Why read The Spectacular?

Book cover of The Spectacular

Book description

From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Magnolia Palace: A thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday.

New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Spectacular as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Caryl Janis

Author

I loved this story about a woman who looks back on bittersweet memories of her younger life in the 1950s when she defied conventional norms of the time to realize her dream of becoming one of the famed Radio City Rockettes.

Her fight to succeed, the people who helped or hindered, and the staggering events that led to her unwitting role in identifying a bomber who was terrorizing the city kept me fully engrossed and made me care deeply about her struggles. I also found much food for thought about the multiple facets of defining oneself in any era.

From Caryl's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Vered Hazanchuk

Author

I was a dancer for a long time and a sucker for historical fiction, so the Rockette during the 1950s Manhattan storyline is what first drew me in.

But no dance background is needed to enjoy this one; what made me really fall in love with The Spectacular is the independent, strong-willed leading lady. There’s also a great whodunnit storyline to get you flying through the pages (or listening non-stop to the excellent audiobook version, as I did).

From Vered's 3 favorite reads in 2023.