This romantic novel depicts the life of Kathleen Wayre and her rise from poverty to stardom until her death in 1998. Her beauty and exceptional dance talent, nurtured by the two American men who love her, lead to opportunities of fame and fortune in the US.
Born illegitimately in 1918 Kathleen is adopted by a poor family living in the East End, London. This impoverished existence haunts Kathleen for the rest of her life and her illegitimacy leaves her mentally scared and insecure but an opportunity of dancing lessons during her childhood paves success on the horizon.
At the outbreak of World War Two twenty- year -old Kathleen meets a married man, American businessman Tony Tarantino, who is captivated by her talent and beauty and promises her that he will return. Kathleen, too, is instantly attracted by his good looks and a twenty-four hour chance meeting sets the course of their lives which will be forever entwined.
In 1940, two years after their first encounter, Tony and Kathleen are reunited but he finds she has married and is now expecting a baby. Tony and KathleenÂ’s passion is re-ignited and she is convinced that he is the only love of her life. Then, within a few hours, her world is turned upside down during a Nazi bombing raid over London and she loses her baby. When Tony is sent to Europe to fight and she is left alone once again for the duration of the war she resumes dancing and works with a famous Broadway choreographer.
Hal Davies, 20 years her senior, soon forms a strong friendship with Kathleen and she becomes indispensable to him. Beguiled by this young woman, at the end of the war he persuades her to go back to New York with him and work in a new show he is choreographing on Broadway. On their arrival in New York Kathleen searches for Tony but finds he has returned to his wife and children. Distraught, she turns to Hal who has loved her from their first meeting and soon they marry. Their professional partnership on Broadway leads them to success as he nurtures her dancing talent to mould her to stardom until after fifteen years of marriage his sudden death leaves her devastated and on the verge of retirement.
In 1965 Tony comes back into her life to offer her the chance of a lifetime - her own ‘Kathleen Wayre Dancers’ heading a Las Vegas casino show. Within a short time they are married and whilst Tony encourages his wife to succeed at the casino she now determines to rise to even greater heights by contracting more dancers to tour the world. As her fame pushes their marriage to second place Tony, disillusioned with the woman he has been in love with for over twenty-five years, has numerous short-lived affairs until he abruptly leaves her and returns to New York.
Left alone in Las Vegas to continue with her shows at the casino Kathleen knows that her insecurities of childhood poverty and illegitimacy have spurred her on to achieve a celebrity status that can never replace the man who has loved her since 1938 and now only she can remedy this situationÂ….
Born illegitimately in 1918 Kathleen is adopted by a poor family living in the East End, London. This impoverished existence haunts Kathleen for the rest of her life and her illegitimacy leaves her mentally scared and insecure but an opportunity of dancing lessons during her childhood paves success on the horizon.
At the outbreak of World War Two twenty- year -old Kathleen meets a married man, American businessman Tony Tarantino, who is captivated by her talent and beauty and promises her that he will return. Kathleen, too, is instantly attracted by his good looks and a twenty-four hour chance meeting sets the course of their lives which will be forever entwined.
In 1940, two years after their first encounter, Tony and Kathleen are reunited but he finds she has married and is now expecting a baby. Tony and KathleenÂ’s passion is re-ignited and she is convinced that he is the only love of her life. Then, within a few hours, her world is turned upside down during a Nazi bombing raid over London and she loses her baby. When Tony is sent to Europe to fight and she is left alone once again for the duration of the war she resumes dancing and works with a famous Broadway choreographer.
Hal Davies, 20 years her senior, soon forms a strong friendship with Kathleen and she becomes indispensable to him. Beguiled by this young woman, at the end of the war he persuades her to go back to New York with him and work in a new show he is choreographing on Broadway. On their arrival in New York Kathleen searches for Tony but finds he has returned to his wife and children. Distraught, she turns to Hal who has loved her from their first meeting and soon they marry. Their professional partnership on Broadway leads them to success as he nurtures her dancing talent to mould her to stardom until after fifteen years of marriage his sudden death leaves her devastated and on the verge of retirement.
In 1965 Tony comes back into her life to offer her the chance of a lifetime - her own ‘Kathleen Wayre Dancers’ heading a Las Vegas casino show. Within a short time they are married and whilst Tony encourages his wife to succeed at the casino she now determines to rise to even greater heights by contracting more dancers to tour the world. As her fame pushes their marriage to second place Tony, disillusioned with the woman he has been in love with for over twenty-five years, has numerous short-lived affairs until he abruptly leaves her and returns to New York.
Left alone in Las Vegas to continue with her shows at the casino Kathleen knows that her insecurities of childhood poverty and illegitimacy have spurred her on to achieve a celebrity status that can never replace the man who has loved her since 1938 and now only she can remedy this situationÂ….
