …a major star between 1911-1917. She died young at 29 ….in a car accident.
Theda Bara - (1885-1955) another American silent film and stage actress …..a nice Jewish girl from Cincinnati.
Nicknamed ‘The Vamp’. She played seductive vampire type roles in exoticism and sexual domination.
She died at age 69.
*Sara Teasdale* - (1884 - 1933) an American lyric poet
….I only learned about her poetry from reading this book.
“To a Flame, from a Fool of a Moth who has no regrets for his folly, to remind the Flame of some exquisite weeks, which to both of them, will remain unforgettable”.
soooo romantic—but even more!!!!
Ha ….
Now I want to read more of Teasdale’s poems. (it’s on my Amazon wish list)…..
As well as watch some old films:
….The Birth of a Nation
….The Sky Pilot
….The Wall Flower
….The Bad Boy
….Naughty But Nice
….The Lotus Eater
….Why Be Good
….Lilac Time
etc….
….. “When life makes you cry a thousand times, you have to smile a thousand times. This way, you will be able to overcome your sorrow and be happy forever”.
—Tinkerbell
A wonderful book…..
…..Kathleen Rooney is a magical searcher into the past.
November 3, 2023
I picked up this book because I liked the cover and thought the title was magical.
I had no idea I was going to read the life story of a silent film star – one I had never even heard of before. In fact, I had to look up her name to make sure the author wasn’t duping me, well, she wasn’t!
We first meet the fictional Doreen O’Dare in her 60’s as she is being interviewed about the exhibit of her Dollhouse.
The real Colleen Moore (Doreen O’Dare) was a 1920’s movie star and friends with the likes of Lillian Gish, Marion Davies and Mary Pickford. Enter Clara Bow and feud is born. But Moore did more than hold her own. When talkies were introduced she made only a few more films, not because her voice didn’t record well, but because she decided to move on after a divorce from her alcoholic husband.
She was one of the few who didn’t flaunt her money and left the business financially comfortable. She then turned her hand to her long time passion creating a miniature Fairy Castle. The Colleen Moore Dollhouse is a featured exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Colleen also became a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and wrote a book about investing for women.
Is it possible that Colleen is not better known because so few of her films have been preserved? I found one 49 second clip on her Wikipedia page from her 1927 film “Her Wild Oat”.
The author states that this is not a biography but it certainly feels like one especially after I looked up Colleen on Wikipedia.
This is a fascinating story, fictionalized but well researched, about a fascinating woman who turned her back on Hollywood and made a totally new life for herself.
Film buffs take note! This book is a well deserved Four Stars!
I had no idea I was going to read the life story of a silent film star – one I had never even heard of before. In fact, I had to look up her name to make sure the author wasn’t duping me, well, she wasn’t!
We first meet the fictional Doreen O’Dare in her 60’s as she is being interviewed about the exhibit of her Dollhouse.
The real Colleen Moore (Doreen O’Dare) was a 1920’s movie star and friends with the likes of Lillian Gish, Marion Davies and Mary Pickford. Enter Clara Bow and feud is born. But Moore did more than hold her own. When talkies were introduced she made only a few more films, not because her voice didn’t record well, but because she decided to move on after a divorce from her alcoholic husband.
She was one of the few who didn’t flaunt her money and left the business financially comfortable. She then turned her hand to her long time passion creating a miniature Fairy Castle. The Colleen Moore Dollhouse is a featured exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Colleen also became a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and wrote a book about investing for women.
Is it possible that Colleen is not better known because so few of her films have been preserved? I found one 49 second clip on her Wikipedia page from her 1927 film “Her Wild Oat”.
The author states that this is not a biography but it certainly feels like one especially after I looked up Colleen on Wikipedia.
This is a fascinating story, fictionalized but well researched, about a fascinating woman who turned her back on Hollywood and made a totally new life for herself.
Film buffs take note! This book is a well deserved Four Stars!
October 17, 2023
A fictional novel based on the life of silent film star Colleen Moore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colleen...). I found it to be highly readable and informative. Learned lots about the silent film era. But what interested me the most was the fairy dollhouse that Moore created, now housed in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
As a child, I inherited my mother's huge dollhouse and antique furniture. It was a bonding experience to update it with her, as we shopped around the States and the UK for wallpaper and other miniature stuff. She sewed the curtains for windows that had real glass, and it was electrified. She had also grown up with fairy stories and passed them on to me. We made fairy houses in our yard and even fed the "fairies." So Moore's interest in miniatures and fairies intrigued me.
Rooney, who also had her own fascination with this particular dollhouse when she was young, finds the core of Moore's obsession: "I was using tiny things to hide from the gigantic problems..."
The exhibit link: https://www.msichicago.org/explore/wh...
Rooney does a wonderful job of capturing the character and life of this feisty film star: "Like any art, the castle is a fossil of a feeling I'd had." Love the idea of art being fossils of feelings.
As a child, I inherited my mother's huge dollhouse and antique furniture. It was a bonding experience to update it with her, as we shopped around the States and the UK for wallpaper and other miniature stuff. She sewed the curtains for windows that had real glass, and it was electrified. She had also grown up with fairy stories and passed them on to me. We made fairy houses in our yard and even fed the "fairies." So Moore's interest in miniatures and fairies intrigued me.
