Barbara Mujica

Here's what I wrote about this read in 2008: "Frida Kahlo brought to life from the perspective of her sister's tale. What a woman, interesting artist, and fastinating historical figure. An artist with pain both deep inside and outwardly visible. From amazon.com online review: 'Otherwise, this is a tremendously involving, extravagantly sensuous, and imaginatively detailed and interpretative portrait of a fascinating and influential artist who lived a purposefully theatrical life while suffering profound traumas of the body and soul.' "… (mere)

I didn’t like this as much as I was expecting to. While it’s a well-researched historical novel about the life of Latina movie star Dolores del Rio told from the perspective of her girlhood friend Mara, that’s part of the problem. I felt connected to Mara, who is down-to-earth and realistic and serves as a contrast to shallow and self-centered Lola (which is what Dolores’ friends call her).

The writing was also more “tell” than “show.” Using the secondary character as narrator kept me from empathizing with Lola. The best part of the novel was that it provided a vivid portrayal of the challenges of working in the Golden Age of Hollywood as both a woman and a Hispanic.

And it wasn’t until the last few pages of the book, near the end of her life, that Lola becomes truly aware of others and redeems herself in my eyes by finding a way to make a difference in the lives of her Latina “sisters” – the unsung women who work behind the scenes in Hollywood.… (mere)

Dolores is Mexican actress. She is absolutely stunning. She is even considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. But staying on top of the Hollywood screen is a never ending problem. So, her personal life takes hit after hit.

I read this book on a long flight. It was absolutely perfect for the plane. I was very much enthralled by Dolores. And to be honest, I enjoyed reading about the Spanish culture. I have not read too much about this, so it was intriguing. Add in the old Hollywood era and this was a pretty dang good read!

I loved that this story is based on a true person. As most of y’all know, I truly enjoy a book which has me researching. And you can read more about Dolores here.

Need a very different historical fiction…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.… (mere)