Queenie (G K Hall Large Print Book Series) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Michael Korda (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Beautiful, mysterious, intelligent Queenie cajoles her unclewith whom she lives in her mother's boardinghouseinto stealing a bracelet so valuable it pays her way from India to London. Once there, she capitalizes on her looks, becomes a model, a Hollywood movie star; nonetheless her life is riddled with adversity, and her beauty repeatedly saves her. PW commented: "Queenie remains . . . however, only a portrait who never comes to life, despite the fact that she is a thinly disguised stand-in for Merle Oberon, who was married to Korda's uncle."
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 995 pages
• Publisher: G K Hall & Co (December 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816139709
• ISBN-13: 978-0816139705
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,135,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Korda is the New York Times bestselling author of Horse People,
Country Matters, Ulysses S. Grant, Cat People, Journey to a Revolution, and Ike.
He lives with his wife, Margaret, in Dutchess County, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A 4½ STAR REVIEW, July 20, 2005

By 

Martin Boucher "Authorfan" (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

Michael Korda's fictionalized account of Anglo-Indian actress Merle Oberon's claim to fame in Hollywood's golden era is a delight from start to finish. Naming her Dawn Avalon and putting her at risk when she is wrongfully accused of murder, Dawn flees India to London where, as Queenie Kelley, she becomes a superstar of the stage and screen, while trying her best to stay incognito. Effectively narrated, Korda's story takes you back to a time when studio kings were enthralled by their star pets, as Queenie Kelly was by many, but especially by writer/director David Konig. Their union during the making of his movie is as enchanting and as riveting as the entire novel itself. Glamorous to the core, with colorful characters and edge-of-your-seat intrigue, QUEENIE is a perfect example of great escapist fiction.-----Martin Boucher

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CHIC OR CHI CHI?, February 5, 2002

By 

Mikki Patterson (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Queenie (Paperback)

I first read "Queenie" ten years ago. It was a sexy, spicy, great, warm splash of a read. Somehow the fact that it was the retelling of Merle Oberon's story eluded me. I enjoyed the book immensely, personally identifying with the heroine's struggle to discover exactly what mold she's "caste" in as well as her personal and political victories over prejudice & racism in the industry. Why read "Queenie" again?
One of the characters in a book I'm reading made reference to Miss Oberon's appearance as "Cathy" in "Wuthering Heights" commenting that "she didn't look CHI CHI,(Anglo/Indian) but she was you know." Checked out vitals on net and clicked with the fact that Ms. Oberon was first known as Queenie O'Brian. And was once married to someone named Alexander Korda (as in Michael's uncle). This book is probably closer to "the facts" than some of the Botox injected, pufferies that currently pass for biographies.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read, September 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Queenie (Paperback)

This is one of my all time favorite books. It is a winding story that begins in India and takes you through the Golden Era of Hollywood. You really can't put it down. You love the heroine, depite her mistakes and flaws, and truly hate the villains. There are so many twists and turns. I highly recommend this book!