Rooney, who also had her own fascination with this particular dollhouse when she was young, finds the core of Moore's obsession: "I was using tiny things to hide from the gigantic problems..."
The exhibit link: https://www.msichicago.org/explore/wh...
Rooney does a wonderful job of capturing the character and life of this feisty film star: "Like any art, the castle is a fossil of a feeling I'd had." Love the idea of art being fossils of feelings.
January 19, 2024
This book, in MHO, is historical fiction at its best.
Based on the life of real silent film star, Colleen Moore, it is chock full of real events and real names.
Ms. Rooney has renamed Colleen Moore in this book to Doreen O'Dare. An Irish lass full of spunk, resolve to succeed, and a heart of gold.
She makes it in the silents despite her heterochromia (If you don't know what that means, I will let you look it up 😎) and makes the transition to talkies and adds 4 of them into her repertoire.
She is the fairy-loving granddaughter of a woman who believes in them and in her.
The book starts in the Museum of Science and Industry which houses Doreen's Fairy Castle. Doreen is on her way there on December 2, 1968. The story itself is a flashback to Doreen's movie career and life which started when she was 16.
All of Doreen's life is not full of roses, but I did fall in love with her and am filled with admiration.
After she retired from the movie screen, she toured the United States, taking the castle on the road. In 1935 in the heart of the Great Depression she raised the country’s spirits along with funds for children’s charities. She made a difference in more than one way.
The chapters are named after the rooms in the Castle, which I thought quite clever too.
Kathleen Rooney certainly has a way with words and I have highlighted some of my favorite phrases in my Kindle notes.
I plan to talk up this book with my book-reading buddies. I want them to get as much enjoyment from this book as I did.
Highly recommend.
5 stars
Based on the life of real silent film star, Colleen Moore, it is chock full of real events and real names.
Ms. Rooney has renamed Colleen Moore in this book to Doreen O'Dare. An Irish lass full of spunk, resolve to succeed, and a heart of gold.
She makes it in the silents despite her heterochromia (If you don't know what that means, I will let you look it up 😎) and makes the transition to talkies and adds 4 of them into her repertoire.
She is the fairy-loving granddaughter of a woman who believes in them and in her.
The book starts in the Museum of Science and Industry which houses Doreen's Fairy Castle. Doreen is on her way there on December 2, 1968. The story itself is a flashback to Doreen's movie career and life which started when she was 16.
All of Doreen's life is not full of roses, but I did fall in love with her and am filled with admiration.
After she retired from the movie screen, she toured the United States, taking the castle on the road. In 1935 in the heart of the Great Depression she raised the country’s spirits along with funds for children’s charities. She made a difference in more than one way.
The chapters are named after the rooms in the Castle, which I thought quite clever too.
Kathleen Rooney certainly has a way with words and I have highlighted some of my favorite phrases in my Kindle notes.
I plan to talk up this book with my book-reading buddies. I want them to get as much enjoyment from this book as I did.
Highly recommend.
5 stars
September 2, 2023
Oh, I so wanted to like this one more than I did. I usually devour Hollywood stories, especially the ones of the classic era. While the story is based on a real actress's life, the way it was presented just did not work for me. Doreen is elderly when we meet her and is recounting her life for a museum exhibit. So we get snippets in the present and then long stretches in the past telling her rise to stardom from a young girl with stars in her eyes. I just never connected with the story and kept waiting for her life to get more interesting. I think perhaps if I haven't read so many other stories of this era, I would have enjoyed this more. But it also could just be the writing style.
If you like books about this era, you should give this one a try, just because I didn't love it doesn't mean you won't.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.
If you like books about this era, you should give this one a try, just because I didn't love it doesn't mean you won't.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.
September 12, 2023
I think I might love this book almost as much as Lillian Boxfish!
I love our main character, Doreen O’Dare aka Eileen Sullivan.
She had such spirit and determination, you just wanted her to succeed.
TBC
I love our main character, Doreen O’Dare aka Eileen Sullivan.
She had such spirit and determination, you just wanted her to succeed.
TBC
June 26, 2024
Maybe 3 1/2 just based on the topic which I love, but the writing got a bit cheesy as this story went on. Colleen Moore's Fairytale Castle at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry has fascinated me my entire life so I eagerly dug into this fictionalized account of the silent film star's life and the castle's creation. And it started so strong with great descriptions of Hollywood's early years, kind of gossipy about all the early players, but I was all in. Not for the first time, I appreciated how Kathleen Rooney writes strong women facing an unfair world. Then, I don't know, it kind of fell of the rails. The moralizing got syrupy and too pointedly in the readers face. And the creation of the castle felt more a postscript to the rest of the novel. Good, but could have been better. Plus, it didn't live up to Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk for me.
