When We Chased the Light

A Novel

By: Emily Bleeker

Narrated by: Carlotta Brentan

A Hollywood legend. A legacy of secrets. An epic and emotional novel about forgiveness, fame, family, and truly unconditional love by the bestselling author of When We Were Enemies.

Christie’s auction house, Beverly Hills. The effects of Hollywood icon Vivian Snow are up for bid. In the collection is a set of hand-drawn postcards spanning six decades. The sender is Antonio Trombello, a soldier, POW, priest, and Vivian’s confidant. Each postcard sheds new light on a deeply private woman the public only thinks it knows.

It’s World War II. Vivian is a USO showgirl traveling the world when her husband goes AWOL, disappears, and is presumed dead. Facing increasing suspicion, she leans on her dear friend Father Trombello for support. He’s her confessor, her savior, the elusive love of her life, and when it comes to her husband’s death, the keeper of Vivian’s secrets.

As Vivian rises from canteen dream girl to starlet to bona fide legend, she navigates the highs and lows of Hollywood, new romances, and tumultuous family relationships—all in the shadow of her past and the guilt, unmet longing, and buried truths that could still upend the lives of everyone she loves.

©2024 by Emily Bleeker. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Bleeker’s compelling, heart-wrenching sequel to When We Were Enemies masterfully portrays Vivian Snow’s complex personality. Her tumultuous life is vividly revealed through well-developed characters, tension-filled scenes, and engaging dialogue…A worthwhile read!”—Historical Novels Review (Editors’ Choice)

“A thoroughly fun and memorable read from start to finish…Unhesitatingly recommended.”—Midwest Book Review

The narrator really ruined this book

Listening to the narrator pronouns certain names and words was painful. Tom, Larry and Zanuck were partially bad. I was 75% finished with the book when I finally decided to shelf it and not finish it. The story isn’t bad. Though the main character isn’t particularly likable. The story is entertaining enough that I want to finish it. But I just couldn’t get past the narration.

Very confusing

I honestly wanted to like this book, but it was just very confusing and disappointing. I wanted so much more from the Antonio storyline, so the end just frustrated me. In the end, it was very depressing. Too many marriages, too much mental illness, too much everything. The narrator spoke very good Italian, but a strong Canadian accent (I guess) spoiled the reading for me. Just messy.

Why I’m only giving it three stars

Spoiler alert. This was a very interesting story! But the heroine and her true love never really end up together. For me, if you want to make a 5 star book, a lot of us need a HEA!

Brilliant storyline!

This was a fantastic listen! I couldn’t stop listening. This starts during WWII and goes from there. It is an ongoing storyline through the ages.

Loved it!

This book drew me in immediately! The characters were well developed and interesting. I loved how it started in the 40s and ended in the present time with time jumping throughout. This book is worth the read.