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Nicola Harrison
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The Show Girl: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Nicola Harrison (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 605
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Nicola Harrison's The Show Girl gives a glimpse of the glamorous world of the Ziegfeld Follies, through the eyes of a young midwestern woman who comes to New York City to find her destiny as a Ziegfeld Follies star.

"Fans of Elizabeth Gilbert's City of Girls will drink this up." --Booklist

It's 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more—even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy—the only man she's ever met who seems to accept her modern ways—her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

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  1. Print length
    377 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    St. Martin's Press
  5. Publication date
    August 10, 2021
  6. File size
    5154 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

The Show Girl: A Novel

The Show Girl Nicola Harrison
The Show Girl Nicola Harrison
The Show Girl Nicola Harrison

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Nicola Harrison brings the exciting world of 1927 New York City to life in The Show Girl." -PopSugar

"Full of surprises and romance, Harrison's novel keeps readers turning the pages...Fans of Elizabeth Gilbert's City of Girls will drink this up." ―Booklist

"Lush and evocative...she'll keep readers turning the pages." --Publishers Weekly

“Harrison creates a heady mix of history, drama and romance in a seductive novel guaranteed to transport the reader to a different place and time." –Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of All the Way We Say Goodbye

"In The Show Girl, author Nicola Harrison paints her characters with such a precise brush and sympathetic strokes that they live long after the last page." –Betsy Carter, bestselling author of Lost Souls at The Neptune Inn

“Nicola Harrison brilliantly captures the last gasp of the roaring twenties in this indelible story of love and ambition.” –Jamie Brenner, author of Blush

“Harrison beautifully portrays the trials and tribulations of a Ziegfeld Follies dancer in her new novel, which is brimming with juicy details of Roaring Twenties New York City. Fans of City of Girls will adore this exploration of love and ambition.” –Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue

"Harrison has created a heroine so complex and endearing, so utterly fearless and full of life, that readers will not be able to forget her. THE SHOW GIRL is a story as intricate and dazzling as one of Ziegfeld’s legendary revues." –Lynda Cohen Loigman, USA Today bestselling author of The Two-Family House and The Wartime Sisters

“A delicious and entertaining exploration of the life of a Ziegfield girl with Harrison’s trademark ability to plunge the reader deep into the experiences of her characters. The Show Girl is a fast-paced and engaging read that will leave readers giving a standing ovation to Olive and to all women who choose to live life on their own terms.” –Susie Orman Schnall, author of The Subway Girls and We Came Here to Shine

"Harrison has written an energetic, propulsive, delightful book." -Amy Poeppel, author of Small Admissions

About the Author

Born in England, Nicola Harrison moved to CA where she received a BA in Literature at UCLA before moving to NYC and earning an MFA in creative writing at Stony Brook. She is a member of The Writers Room, has short stories published in The Southampton Review and Glimmer Train and articles in Los Angeles Magazine and Orange Coast Magazine. She was the fashion and style staff writer for Forbes, had a weekly column at Lucky Magazine and is the founder of a personal styling business, Harrison Style.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08FZ9JVSQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press (August 10, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 10, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5154 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 377 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1250200156
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 605

About the author

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Nicola Harrison

Nicola Harrison

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Originally from Hampshire, England, Nicola Harrison moved to California when she was 14. She studied Literature at UCLA and received an MFA in creative writing at Stony Brook University. She has short stories published in The Southampton Review and Glimmer Train as well as articles in Los Angeles Magazine and Orange Coast Magazine. She has an essay in the anthology Mom's Don't Have Time. She was the fashion and style staff writer for Forbes and had a weekly column at Lucky Magazine. Nicola has spent many summers in Montauk and currently lives in Manhattan Beach, California. Montauk was her debut novel and The Show Girl is her second.

www.NicolaHarrison.com

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
605 global ratings
Dazzling and fun
4 Stars
Dazzling and fun
This one was such a fun read. I love historical fiction and if you follow my reviews you know how much I love historical fiction that takes place in United States. Last year I read a book about showgirls in the 1920s. There I got a glimpse at what it was like during jazz and Capone era.⭐️So, Show Girls by Nicola Harrison was Another fun read that took on a different perspective of the 1920s. This was a fun adventure spanning from CA musicals to Broadway during prohibition era in New York City and ending with a crash of the stock market in 1929. 🥂🍾⭐️It's 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer💃, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more—even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.⭐️From the beginning Olive has an independent nature and passion for her dream and being successful in show business, but on her terms. So no throughout the story she can often be portrayed as the victim, but also the villain in her own storyline. But as the story unfolds, you can’t help but root for her to make her way in New York, and the glitzy world of the Ziegfeld Follies. 👯‍♀️👯👯‍♂️⭐️Definitely worth putting in your TBR list this Fall. Thank you netgalley and MacMillian Audio for this eARC in exchange for this honest review.
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Top reviews from the United States

KatyKat65
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read about an exciting time in history! Like watching an old movie!
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2022
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I was excited to read this book as I've always had a fascination with the Ziegfeld follies and had not found much fiction written about them. This book puts you right there on stage with them and brings to life what must have been such a great time and place to be alive, Manhattan in the twenties! I loved the character of Olive, she reminded me of my grandmother who had all these wonderful stories about going to speakeasies with my grandpa when she was young. I also love that the author included Texas Guinan in the story, who was a real person. You need to Google her, what a fascinating individual! Would love to find a good book on her. Throughly enjoyed this book, it was a wonderful escape but also educational for those who want to know more about the Follies and that time period of New York! Good show!!!!
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SandyJ21
4.0 out of 5 stars History, drama, and romance
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2021
EXCERPT: '... if they can't stand to see a young woman exercise her rights, then maybe they need an education in how the modern world works.'