March 5, 2024
Historical fiction based on the life of silent film actress Colleen Moore, From Dust to Stardust tells a mostly forgotten story about the earliest years of Hollywood and movie making. Doreen O'Dare is 14 in 1916, and her singular dream is to become a star of the silent screen. With her Irish granny beside her, she follows her dream and begins a long and busy career that spans the Jazz Age and into the new age of talkies. Doreen is lucky in film, but not in love. The plot follows the twists and turns of her difficult marriage and all that she sacrificed to be a star. To distract her from her troubles, Doreen, who is fascinated by miniatures, builds a massive collection of tiny objects. She begins to dream of creating a "fairy castle" and filling it with her little treasures. With the help of the best architects, designers, and antique collectors, Doreen oversees the construction of a true marvel at a cost of $500,00.00 (in 1920's dollars!) and fills it with over 2000 objects. When the Great Depression devastates the lives of millions, Doreen has the idea of raising money for children's charities by touring the fairy castle. Many of Colleen Moore's silent films have not survived because of the highly flammable nitrate film that was used to capture them. The fairy castle did survive, and can be visited at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Recommended read.
April 21, 2024
Wonderfully done! As a Colleen Moore fan, I enjoyed this tremendously!
May 24, 2024
I liked this ... included in KindleUnlimited, read and listen, and I went with the audiobook, narrated by Xe Sands. Her voice sounded SO familiar, but I don't know that I'd listened to anything by her recently. It fit here, with the two timelines. The Present/Past are NOT clearly marked ... although there are chapter headings, dates are not included. Instead, in the present, our MC is telling her tale to Gladys (and her recorder). So each chapter starts in the present tense, with a little exchange between Eileen and Gladys (and Eileen's personal thoughts) ... and then it shifts to past tense (what we assume is Eileen telling her story to Gladys). The "past" though, written so well, and with dialog ... couldn't really just be Eileen telling her story (it's much too polished - but, suspension of disbelief and all that).
The "past" is in the silent movie era ... and it was interesting to learn more about that. Way before my time, and as Eileen reveals, most of the movies have been lost. It follows the dreams of a young girl who wants to become an actress, and succeeds. There is also the story of her connection to "fairies" and her dollhouse. Her life, love, etc ...
I didn't realize that this, while fiction, is based on an actual person (Colleen Moore) ... she had one blue eye and one brown. She made 60+ films, she created a dollhouse which is in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. She had a reporter friend, who wrote a film based on Colleen and her husband's troubled marriage, which is where "A Star is Born" comes from. I didn't realize all this until I came to write up my review and glanced at a couple others. I'm frustrated because this is all included in extensive Author's Notes ... which were NOT included in the audio! These notes are essential to the story. Luckily I had the Kindle copy to read them, and there were some bookclub discussion questions as well, which are always appreciated.
The "past" is in the silent movie era ... and it was interesting to learn more about that. Way before my time, and as Eileen reveals, most of the movies have been lost. It follows the dreams of a young girl who wants to become an actress, and succeeds. There is also the story of her connection to "fairies" and her dollhouse. Her life, love, etc ...
I didn't realize that this, while fiction, is based on an actual person (Colleen Moore) ... she had one blue eye and one brown. She made 60+ films, she created a dollhouse which is in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. She had a reporter friend, who wrote a film based on Colleen and her husband's troubled marriage, which is where "A Star is Born" comes from. I didn't realize all this until I came to write up my review and glanced at a couple others. I'm frustrated because this is all included in extensive Author's Notes ... which were NOT included in the audio! These notes are essential to the story. Luckily I had the Kindle copy to read them, and there were some bookclub discussion questions as well, which are always appreciated.
October 13, 2023
I'm a very occasional historical fiction reader, though Kathleen Rooney is an author I'll always pick up no matter what she writes. Both Lillian Boxfish and Major Whittlesey were great reads. Both Boxfish and Dust are narrated by Xe Sands, who is equally phenomenal. I guess I'm glad I read Major Whittlesey in print because it would be hard to know how much I like Rooney's prose if I'd heard it all through Sands' interpretation -- her delivery is so perfect that she could probably read nonsense and I'd still be invested.
Anyway, that's all to say that even if you don't normally enjoy historical fiction, you may adore this one as an audiobook. Sands is able to capture the voice of the aging protagonist perfectly as she tells the story of her youth and rise to stardom... and when she steps away from that and why.
Parts of it will feel familiar and that's because it's based on a largely forgotten (or overshadowed?) actress. But wait, why would someone we probably don't know about feel familiar? It's because her story has not been forgotten or left to gather cobwebs in the corner. I won't get into the specifics because it will be a pleasant shock and surprise when you get there.
I'm not sure why Rooney decided to change the name of the actress, since she followed her life so closely, but maybe I'll peek at the print version and see if there was an author's note the audiobook didn't include... But I suspect it might have to do with having a more novel-style ending of the kind that definitely moved me.
Also, I keep thinking of this part of the book that talks about how hope and community and agency all work together in this truly powerful way to nourish both the charitable and those receiving charity in such a way that sort of magnifies everything? Anyway, trying not to be spoilery, but it's making me ponder a lot.
Anyway, that's all to say that even if you don't normally enjoy historical fiction, you may adore this one as an audiobook. Sands is able to capture the voice of the aging protagonist perfectly as she tells the story of her youth and rise to stardom... and when she steps away from that and why.
