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The Girl from The Savoy: A Novel
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The Girl from The Savoy: A Novel
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The Girl from The Savoy: A Novel
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The Girl from The Savoy: A Novel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this ebook

Presenting a dazzling new historical novel … The Girl From The Savoy is as sparkling as champagne and as thrilling as the era itself.

‘Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown …’

Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life.

When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant.

But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something.

Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateJun 7, 2016
ISBN9780062403483
Author

Hazel Gaynor

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author known for her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. A recipient of the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award, her work has since been shortlisted for multiple awards in the UK and Ireland. Her latest novel, The Last Lifeboat, was a Times of London historical novel of the month, shortlisted for the 2023 Irish Book Awards and a 2024 Audie Award finalist. Hazel’s work has been translated into twenty languages and is published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family.

Read more from Hazel Gaynor

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Reviews for The Girl from The Savoy

Rating: 3.734939734939759 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

83 ratings22 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Well, I made it halfway through the book and realized that I had yet to connect to either of the main characters, so I skipped to the last few chapters to see if I cared enough about the book to read about how the characters got there. No sir, I did not. So that's the end of this book for me.The writing style itself is fine, although a little bit overly descriptive at times. But my main problem was that it felt like NOTHING happened. I had read two hundred pages and yet I still felt as if nothing of consequence had really occurred on the pages yet. This made the story feel like it was dragging to me, and it just wasn't enjoyable for me.I hate the ending. In theory, I like the idea of Dolly going off to America with no romantic entanglements, but I really loved the character of Teddy and found myself wanting them to get back together SO BADLY. And they don't. They become "old friends" in the end, but that's it. And there's precious little information about what happened in Dolly's life after she left for America. I wanted more.My verdict: meh.Thank you, library system, for saving me the money that I would have spent on this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a very complex book covering a number of difficult topics including war, rape, stolen children (or forced adoption if you want a more friendly terminology) and more. It isn't all dark as there is room for hope and redemption as well as love. The book is hard to put down and a very satisfying read. The characters are well developed and they grow as the book moves on. I would very much look forward to another book by this author
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good tale about the maid who becomes a star of the London stage. You could almost call this a Cinderella-type tale, although most fairy tales don't depict the lasting pain of war (nearly all the characters, male and female, carry emotional scars from World War I). But the high spirits of the 1920s brighten the pages and mix the glitter of the Jazz Age with death and pain to create a compelling tale of this era. A good, solid historical novel recommended for fans of this period.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A story that draws the reader in and doesn't let them go until long after the last word has been read. Dolly Lane is a young woman who comes to work as a maid at The Savoy hotel. Loretta May is a woman of aristocratic birth who is a famous theater actress. Teddy is a young man suffering from shell shock in a hospital. The three people's stories mingle together to create a really beautiful tale, which takes the reader from the backrooms of a bustling hotel to the backstage of the happenings of the theater, and of course beautiful locations, such as The Savoy, Claridge's, etc. This novel will surprise the reader with many twists along the way. Recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Dorothy Lane, Dolly to her friends, has always dreamed of more for herself than to be a maid. However, as World War I approaches, her love, Teddy is sent off and things change drastically for them both. Teddy returns with shell shock and Dolly has endured much in his absence. Now, Dolly chases adventure in London where she finds employment as a maid to the stars at the Savoy. While at the Savoy, Dolly takes up an advertisement for a musician looking for a muse. Perry Clements is a struggling composer, his sister Loretta May is a starlet of the stage. Dolly agrees to inspire Perry while Loretta teaches her to stand out in a crowd and brings Dolly closer to the life she has dreamed about.A tantalizing story about love, loss, recovery and ambition that spans World War I through the Jazz Age in London. Switching points of view between Dolly, Loretta and Teddy there is a very full view of the damaging effects of the war from every angle. Dolly's was the most intriguing for me as her secrets kept during the war unravel and she begins to finally realize her dreams. Dolly is a true dreamer and adventurer. I admired her resilience and ability to chase her fantasy life. Teddy's point of view was also crucial for me, even though it didn't quite fit in with the Dolly and Loretta's shared experiences. His struggle with shell shock and remembering what he could have had was very delicately done and drew me into his experience. Finally, what drew me into the book was the setting and time period, the glamour of the Savoy was brilliantly described and the mood of the time could be imagined through the descriptions of music, theatre, dance and dress.