The waiter turned on his heel and left, and my mother began to collect her things. I reached out and put my hand on hers. 'Where are you going, Mama? Don't let them bully us into leaving.'

'It's not them,' she said softly. 'It's you.' I saw her eyes fill with tears. 'Your manners, your lack of etiquette, of decency - living here with a man you've only just met - even your lovely hair . . .' She reached out and tucked a piece of my cropped hair behind my ear. 'It's all gone.'

She stood, pushed in her chair and gently placed her handbag on her arm. 'Olive, you're forgetting who you are.'

'You're wrong, Mama,' I said, almost in a whisper. 'For the first time in my life I know exactly who I want to be.'

ABOUT 'THE SHOW GIRL': It's 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more--even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy--the only man she's ever met who seems to accept her modern ways--her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

MY THOUGHTS: Spanning 1927 to 1929, and encompassing the beginning of the great depression, The Show Girl is an exciting and balanced blend of history, drama, and romance.

Harrison has captured the excitement of the end of the roaring twenties; a time of changing social mores, a time of desperate need for excess as people tried to block out the devastation and decimation of the first world war. There is a frantic need for enjoyment, and social boundaries are pushed as women begin to assert their independence.

This is the backdrop to a story of a young woman with ambition, a dream that, despite all the obstacles placed in her way, she is determined to attain. Young and naive in New York City, this is both a coming of age story and a social commentary. I hope I am not making this sound dull, because it is anything but. It is brimming with life, love, and drama.

Harrison's characters are very true to life. Olive comes from a very traditional family; a rigidly strict father, and a mother who stays at home to care for the children. Their plans for Olive were more along the lines of a nice little job in a department store until she marries, than a scantily clad show girl!

Olive is not always a likeable character. Sometimes, like most of us, she doesn't even like herself. But Olive is determined, and very single-minded; totally focused on reaching her goal even if she is abandoned by her family along the way. And she is the star of this story. The spotlight never leaves her.

I found this a fascinating read. On my bucket list is a trip to Paris to see the Follies Bergére, and it is on this famous troupe that Ziegfield based his own troupe of dancers in New York. So between that, and The Show Girl being written by Nicola Harrison, I just knew I had to read this book. I was not disappointed.

⭐⭐⭐.9

THE AUTHOR: I'm originally from Hampshire, England, and moved to California when I was 14. I studied Literature at UCLA and received an MFA in creative writing at Stony Brook University. Soon after college I moved to NYC and worked in magazine publishing. I was the fashion and style staff writer for Forbes and had a weekly column at Lucky Magazine. I spent many summers in Montauk, which inspired my first novel, but after 17 years in the Big Apple I recently moved back to California and have settled in Manhattan Beach with my husband, two sons and two chihuahuas. When I'm not writing I love to paddle board, do yoga and get outside with my boys.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to St Martin's via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Show Girl by Nicola Harrison for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
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TRACEY MANCINI
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved!
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2023
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Great book with wonderful storyline and interesting characters!
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Donna Delain James
3.0 out of 5 stars I knew the ending after I read the first chapter. I think this must be for adolescents.
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2022
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I am not too thrilled. It was so-so entertaining, but also predictable. Young dancers and entertainers would like this. Not bad.
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Kerry Croucier
4.0 out of 5 stars Immersive and Vivid!
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2021
THE SHOWGIRL by Nicola Harrison will immerse you in the late 1920’s New York City and the life of a determined show girl as she follows her dreams and embraces her life as a member of the Zeigfeld Follies. Harrison paints a vivid picture of the life of a NY City showgirl in in the final years of the roaring ‘20’s: both the glamorous and the tough, as well the excesses of those surrounding them.
Olive loved to sing and dance, and when she has a chance meeting with Florenz Ziegfeld on a tour through California, she knows that she is destined to be a Ziegfeld Girl, despite her parents’ wishes that she find a good job until she marries and settles down. Once she joins the show, Olive embraces the life and can’t understand why the other girls are marking time until they find a man to take care of them, something she has no intention of doing. Best-laid plans and all that. Enter Archie Carmichael: older, successful, and ready to give Olive the world. Archie loves Olive for who she is, so as far as she’s concerned, nothing needs to change. Right?
Olive is a well-written character, fully realized and I found her both naïve about the world and self-centered. She is a woman with attitudes ahead of her time and it was interesting to watch her try to reconcile her attitudes and expectations with those of the people around her, as well as watching her trajectory and, truly, grow up. It was also interesting to see the excesses of those that have more than expected and then as the spiral of the crash begins and those on top start to lose everything.
Set in a time period I haven’t explored much, THE SHOWGIRL is a book I enjoyed curling up with and was eager to get back to when life interfered.
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheShowGirl #NicolaHarrison #StMartinsPress
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Hope Tarr
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for Fans of NYC-set Historical Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2021
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A deft touch with period detail, especially dialogue, made me feel as if transported back in time to 1927-1929 New York City. Olive, Harrison's gorgeously flawed heroine, won my heart from the first and had me rooting for her throughout her tumultuous journey, from a bit performer in regional theater to the crowning jewel of Ziegfeld's Follies. THE SHOW GIRL is a triumph and Harrison is an automatic buy for me!
4 people found this helpful
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christine
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent !! - Nicola did it again !!!!! LOVED !
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2021
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This page turner melted any worries I had before picking up the book - I was so enthralled in each page as I ventured through NY that I completely lost myself in the book ! Spectacular work ! And thank you to the author for such a fabulous treat! I didn’t think it was possible to enjoy as much as Montauk and was pleasantly surprised to love each book for very different reasons!
8 people found this helpful
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