"Who are the first 'It' Girls?"
Reviewed by Svetlana Libenson
Posted January 3, 2021
Women's Fiction Historical
Elinor and Lucy Sutherland, two young sisters, have become determined to meet their role model: Lillie Langtry, a woman brave enough to let scandal tail her. That brief encounter when Elinor "Nellie" was ten, and Lucy twelve, set the sisters up to not take no for an answer, and both are destined to take the world by storm: Lucy through fascinating and innovative ideas of clothing such as using models for her daring fashion looks, and Elinor through popularizing romance novels as Elinor Glyn.
However, to reach the pinacle of their careers, the fates are not kind to sisters, forcing them to endure many heartbreaks, both personal and professional. Yet, the sisters continue to forge their own paths, ultimately becoming the first 'It' girls, a definition which roughly translates as charisma, attraction and appeal.
Through travails of late Victorian Era as well as fading mores and even events up to Great Depression/almost WWII, both sisters remain devoted to their chosen professions, and it is a bond forged through early years and painful experiences that tie them to each other, a bond so strong that time cannot cut it, and that also allows each sister to risk much to be there for one another.
What I best enjoyed about THE IT GIRLS by Karen Harper is learning about these two sisters whose names I haven't seen or encountered prior to picking up this novel. I also liked learning about the ideas that the sisters implemented and how much it has changed society from the way things were done. (For instance, I was surprised to learn about the model concept that originated with one of the sisters.)
THE IT GIRLS by Karen Harper is best described as historical fiction for audience that isn't familiar with the sisters as it showcases and expounds their lives in a fast fashion, helping the reader learn about these important women that have long been lost to time.
For a reader seeking a quick historical fiction that includes women larger than life and where their ideas have long continued to be in use even in modern times, THE IT GIRLS by Karen Harper should be an enlightening tale of how women can become successful.
SUMMARY
From New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper comes
a novel based on the lives of two amazing sisters . . . One sailed the Titanic and started a fashion empire . . . The other overtook Hollywood and scandalized the world .
. . Together, they were unstoppable. They rose from genteel poverty, two beautiful sisters,
ambitious, witty, seductive. Elinor and Lucy Sutherland
are at once each other’s fiercest supporters and most
vicious critics. Lucy transformed herself into Lucile, the daring fashion
designer who revolutionized the industry with her
flirtatious gowns and brazen self-promotion. And when she
married Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon her life seemed to be a
fairy tale. But success came at many costs—to her
marriage and to her children . . . and then came the
fateful night of April 14, 1912 and the scandal that
followed. Elinor’s novels titillate readers, and it’s even asked in
polite drawing rooms if you would like to “sin with
Elinor Glyn?” Her work pushes the boundaries of what’s
acceptable; her foray into the glittering new world of
Hollywood turns her into a world-wide phenomenon. But
although she writes of passion, the true love she longs
for eludes her. But despite quarrels and misunderstandings, distance and
destiny, there is no bond stronger than that of the two
sisters—confidants, friends, rivals and the two “It
Girls” of their day.
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