Parts of it will feel familiar and that's because it's based on a largely forgotten (or overshadowed?) actress. But wait, why would someone we probably don't know about feel familiar? It's because her story has not been forgotten or left to gather cobwebs in the corner. I won't get into the specifics because it will be a pleasant shock and surprise when you get there.
I'm not sure why Rooney decided to change the name of the actress, since she followed her life so closely, but maybe I'll peek at the print version and see if there was an author's note the audiobook didn't include... But I suspect it might have to do with having a more novel-style ending of the kind that definitely moved me.
Also, I keep thinking of this part of the book that talks about how hope and community and agency all work together in this truly powerful way to nourish both the charitable and those receiving charity in such a way that sort of magnifies everything? Anyway, trying not to be spoilery, but it's making me ponder a lot.
November 14, 2023
I enjoyed Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk very much, and this, From Dust to Stardust, is written in a similar vein - elderly women recounting their lives. In the first, Lillian walks and thinks of her life. Here, a former silent film star, Eileen Sullivan, known as Doreen O'Dare, tells part of her story to a museum employee who is recording how Sullivan's immense dollhouse came to be, that is on display in the museum's basement, and remembers other parts of her story, her life in Tampa as a child, with a scolding mother and unloving father, her Irish grandmother who taught her to love fairies, her love of movies, her foray to Los Angeles as a would-be actress, her life as a star, her loves, marriages, and more. It didn't matter, but I couldn't always tell what Eileen was telling to the tape recorder and museum employee and what she was only remembering in her mind. In any case, Eileen Sullivan, though a fictionalized character, is based on Colleen Moore, a major silent film star, who made the movies Eileen made, and who built the incredible dollhouse that Eileen/Doreen took on the road, as did Colleen, during the Depression. Wonderful historical research is clear in the book, the birth and burgeoning silent film industry in Los Angeles, how that city was then, how Eileen/Doreen/Colleen made their way, the problematic then traumatic marriage to an alcoholic PR man whom she eventually divorces, her sense of focus and determination, her intelligence with money, her friendships with other famous silent film stars, Marion Davies, Mary Pickford, etc. So much happens in Eileen/Doreen's life by such a young age, fame, fortune, heartbreak in love, the bob haircut that helped make her a star. There's no real plot here, it is the former film star who built a dollhouse, had three marriages, left Hollywood, became a financial advisor, talking. She is a fun character, and the prose is often sparkly, the research voluminous and top-notch. I enjoyed the content of the book even as the conceit of the recordings didn't really work for me.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the Arc.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the Arc.
October 18, 2023
OK, I'm a fan, friend and voracious reader, "Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey" is one of my favorites and would appear on my top 10 or so reads. Well, she had done it again this is a great read especially for those interested in the early movie industry. Yes this is a novel but Kathleen has by way of Doreen O'Dare, created a stunning look at that era in all of its facets. While Doreen is the narrator of her story Kathleen herself is the voice that I hear and that is not a criticism but the true voice that gives the novel its heart and soul.
September 25, 2023
Review of “From Dust to Stardust” by Kathleen Rooney. Thank you to #lakeunionpublishing and NetGalley for providing the ARC.
While this fictional story is inspired by the life and work of 1920s Hollywood silent film star, Colleen Moore, it is not a biography. The book is formatted with each chapter being titled from rooms of the one-ton dollhouse miniature fairy castle that she created to raise the country’s spirits and raise funds for children’s charities during the Great Depression. The fairy castle was donated to Chicago’s own Museum of Science and Industry in 1949. Interestingly enough, her friend & journalist, Adela Rogers St.Johns, did write a little film in 1932 called “A Star is Born” based on Colleen Moore’s rocky marriage to John McCormick.
Synopsis:
The story of silent film actress, Doreen O’Dare is told like a memoir as she is sharing her history with a museum curator named Gladys. As an Irish Catholic child growing up, she became enamored with miniatures she was gifted by her aunts & uncles and the folklore fairy stories that her grandmother told her.
After an unstable childhood consisting of several relocating experiences with her parents, in 1916 with stars in her eyes at the tender age of fourteen and in the care of her grandmother, she drops out of school moving to Hollywood to fulfill her dreams of staring in films. We’re reliving her memories as she maintains her good Catholic moral upbringing, through divorcing her first husband who was an alcoholic, starring in many films between 1916-1930, retiring from Hollywood, and creating the fairy castle.
Personal thoughts:
I really really enjoyed the writing style of the author, Kathleen Rooney. A moderate page turner containing such fantastic creative prose. I rate this historical fiction a 4/5. While I found the content amusing and well researched about an amazing & intelligent woman, not everyone is drawn to stories of Hollywood celebrities or history. I absolutely love the cover art.
While this fictional story is inspired by the life and work of 1920s Hollywood silent film star, Colleen Moore, it is not a biography. The book is formatted with each chapter being titled from rooms of the one-ton dollhouse miniature fairy castle that she created to raise the country’s spirits and raise funds for children’s charities during the Great Depression. The fairy castle was donated to Chicago’s own Museum of Science and Industry in 1949. Interestingly enough, her friend & journalist, Adela Rogers St.Johns, did write a little film in 1932 called “A Star is Born” based on Colleen Moore’s rocky marriage to John McCormick.
