The Girls in the Picture

A Novel

By: Melanie Benjamin

Narrated by: Kimberly Farr

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator’s Wife, a “rich exploration of two Hollywood friends who shaped the movies” (USA Today)—screenwriter Frances Marion and superstar Mary Pickford

“Full of Old Hollywood glamour and true details about the pair’s historic careers . . . a captivating ode to a legendary bond.”—Real Simple

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY REAL SIMPLE

It is 1914, and twenty-five-year-old Frances Marion has left her (second) husband and her Northern California home for the lure of Los Angeles, where she is determined to live independently as an artist. But the word on everyone’s lips these days is “flickers”—the silent moving pictures enthralling theatergoers. Turn any corner in this burgeoning town and you’ll find made-up actors running around, as a movie camera captures it all.

In this fledgling industry, Frances finds her true calling: writing stories for this wondrous new medium. She also makes the acquaintance of actress Mary Pickford, whose signature golden curls and lively spirit have earned her the title “America’s Sweetheart.” The two ambitious young women hit it off instantly, their kinship fomented by their mutual fever to create, to move audiences to a frenzy, to start a revolution.

But their ambitions are challenged by both the men around them and the limitations imposed on their gender—and their astronomical success could come at a price. As Mary, the world’s highest paid and most beloved actress, struggles to live her life under the spotlight, she also wonders if it is possible to find love, even with the dashing actor Douglas Fairbanks. Frances, too, longs to share her life with someone. As in any good Hollywood story, dramas will play out, personalities will clash, and even the deepest friendships might be shattered.

With cameos from such notables as Charlie Chaplin, Louis B. Mayer, Rudolph Valentino, and Lillian Gish, The Girls in the Picture is, at its heart, a story of friendship and forgiveness. Melanie Benjamin brilliantly captures the dawn of a glittering new era—its myths and icons, its possibilities and potential, and its seduction and heartbreak.

“A boffo production . . . Inspiration is a rare and unexpected gift in a book filled with the fluff of Hollywood, but Benjamin provides it with The Girls in the Picture.”—NPR

“Profoundly resonant, The Girls in the Picture is at its core, an empowering and fascinating tale of sisterhood.”—Bryce Dallas Howard

More Fran, a little less Mary.

I enjoyed learning more about the life and career of Francis Marion. The Mary Pickford portions weren’t as interesting. I found the narrator completely wrong to voice these young, vibrant women.

Fabulous

I truly like the author and have read several of her other books. It’s difficult to remember that she writes biographical novels. I have read nonfiction about this era in films so they melded together. Great book that I highly recommend. Issues with successful women don’t seem to have changed much!

Disappointing

A big disappointment. I've enjoyed this author's previous books, but this was a bore. In the dedication, the author thanks an editor who "rescued this from the slush pile". It should have been left there, or at least been given a MAJOR rewrite. I'm sorry to be cruel, but this was really dull.

interesting subject, a bit melodramatic

I like old Hollywood stories. this historical fiction had some interesting info, but the dramatization didn't work for me.

Narration kills it

I think I might have tolerated the book quite a bit more had the narration not been so horribly overdone. It was really hard to listen to.