Beautiful Little Fools

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Synopsis

USA Today bestselling author Jillian Cantor reimagines and expands on the literary classic The Great Gatsby in this atmospheric historical novel with echoes of Big Little Lies, told in three women’s alternating voices.

On a sultry August day in 1922, Jay Gatsby is shot dead in his West Egg swimming pool. To the police, it appears to be an open-and-shut case of murder/suicide when the body of George Wilson, a local mechanic, is found in the woods nearby.

Then a diamond hairpin is discovered in the bushes by the pool, and three women fall under suspicion. Each holds a key that can unlock the truth to the mysterious life and death of this enigmatic millionaire.

Daisy Buchanan once thought she might marry Gatsby—before her family was torn apart by an unspeakable tragedy that sent her into the arms of the philandering Tom Buchanan.

Jordan Baker, Daisy’s best friend, guards a secret that derailed her promising golf career and threatens to ruin her friendship with Daisy as well.

Catherine McCoy, a suffragette, fights for women’s freedom and independence, and especially for her sister, Myrtle Wilson, who’s trapped in a terrible marriage.

Their stories unfold in the years leading up to that fateful summer of 1922, when all three of their lives are on the brink of unraveling. Each woman is pulled deeper into Jay Gatsby’s romantic obsession, with devastating consequences for all of them.

Jillian Cantor revisits the glittering Jazz Age world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, retelling this timeless American classic from the women’s perspective. Beautiful Little Fools is a quintessential tale of money and power, marriage and friendship, love and desire, and ultimately the murder of a man tormented by the past and driven by a destructive longing that can never be fulfilled.

Synopsis source: StoryGraph

Review

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Mystery, Retelling
HB&W Rating: 4 stars
View on StoryGraph | Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon

In her afterward, the author tells us how The Great Gatsby is one of her most-loved books, and it shows in her crafting of its retelling. It’s not the easiest task to attempt retelling a classic, but when it goes right, you get wonderful gems like this one.

I loved how each of the women were fleshed out as realistic examples of women from the time. The book delved into their thoughts and feelings, the dreams and fears, what they found meaning in and what motivated them. It showed how few rights and options women had at this time, the limitations set upon them by society especially well. It’s very easy, looking at it from the outside, to blame Daisy for leading Jay on, but realistically, she made the best of the options she had. Women weren’t often afforded the privilege of marrying for love, as this story illustrates.

The mystery aspect was well-developed and added another layer to my enjoyment of the book. Audio narration was great to listen to with a cast of 4 narrators to differentiate the voices.

I found this to be both a compelling and thought-provoking story. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend!

Until next time,

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