Becoming Bonnie

First Title Value for Searching:

Becoming Bonnie

Personal Author:

Walsh, Jenni L.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

303 pages ; 25 cm.

General Note:

"A Tom Doherty Associates book."

Genre:

Biographical fiction.

Summary:

The summer of 1927 might be the height of the Roaring Twenties, but Bonnelyn Parker is more likely to belt out a church hymn than sling drinks at an illicit juice joint. She's a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. But when Roy springs a proposal on her, and financial woes jeopardize her ambitions, Bonnelyn finds salvation in an unlikely place: Dallas's newest speakeasy, Doc's. Living the life of a moll at night, Bonnie remains a wholesome girl by day, engaged to Roy, attending school, and working toward a steady future. When Roy discovers her secret life, he embraces it, perhaps too much, especially when it comes to booze and gambling, she tries to make the pieces fit. Maybe she can have it all: the American Dream, the husband, and the intoxicating allure of jazz music. But her life like her country, is headed for a crash. Bonnie Parker is about to meet Clyde Barrow.

Subject Term:

Criminals -- Fiction.

Historical fiction

Publication Info:

New York : Forge, 2017.

Subject:

Criminals -- Fiction.

Historical fiction

Biographical fiction.

Parker, Bonnie, 1910-1934 -- Fiction.

Barrow, Clyde, 1909-1934 -- Fiction.

Bonnie, 1910-1934

Thornton, Bonnie Parker, 1910-1934

Clyde, 1909-1934

Crime and criminals

Delinquents

Offenders

Historical novels

History -- Fiction

SAILS ISBN:

9780765390189

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Pembroke Public Library	FIC WALSH, J.	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Seekonk Public Library	FIC WALSH	FICTION	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Perfect for readers of Paula McClain, Lisa Wingate, and Hazel Gaynor, and fans of Bonnie and Clyde, Breaking Bad and Netflix's The Highwaymen , Jenni L. Walsh's sparkling debut tells the story of Bonnie Parker as it's never been told before--in her own words.

It's the summer of 1927, and Bonnelyn Parker is more likely to belt out a church hymn than sling drinks at an illicit juice joint. She's a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. But in Cement City, Texas, there aren't many jobs a girl can do.

When Bonnelyn finds work at Doc's, Dallas's newest speakeasy, she finds herself falling hard--for the music, for the freedom, and for a young man with a hint of danger in his smile.

Bonnie is about to meet Clyde Barrow. And her life--like her country--is headed for a crash.

"How do you get from good girl to gangster's moll? Jenni Walsh takes you along for the ride with Bonnelyn Parker in an account so vivid you would think you were there with her."-- New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig

"In Becoming Bonnie, Jenni Walsh delivers an intriguing insight into the life of one half of the infamous duo, Bonnie and Clyde. I look forward to reading more from this new author." -- New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

The odds against Bonnelyn Parker ever having a normal life mount daily, right from the start. Parker's tightly knit family barely scrapes by after her father's death, and when her mother can't work, Bonnie ups her waitress earnings with a second job, at a speakeasy, where the exciting (and dangerous) customers, jazz music, and dancing top the poverty and boredom of her north Texas neighborhood. Although she marries her childhood sweetheart, Roy Thornton, when Bonnie meets Clyde, the die is cast. More a biographical sketch of the early life of a legendary woman than the rip-roaring-crime-spree story some may expect from the title, Walsh's debut historical novel brings the Prohibition era, the Great Depression, and American gangsters to life through the personality and circumstances of a notorious moll who starts out as a good girl. Although the story focuses on Bonnie, supporting characters provide further perspectives on the magnetic pull of jazz, illegal booze, and a (short) life on the lam. Dennis Lehane's Live by Night (2012) and Renee Rosen's Dollface (2013) paint similar portraits. Look forward to the sequel for later exploits of these notorious bandits.--Baker, Jen Copyright 2017 Booklist