Synopsis:
The story of silent film actress, Doreen O’Dare is told like a memoir as she is sharing her history with a museum curator named Gladys. As an Irish Catholic child growing up, she became enamored with miniatures she was gifted by her aunts & uncles and the folklore fairy stories that her grandmother told her.
After an unstable childhood consisting of several relocating experiences with her parents, in 1916 with stars in her eyes at the tender age of fourteen and in the care of her grandmother, she drops out of school moving to Hollywood to fulfill her dreams of staring in films. We’re reliving her memories as she maintains her good Catholic moral upbringing, through divorcing her first husband who was an alcoholic, starring in many films between 1916-1930, retiring from Hollywood, and creating the fairy castle.
Personal thoughts:
I really really enjoyed the writing style of the author, Kathleen Rooney. A moderate page turner containing such fantastic creative prose. I rate this historical fiction a 4/5. While I found the content amusing and well researched about an amazing & intelligent woman, not everyone is drawn to stories of Hollywood celebrities or history. I absolutely love the cover art.
September 11, 2023
Out of pure serendipity, I started this book while on the train to Chicago, heading there for the weekend specifically to visit the Museum of Science and Industry.. It was magical to spend time taking in THE dollhouse at the start of diving into this story, and the quest to preserve that feeling had me reading this as slowly as I could manage. I'd recommend going in blind - this novel is inspired by a real person, but is purely fiction, and although I'm now interested in more of the back ground, I enjoyed the book so much not knowing more real-life specifics. The story and writing style were both enrapturing!
September 23, 2023
I’ve got to get to the Museum of Science and Industry to see Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle Dollhouse built during the great depression out of her love of fairies and the desire to give back. She was a real life, successful silent film star, one who got her start at the ripe old age of 14. This of course, was a work of fiction and in this book it’s all about Doreen O’Dare or Eileen Sullivan her given name. Can you imagine letting your kids skip high school to pursue an acting career, especially one that in those days was considered a bit racy.
Great read. I may have liked Lillian Boxwood takes a walk just a bit better but I definitely recommend.
Great read. I may have liked Lillian Boxwood takes a walk just a bit better but I definitely recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2024
At age 14 the young girl and her grandmother left their lackluster home for Hollywood just as that city began its career with the movies. The girl dreamed of stardom and the grandmother provided Irish wisdom and support the girl's parents could not or would not provide. Now the girl is an aging woman who has donated her beloved dollhouse to a museum. A curator interviews her about each room, and each room evokes memories of her Hollywood life.
Kathleen Rooney's novel reads like a biography thoughtfully told. It is actually a historical novel based on a real-life actor. The pace of the story is steady, with little suspense or edge-of-the-seat scenes. It flows smoothly and was easy to read. It was a good read but not gripping, and I liked the ending.
Kathleen Rooney's novel reads like a biography thoughtfully told. It is actually a historical novel based on a real-life actor. The pace of the story is steady, with little suspense or edge-of-the-seat scenes. It flows smoothly and was easy to read. It was a good read but not gripping, and I liked the ending.
December 1, 2023
Really enjoyed this historical fiction based on the life of silent-movie star Colleen Moore (known as Doreen O’dare in the novel). I heard the author speak about this book at the Southern Bookfest and had to read it after her delightful talk/interview. Kathleen Rooney does a great job of capturing a unique time in history.
August 25, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.
3.5 stars
From Dust to Stardust gave me some serious The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes. But where Evelyn won me over with her humility and ability to reflect on the past with brutal honesty, Doreen was a little more restrained and a little too perfect.
Rooney's writing made it easy to fall back into the past and really feel like you were right there with Doreen, moving to Hollywood and finding her way. It was fun to get a peek behind the scenes and while I’ve read a lot of historical fiction about this time, this was one of the best. While the story is told from Doreen’s perspective, she becomes close with people who play different roles within the industry so her narrative feels more well rounded than you'd expect.
Having said that, by about halfway through the book I was a bit over how Doreen always seemed to do everything right and stumbled into opportunities without having to play dirty or compromise her values. There are a few moments when she even gets a little superior about others around her doing what they need to to try and get ahead.
From Dust to Stardust was easy to read and about a fascinating time in history and in movies. I wasn’t super interested in the dollhouses but I liked the way they were used to direct the storytelling and how they helped Doreen rediscover herself and a purpose. I enjoyed Rooney's writing and will definitely be interested in reading more of her books.
3.5 stars
From Dust to Stardust gave me some serious The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes. But where Evelyn won me over with her humility and ability to reflect on the past with brutal honesty, Doreen was a little more restrained and a little too perfect.
Rooney's writing made it easy to fall back into the past and really feel like you were right there with Doreen, moving to Hollywood and finding her way. It was fun to get a peek behind the scenes and while I’ve read a lot of historical fiction about this time, this was one of the best. While the story is told from Doreen’s perspective, she becomes close with people who play different roles within the industry so her narrative feels more well rounded than you'd expect.
Having said that, by about halfway through the book I was a bit over how Doreen always seemed to do everything right and stumbled into opportunities without having to play dirty or compromise her values. There are a few moments when she even gets a little superior about others around her doing what they need to to try and get ahead.
