Official Review: Juliana by Vanda

[braver]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Juliana" by Vanda.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Alice Huffman, called Al by her friends, has it all figured out. She’s going to New York City with Aggie, her best friend, to become a famous Broadway star. Her beau, Danny, is going to become a famous author. Along with Aggie’s beau, Dickie, the four friends plan to take the city by storm.

Soon after their arrival, Al discovers that she might not have the talent to make it big. All four friends start to see their plans unravel and their relationships change as they struggle to reach their dreams. But the biggest change for Al comes in the form of Juliana, the glamorous and sensual nightclub singer who makes Al question everything she’s ever believed.

What I love about historical fiction is the chance to have a piece of history come alive with characters and emotions that really stick with you. It’s one thing to read the historical facts, but it’s another to “hear” conversations of the times and “feel” what people went through. It makes the history real.

Juliana is a masterful work of historical fiction that leads you through the early 1940s with substance and style. It is an LGBT coming of age story, a tale of sexual questioning and awakening (and as such, should be reserved for more mature audiences) that really opened my eyes to some of the truths of gay history. The author makes very effective use of period language to set the tone and the scene, and even though some of the language may be offensive or hard to read, it is valuable to understanding this time in history.

I became attached to the characters and bristled at the injustices they suffered. Then I remembered that these injustices were not merely fictional, and I felt my understanding of what it means to be LGBT deepening. I learned that historically, a woman could be arrested if she wasn’t wearing three articles of women’s clothing. I learned about the symbolic use of violets among lesbian and bisexual women. I learned how the war and the draft added an entirely new dimension to the issues of being in the closet. Reading this book was not only enjoyable, but also incredibly informative and educational.

One of my favorite parts was actually the author’s post-story discussion of the LGBT language that she included in the story and her explanations of how she approached the challenge of being historically accurate. She gives insight and background into why she chose this time period for the story. The historical details were clearly extensively and thoroughly researched, and I really appreciated that attention to detail.

I did find a handful of errors while reading (a couple tense changes, a few typos), but nothing serious enough to take away from the excellence of the story. I happily rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, and I look forward to the next installment.

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Juliana
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[zero_macabre]

I myself haven't read much historical fiction, but it does sound like quite an interesting genre. Thank you for the great review!

[braver]

I myself haven't read much historical fiction, but it does sound like quite an interesting genre. Thank you for the great review!

I've read quite a bit of historical fiction in the past, but not as much recently. This book makes me want to get back into it! If you are at all interested in the LGBT rights movement, this would be a great one to start with.

[lane_vespertine]

Really really really good review!
I love historical fiction, probably one of my favorite genres of books. As it is with nearly everything, LGBT is woefully underrepresented. I find it upsetting that the moment there is a non majority lifestyle in a book, it immediately becomes something other than its genre.
Scifi book with a gay dude in it? Now it's a gay book.
Romance novel with lesbians? Just a lesbian book.
Historical novel with a transgender person? Only for transgender people.
The human experience is that of all humans, and every genre is strengthened by including the perspective of more than just 'most' humans.
Juliana is going to the top of my list.
Thanks!

[kimmyschemy06]

I'm not really into LGBT stories but this sure sounds very interesting especially considering that the setting was in the early 1940s. Good job on the review. Congratulations to Vanda on such an obviously well written book.

[braver]

The human experience is that of all humans, and every genre is strengthened by including the perspective of more than just 'most' humans.

Beautifully said! Thank you for your comments - I hope you enjoy the story!

[Kourtney Bradley]

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, so I'm glad to see that you enjoyed this one! Thank you for sharing with us!

[braver]

I'm not really into LGBT stories but this sure sounds very interesting especially considering that the setting was in the early 1940s. Good job on the review. Congratulations to Vanda on such an obviously well written book.

Thanks! The right historical context and setting was crucial to the story's success. The same story of questioning and discovery would likely not have been as powerful in a modern setting.

-- 03 Oct 2016, 08:24 --

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, so I'm glad to see that you enjoyed this one! Thank you for sharing with us!

Thank you! A good piece of historical fiction really is something, isn't it?

[ebeth]

It sounds like something I would read, going to add it onto my list. Thanks for the review.

[braver]

It sounds like something I would read, going to add it onto my list. Thanks for the review.

I hope you enjoy it!

[AA1495]

I'm glad you enjoyed reading this book. Thank you for the great review!

[braver]

I'm glad you enjoyed reading this book. Thank you for the great review!

What's cool is that this story was also a performance piece - I would have loved to have seen that!