The Blue Butterfly

A Novel of Marion Davies

By: Leslie Johansen Nack

Narrated by: Rachel Fulginiti

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

New York, 1915. Marion Davies is a shy 18-year-old beauty dancing on the Broadway stage when she meets William Randolph Hearst and finds herself captivated by his riches, passion, and desire to make her a movie star.

Following a whirlwind courtship, she learns through trial and error to live as Hearst’s mistress when a divorce from his wife proves impossible. A baby girl is born in secret in 1919 and they agree to never acknowledge her publicly as their own. In a burgeoning Hollywood scene, she works hard making movies while living a lavish partying life that includes a secret love affair with Charlie Chaplin.

In late 1937, at the height of the depression, Hearst wrestles with his debtors and failing health, as Marion loans him $1M when nobody else will. Together, they must confront the movie that threatens to invalidate all of Marion’s successes in the movie industry: Citizen Kane.

©2022 Leslie Johansen Nack (P)2022 Leslie Johansen Nack

Loved this novel!

The Blue Butterfly
By: Leslie Johansen Nack
Narrator: Rachel Fulginiti
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

New York in 1915 is full of glamor and parties but it also has a dark side. The Golden Age of Hollywood has always fascinated me.

Eighteen-year-old Marion Davies dances on Broadway and meets William Randolph Hearst, or WR to her. She is smitten as he courts her with jewels and promises. He wants to make her a movie star. Two things standing in her way are WR is married and she becomes pregnant.

She agrees to let her sister and brother-in-law adopt their baby and not acknowledge that its their child. She sails to Paris to deliver the baby and WR spoils her the whole way. He definitely was devoted to her and she stood by him even during tough times.

Marion and Williams love affair lasts for years. She went on to star in silent films. During depression Hearst health and wealth are failing, and she bails him out. This novel is based on the true story of this complicated couple.

The narrator was perfect for this beautiful story.

I thoroughly enjoyed their story and it takes you back in time. Now I am ready to sit back and watch an old Hollywood movie.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and author Leslie Johansson Nack for this audio. Out now!
#thebluebutterfly, #lesliejohansennack, #audiobook, #bookreview, #audible, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50, #suzyapprovedbooktours

Fascinating look at the life of Marion Davies

This is a fascinating look inside the career of actress Marion Davies and her almost lifelong affair with William Randolph Hearst. I enjoyed the glimpse into old Hollywood and the parade of well-known names of that era. Charlie Chaplin makes an appearance as one of her lovers and I found that part of the story incredibly interesting too. I listened to the audiobook and it's narrated beautifully by the wonderful Rachel Fulginiti. A must read for anyone interested in a piece of Hollywood history.

A fascinating and juicy story

I must admit, I had not heard of Marion Davies before listening to this, but I knew of many in her closest circle - including her lovers William Randolph Hearst and Charlie Chaplin.

As a young woman who started out as a Broadway dancer, Marion caught the eye of the extremely wealthy, much older, and very married William Randolph Hearst. As they start a lengthy affair, Marion is exposed to the lifestyle of the new scene in Hollywood.

Although I couldn’t understand why Marion would want to live as a mistress, she was much more savvy than I first gave her credit for. This is a fascinating and juicy story. You get a blend of the historical with iconic places and the names of those from early 1920s & ‘30s movies. But there’s plenty of drama, infidelity, and even a secret baby - this is Hollywood, after all!
I had fun with this one.

Excellent

I love historical fiction based on movie icons in this era so I was completed captivated from start to finish.

Very interesting!

The Blue Butterfly opened my eyes to theater and movies in the early 1900s. The author takes us through Marion’s whole life and at times I found the book reading more like a biography rather than a historical fiction but much of the book is based on her actual life so it made sense. Marion’s life was anything but ordinary, but I can’t help but wonder if she would have done more of what she wanted to do professionally if she didn’t have WR in her ear. But it’s true that money can buy anything! I went through phases of loving Marion and wanting to shake her. My favorite character was sweet Patricia. One thing I enjoyed about the novel was all of the history about travel during that timeframe. From yachts to boats to trains, I liked hearing about how travel had evolved. The transformation of film and media was also interesting!

The history.

Slow. Too long. Wanted the story to go faster with the history I knew. Ready for the end.

Fascinating

What a fantastic story and listening to the audio was an amazing experience, I just couldn’t stop listening to it. I felt it was Marion’s voice. Addictive, mesmerizing and captivating. Loved it so much!

Great story!! I felt like I was part of it.

Interesting characters and great story line. Leslie did it again. I’m looking forward to more of her writings.

What a Life

Johansen Nack exquisitely fills in the details of what may have gone on in the life of Marion Davies behind closed doors. Very intriguing.

Abysmal

There is a good story here - the relationship between Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst - but the writing is just awful. I can’t believe an editor approved this. Even a good narrator couldn’t make it better. 😟