From Dust to Stardust was easy to read and about a fascinating time in history and in movies. I wasn’t super interested in the dollhouses but I liked the way they were used to direct the storytelling and how they helped Doreen rediscover herself and a purpose. I enjoyed Rooney's writing and will definitely be interested in reading more of her books.
July 7, 2023
Inspired by the autobiography of Colleen Moore, From Dust to Stardust by Kathleen Rooney tells a story about a young girl who navigates life during a turbulent era and chases her dreams of becoming an actress.
Summary: At the age of fourteen, Eileen Sullivan takes a train from Chicago to Hollywood to chase her dream of becoming an actress. Taking on the stage name of Doreen O'Dare, she navigates her life and career.
Tropes/Genres:
• historical fiction
• set in 1910s–1920s Hollywood
• coming of age
• based on a true story
Review: I had no idea where the story was going. I was even getting bored in the first half of it because there seemed to be a lack of direction. While it got better past the halfway mark, where the drama started brewing, I still wonder what the purpose of this book is.
I thought the book had a very interesting premise, but the writing style just couldn't get to me. It just felt like something was coming, but nothing came. The story didn't feel complete – it made me feel a bit lost when it ended. While things certainly got more interesting towards the end, it didn't make me feel that this book, as a whole, was a work of art. It just felt like the book was trying to do too much but ended up not being any of whatever it was trying to achieve.
However, I also thought the details of Doreen's relationship with Jack – how it started and ended – very good. I liked the progression, how it slowly but surely got destroyed due to his drinking problem. I think the author did a great job retelling the events of Colleen Moore's career and personal life, as written in the subject's autobiography. The only issue is that the writing didn't connect with me. It just felt like the story was going nowhere, merely info-dumping without much purpose.
The book is written as an interview regarding the miniature Fairy Castle the real-life Colleen Moore had. While there were some bits about it, it had no connection to the story whatsoever other than being the reason why Doreen O'Dare told her story. I also didn't really understand the part about fairies in this book. I think it could've been better explained apart from the sole fact that her Irish grandmother believed in fairies.
Regardless, it was nice to read about the cinematic history of America, Colleen Moore, on whom Doreen O'Dare is based, is a film actress who began her career during the silent film era and one of the most fashionable and highly-paid stars of the era. It's interesting to see how the author weaves fiction with history.
This is a historical fiction written in the style of a memoir, based on Colleen Moore's autobiography. I think fans of the 1920s era and Hollywood of that time would love this book. Readers of memoirs will likely enjoy this as well because the book is written like a memoir, albeit fictional.
Summary: At the age of fourteen, Eileen Sullivan takes a train from Chicago to Hollywood to chase her dream of becoming an actress. Taking on the stage name of Doreen O'Dare, she navigates her life and career.
Tropes/Genres:
• historical fiction
• set in 1910s–1920s Hollywood
• coming of age
• based on a true story
Review: I had no idea where the story was going. I was even getting bored in the first half of it because there seemed to be a lack of direction. While it got better past the halfway mark, where the drama started brewing, I still wonder what the purpose of this book is.
I thought the book had a very interesting premise, but the writing style just couldn't get to me. It just felt like something was coming, but nothing came. The story didn't feel complete – it made me feel a bit lost when it ended. While things certainly got more interesting towards the end, it didn't make me feel that this book, as a whole, was a work of art. It just felt like the book was trying to do too much but ended up not being any of whatever it was trying to achieve.
However, I also thought the details of Doreen's relationship with Jack – how it started and ended – very good. I liked the progression, how it slowly but surely got destroyed due to his drinking problem. I think the author did a great job retelling the events of Colleen Moore's career and personal life, as written in the subject's autobiography. The only issue is that the writing didn't connect with me. It just felt like the story was going nowhere, merely info-dumping without much purpose.
The book is written as an interview regarding the miniature Fairy Castle the real-life Colleen Moore had. While there were some bits about it, it had no connection to the story whatsoever other than being the reason why Doreen O'Dare told her story. I also didn't really understand the part about fairies in this book. I think it could've been better explained apart from the sole fact that her Irish grandmother believed in fairies.
Regardless, it was nice to read about the cinematic history of America, Colleen Moore, on whom Doreen O'Dare is based, is a film actress who began her career during the silent film era and one of the most fashionable and highly-paid stars of the era. It's interesting to see how the author weaves fiction with history.
This is a historical fiction written in the style of a memoir, based on Colleen Moore's autobiography. I think fans of the 1920s era and Hollywood of that time would love this book. Readers of memoirs will likely enjoy this as well because the book is written like a memoir, albeit fictional.
September 6, 2023
Hope everyone has a great holiday today.
From Dust to Stardust is the new book from Kathleen Rooney (who also wrote Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk)
“Doreen O'Dare was the symbol of the Jazz Age flapper during her career as an actress - mostly in silent films.
She traveled to Hollywood in 1916 with her grandmother, determined to break into the movies and become a star. Now at the site of what she thinks of as her greatest accomplishment - her very own Fairy Castle - she's ready to tell her story. Working with famous directors, friendships with other actors (What was Charlie Chaplin really like?) And her new found abilities after retiring from Hollywood. Doreen holds nothing back."
