Monday, April 11, 2022

The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly


Title:  The Last Dance of the Debutante

Author:  Julia Kelly

Narrated by:  Marisa Calin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 03 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster.  Thank-you!

 What would it be like to be part of the last year of debutantes presented at the British Court in 1958?  Lily Nichols about to find out.  Lily agrees to be a part of the debutantes to appease her Grandmother Nichols who provides support for her and her widowed mother.   As Lily prepares for her debut, she wonders about her mysterious half-sister that she has never met.  While being presented to the queen, Lily meets Leana Hartford who is vying to be THE debutante of the season.  Lily’s mother is vehemently opposed to their friendship.  What is her mother hiding?  As the season progresses, Lily must decide what she wants.  Does she want to be the perfect debutante who finds a rich husband?  Does she want to go back to school to get a degree in English? 

 I greatly enjoyed this audiobook and a dive into 1950’s England.  I was ready to do the jitterbug with Lily and attend one of the dances full of debutantes.  I loved the descriptions of how everything worked for a debutante season, and I loved Lily’s yearning for more in her life and for truth in her life.  I also thought it was wonderful that she stayed true to herself and didn’t get completely swept away by Leana.  I found her friend Katherine Norman with a family who made money through trade to be a breath of fresh air.  I liked her honest way of speaking and her supportive friendship.  Besides the life and friendships of the debutante, I enjoyed the mystery to the novel as well.

 Marisa Calin was a great narrator and made this a very enjoyable audiobook experience.  Author Julia Kelly has been on my radar, but this is the first book I’ve read by her.  I am going to be reading more of her historical fiction.

 I loved the cover of this book, it is so beautiful.

 Overall, The Last Dance of the Debutante is a great way to experience 1950s England and be swept away to another time and place.

2 comments:

  1. Such an interesting setting. I knew that the tradition of debutante presentations stopped at some point but hadn't thought about the last time it happened.

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  2. Debutante balls still continue to be a thing here which is interesting! This sounds like a good read!

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