Book Reviews – All the Beautiful Girls

All the Beautiful Girls
By Elizabeth J. Church

In the summer of 1968, Ruby Wilde is the toast of Las Vegas – Showgirl of the Year, in her feathers and rhinestones, five-inch heels and sky-high headdresses. She mesmerises audiences of movie stars, gamblers and astronauts, all vying for her attention and showering her with gifts. But nobody knows that not so long ago Ruby Wilde was Lily Decker from Kansas; an orphaned girl determined to dance her way out of her troubled past. When she was eight years old, Lily survived the car crash that killed her parents and sister. Raised by an aunt who took too little interest in her and an uncle who took too much, dancing was her solace and her escape. When a mysterious benefactor pays for her to attend a local dance academy, Lily’s talent becomes her ticket to a new life. As the years pass and Ruby continues to search for freedom, for love and, most importantly, herself, she must learn the difference between what glitters and what is truly gold. This is a beautifully rendered tale of personal redemption, friendship and loss, yet told with bite. Elizabeth J Church’s first novel The Atomic Weight of Love was published a year ago to much acclaim and this is equally enjoyable.

Matakana Village Books
www.matakanavillagebooks.co.nz