The plot is driven in a similar way as Lillian Boxfish - a woman nearing the end of her life reminisces about her life experiences. But the stories and flow are different. Doreen tells so many great stories about Hollywood and the film community. The heartache of living with an alcoholic husband, the fight for roles, the behavior of Hollywood and the building of the Fairy Castle.
Doreen is based on the silent film actress, Colleen Moore. And an actual miniature Fairy Castle exist. One more reason to visit Chicago.
Doreen is one of those characters you want to spend time with - so full of stories and few regrets. This book is going in my Top Ten reads of the year.
Don't miss this great new book from Rooney.
From Dust to Stardust is the new book from Kathleen Rooney (who also wrote Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk)
“Doreen O'Dare was the symbol of the Jazz Age flapper during her career as an actress - mostly in silent films.
She traveled to Hollywood in 1916 with her grandmother, determined to break into the movies and become a star. Now at the site of what she thinks of as her greatest accomplishment - her very own Fairy Castle - she's ready to tell her story. Working with famous directors, friendships with other actors (What was Charlie Chaplin really like?) And her new found abilities after retiring from Hollywood. Doreen holds nothing back."
The plot is driven in a similar way as Lillian Boxfish - a woman nearing the end of her life reminisces about her life experiences. But the stories and flow are different. Doreen tells so many great stories about Hollywood and the film community. The heartache of living with an alcoholic husband, the fight for roles, the behavior of Hollywood and the building of the Fairy Castle.
Doreen is based on the silent film actress, Colleen Moore. And an actual miniature Fairy Castle exist. One more reason to visit Chicago.
Doreen is one of those characters you want to spend time with - so full of stories and few regrets. This book is going in my Top Ten reads of the year.
Don't miss this great new book from Rooney.
August 29, 2023
From Dust to Stardust is a story that closely parallels the life of Colleen Moore, a well-known silent film actress, although author Kathleen Rooney tells readers that it is fiction and not a biography. At first, I was distracted by the fact that many characters were historical while some were not. Once I got past that, however, the book was very entertaining. Doreen O'Dare, the story's heroine, decided as a child that she was meant to be an actor, and what she wanted more than anything was to act in the new medium of motion pictures. Her uncle, an influential newspaper editor in Chicago who had done a favor for a movie producer, obtained an audition for Doreen; the rest was history. At the age of only fourteen, with her beloved grandmother as a chaperone, she traveled by train to the West Coast from her home in Florida and began acting in pictures. The story flew along, full of anecdotal snippets about the lives of many early silent film stars and other well-known figures of the time.
The novel is well-researched, and the author has a demonstrable affection for her subject. Like the author, I fell in love with Colleen Moore's fairy castle at a young age. Because of her love of the Castle, Kathleen Rooney became interested in Colleen Moore's life. Housed in the lower level of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, the castle is something everyone, not just those with young children, should visit. The museum itself is fabulous, a wonderful experience and education for all ages.
One additional note of interest from the Afterword: the movie A Star Is Born was based on a screenplay and film written by a close friend of Colleen Moore (although uncredited) about Colleen's marriage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this novel.
The novel is well-researched, and the author has a demonstrable affection for her subject. Like the author, I fell in love with Colleen Moore's fairy castle at a young age. Because of her love of the Castle, Kathleen Rooney became interested in Colleen Moore's life. Housed in the lower level of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, the castle is something everyone, not just those with young children, should visit. The museum itself is fabulous, a wonderful experience and education for all ages.
One additional note of interest from the Afterword: the movie A Star Is Born was based on a screenplay and film written by a close friend of Colleen Moore (although uncredited) about Colleen's marriage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this novel.
January 26, 2024
What I liked and bordered on loved:
The writing. Even as Ms. Rooney scoffs at Irish stereotypes being described as 'charming' when it comes to actors, her words and style absolutely charm, enchant and entrance. Toward the middle of the book, the writing becomes a bit more pedestrian, but recovers by the final pages. The author is indeed touched with stardust and magic.
What I wish had been done differently:
The journey of the MC and the sequence of rooms in the Fairy Castle don't seem related at all. It would have been nice to see something of Doreen's progress reflected in the descriptions, decades later, of the castle's rooms.
I had never heard of either Colleen Moore nor the Fairy Castle. Reading the reality-based inspiration for FDTS at the beginning of the book, rather than at the end, would have added another layer of appreciation of the tale being told, while it is being told.
Unless you're a die-hard Hollywood/movie buff, the book gets a little tedious and loses some of the initial magic as it tries to stay faithful to the actual life of Colleen Moore. Fanciful and fictional is Ms. Rooney's talent. I'd love to have seen her cut loose from reality and fly free, forming a world entirely of her own making.
I look forward to finding a work where she does just that.
The writing. Even as Ms. Rooney scoffs at Irish stereotypes being described as 'charming' when it comes to actors, her words and style absolutely charm, enchant and entrance. Toward the middle of the book, the writing becomes a bit more pedestrian, but recovers by the final pages. The author is indeed touched with stardust and magic.
