The Last Debutantes

A Novel

De: Georgie Blalock

Narrado por: Ann Marie Gideon

Fans of The Kennedy Debutante and Next Year in Havana will love Georgie Blalock’s new novel of a world on the cusp of change...set on the eve of World War II in the glittering world of English society and one of the last debutante seasons.

They danced the night away, knowing their world was about to change forever. They were the debutantes of 1939, laughing on the outside, but knowing tragedy - and a war - was just around the corner.

When Valerie de Vere Cole, the niece of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, makes her deep curtsey to the King and Queen of England, she knows she’s part of a world about to end. The daughter of a debt-ridden father and a neglectful mother, Valerie sees firsthand that war is imminent.

Nevertheless, Valerie reinvents herself as a carefree and glittering young society woman, befriending other debutantes from England’s aristocracy as well as the vivacious Eunice Kennedy, daughter of the US Ambassador. Despite her social success, the world’s troubles and Valerie’s fear of loss and loneliness prove impossible to ignore.

How will she navigate her new life when everything in her past has taught her that happiness and stability are as fragile as peace in our time? For the moment she will forget her cares in too much champagne and waltzes. Because very soon, Valerie knows that she must find the inner strength to stand strong and carry on through the challenges of life and love and war.

©2021 Georgie Blalock (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Frivolous

I kept expecting the story to have some merit., it never happens. The audio performance was good but storyline fell flat.

Enjoyable story

This was an easy listen and I enjoyed it. I loved learning that Valerie and many of the other characters were real people

Wonderful characters & great historical references

I really enjoyed this story. The reading made it even more enjoyable.

Well done !

Sophomore Slump?

I greatly enjoyed Ms. Blalock’s “The Other Windsor Girl” and so I was happy to see “The Last Debutantes” pop up in my recommended feed. Sadly, I didn’t find it as enjoyable as the author’s first effort. It wasn’t until the author’s note at the end that I discovered why. While the protagonist Valerie was a real person, very little is known about her, which is unfortunate given the momentous events she must have observed. But it also hinders her character development and the plot line as the author only had a few details and the dates. Being able to invent and embellish the only known details of a historical personage’s life would be a boon for many authors but Ms. Blalock’s narrative suffered as a result. Valerie was not a very compelling heroine. In fact, she could be downright whiny and obsessive. While her origin story was sad, the fear that her supposedly dark secret would be discovered was ridiculous and overwrought. In the end, Valerie was overshadowed by more dynamic and interesting historic figures. There were many times I had to push through this one because the plot was just boring.

I have not given up on Ms. Blalock. Her next book is due out in September and features the Princess Louise, the rebellious daughter of Queen Victoria. Hopefully with a character that is better documented, her third book will be the charm.