What I wish had been done differently:
The journey of the MC and the sequence of rooms in the Fairy Castle don't seem related at all. It would have been nice to see something of Doreen's progress reflected in the descriptions, decades later, of the castle's rooms.
I had never heard of either Colleen Moore nor the Fairy Castle. Reading the reality-based inspiration for FDTS at the beginning of the book, rather than at the end, would have added another layer of appreciation of the tale being told, while it is being told.
Unless you're a die-hard Hollywood/movie buff, the book gets a little tedious and loses some of the initial magic as it tries to stay faithful to the actual life of Colleen Moore. Fanciful and fictional is Ms. Rooney's talent. I'd love to have seen her cut loose from reality and fly free, forming a world entirely of her own making.
I look forward to finding a work where she does just that.
March 27, 2025
From Dust to Stardust is a Novel that is based on the life of Colleen Moore. Colleen Moore was a famous silent film actress who helped popularize the bob hairstyle. In this novel, Colleen Moore’s name is changed to Doreen O’ Dare. Eileen Sullivan has always dreamed of becoming a star. At the age of fourteen, Eileen and her grandmother get on a train to Hollywood. Within 10 years, Eileen becomes a famous actress known as Doreen O’Dare. It tells the story of her triumphs and her personal tragedies.
I had never heard of Colleen Moore before. She has often been overshadowed by the famous silent film actress, Mary Pickford. Therefore, I was curious to read this book. I found Doreen to be a relatable character. I loved her admiration to be a star. I also liked her fascination with fairies and her patronage of building a miniature fairy castle. Therefore, I found her to be a very charming character. I emphasized with her especially during her disastrous first marriage. Thus, Doreen O’Dare was an intriguing character, and I quickly became invested in her story.
Overall, this novel is about perseverance, dreams, and hardships. I thought that all of the characters were very flat and one-dimensional. I also thought that most of the book was very repetitive and slow moving. I also did not like that since it based on Colleen Moore’s life, then she shouldn’t change the name of her main character. Nevertheless, the writing was beautiful and is filled with vivid descriptions. It also shined light on a forgotten Hollywood actress. I recommend this book for fans of Platinum Doll, The Only Woman in the Room, and Marlene!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
I had never heard of Colleen Moore before. She has often been overshadowed by the famous silent film actress, Mary Pickford. Therefore, I was curious to read this book. I found Doreen to be a relatable character. I loved her admiration to be a star. I also liked her fascination with fairies and her patronage of building a miniature fairy castle. Therefore, I found her to be a very charming character. I emphasized with her especially during her disastrous first marriage. Thus, Doreen O’Dare was an intriguing character, and I quickly became invested in her story.
Overall, this novel is about perseverance, dreams, and hardships. I thought that all of the characters were very flat and one-dimensional. I also thought that most of the book was very repetitive and slow moving. I also did not like that since it based on Colleen Moore’s life, then she shouldn’t change the name of her main character. Nevertheless, the writing was beautiful and is filled with vivid descriptions. It also shined light on a forgotten Hollywood actress. I recommend this book for fans of Platinum Doll, The Only Woman in the Room, and Marlene!
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
August 26, 2023
It was an honor to read “From Dust to Stardust” by Kathleen Rooney. It appealed to me instantly because of my love for the Fairy Castle which lives at The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Although I have an attachment to this extraordinary doll house, I knew very little about the famous silent film actress Doreen O’’Dare who created it.
Doreen’s true name is Colleen Moore. She believed that she was born to be a great movie star, and at 14 left her family home with her extraordinary grandmother to pursue her dream. How she achieves her dream during a time when studios still saw their actresses as little more than chattel, and the challenges she faced in her personal life makes her success even more stunning. The amount of research that was done by the author for this book is exceptional and makes this story read like a memoir. Colleen Moore was a successful actress, collector, investor and philanthropist and I know you will love this fictional story of her life.
Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
Doreen’s true name is Colleen Moore. She believed that she was born to be a great movie star, and at 14 left her family home with her extraordinary grandmother to pursue her dream. How she achieves her dream during a time when studios still saw their actresses as little more than chattel, and the challenges she faced in her personal life makes her success even more stunning. The amount of research that was done by the author for this book is exceptional and makes this story read like a memoir. Colleen Moore was a successful actress, collector, investor and philanthropist and I know you will love this fictional story of her life.
Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
September 1, 2023
I loved this book. Rooney captured the early days of Hollywood so well, it was very atmospheric. I spent the whole book believing and hoping that Doreen was a real person whose films I may be able to watch, and that the fairy castle was a real thing I may one day be able to visit, I was grateful for the author’s note at the end pointing me to resources to learn more about Colleen Moore, the inspiration for Doreen (and for A Star Is Born, who knew?!)
The attention to detail was incredible and I especially enjoyed the cameos of real 1920s Hollywood types such as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Clara Bow.
Although quite different in tone, elements of this book reminded me of Evelyn Hugo - if you liked the Hollywood biography aspect of that book, you may well enjoy this one.
The attention to detail was incredible and I especially enjoyed the cameos of real 1920s Hollywood types such as Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Clara Bow.
Although quite different in tone, elements of this book reminded me of Evelyn Hugo - if you liked the Hollywood biography aspect of that book, you may well enjoy this one.
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