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The story of Dolly, the literal "girl from the Savoy" was engaging, but there were elements of this book that were just off enough to leave me disappointed. Dolly's mentor was melodramatic enough that it was distracting. Ends always tied up in neat little bows. Parts that I would have otherwise loved (like the ways the different characters dealt with WWI) were too often ruined by the happy endings that had me thinking, seriously? The author is actually doing that? Maybe it was all a stylistic choice, but as much as I like happy endings this was too contrived even for me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Rags to riches story at the Savoy Hotel after World War I. It is a strange encounter in the rain that changes the life of Dolly, the maid. I found this to be a quick read but found it lacked a good story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really thought I would enjoy this book, the rags to riches story of Dolly, a maid at the Savoy hotel who wants to become a famous actress/dancer in 1920s London. However, the story seemed flat and trite to me. Told in alternating first-person points of view, there wasn't enough of a difference between Dolly and Loretta (a famous actress who becomes Dolly's mentor) and their inner monologues. Loretta is hiding a secret, and her constant over-the-top "oh woe is me" became tiring. Dolly has been in service all her life, yet she constantly had grandiose dreams and thoughts, and thought she was better than her friends. And of course, she too had a secret, that is conveniently wrapped up, along with everything else in this story. As another reviewer stated, there were many moments where I thought, "Really, we're going to go there?". To top it off, the end was incredibly unsatisfying. This book was a slog that I had to force myself to finish. I really can't recommend this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Girl from the Savoy is one of those books that reads like a cozy blanket when you want to indulge in a cry and finish off feeling determined. It has melodrama in spades, and plot points that are telegraphed rather than foreshadowed, and it's set in a gloriously rich historical place featuring a starry-eyed young woman who will make it in the world despite her tragic past.Unfortunately, I was not in the right mood for this book in the several months it took me to slog through. I should have stopped reading early on and passed it to the next reader, but I wanted to confirm my predictions about the plot (I was right), and I was a little morbidly curious about exactly how tepid the story could be.While the setting itself appeals to me - early 1920s Upstairs/downstairs in London! - there was something a bit off for my tastes. It was all highly detailed, but perhaps in the wrong ways. I don't tend to enjoy highly specific pop culture call outs in historical novels, although I know other people do.There is a lot going on in the plot, but it all felt rather like the covers this genre gets: sort of indistinctly romantic with soft edges and incongruous elements smushed together to seem like one. The first World War is five years in the past, but is practically a fourth main character - themes of shell shock or life on the homefront or the high mortality of the war are hugely relevant and often immediate concerns for the plot, but somehow without any urgency or emotion, because of that gauzey romantic history filter. Likewise, Dolly's and Loretta's tragic backstories of lost loves and lost children are sort of vaguely sad unless the intensity of emotion is suddenly ramped up to 11 for plot reasons - except that those plot reasons were so expected that the effect of the increase in tension after so much of the exact opposite was more laughable than anything. Too often, the telegraphed plot points came through by the luckiest of coincidences, which made the increase in tension even less appropriate. Unlikely coincidences are a dime a dozen in fiction, else where would the stories come from?, but I can't think of anything that moved or resolved the plot of this book that didn't have some kind of coincidence involved.The melodrama of Loretta May was my least favorite part of the book. While she's an important character and her story is a mirror to Dolly's, her POV had the same voice as you might expect from an ancient Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, and it was just so hard to take her seriously with all the brooding and woe-is-me. The book would have been much stronger to ditch the extra perspectives and just stick to Dolly's POV or slightly less limited third person.On the whole, I don't think The Girl from the Savoy is a bad book. It just didn't work for me and especially didn't match the reading mood I have had the last few months. While I have great appreciation for the overall arc of the plot (especially the way the curtain closed on Dolly, before the epilogue), it never seemed to have any significance or weight. But I believe this will appeal to readers who want historical fiction and love the "A Star is Born" narrative and are in the mood for the cozy blanket type of novel. I am not that reader, not this summer.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    How many people chase their dreams? I mean really chase their dreams? We always tell our kids that if they don't shoot for the stars, there's no way they can reach them. Throwing yourself body and soul into the life you want to lead is the only way you'll ever achieve it. But sometimes chasing dreams means leaving things behind that you care about, turning away from one thing to pursue another, making choices that aren't easy but are right. For Dolly Lane, in Hazel Gaynor's touching new novel, The Girl From the Savoy, chasing dreams comes with a cost, one that she will always carry in her heart.Dolly has always wanted to be a dancer and actress. But she also always expected to marry Teddy Cooper, the boy she's loved since she was 8 years old, and live out her life in the comfort of her small town. But when Teddy went off to war and came back suffering from severe shell shock, everything changed. The novel opens with Dolly rushing to start a new job as a maid at the Savoy hotel in London. She's dripping wet and splattered with mud on her drooping cotton stockings when she crashes into an attractive man just before she makes it to the hotel and although both are a little bit intrigued by each other, they go their own ways. But this is not the last time Dolly will cross paths with Peregrine Clements, a struggling composer who needs a muse to help him write music again. And through Perry, Dolly will also meet Loretta May, the darling of the West End and Perry's sister. With such friends, how could this little maid not realize her dream of making it on the stage?Told in first person chapters from Dolly, Loretta, and Teddy's perspectives, the novel deals with both WWI and the years afterwards. Although the war is over in the present of the novel, all of the characters are still touched by it. Each of them paid a terrible price thanks to "the war to end all wars" and that terrible cost threads through even the most glamorous years of the war's aftermath. Dolly's humble origins and her ideally invisible service as a maid at the hotel give quite a contrast to the gay, partying, upper class life that the guests live. But Dolly doesn't intend to be a maid forever and she vows to lead the life she sees in the suites she cleans every day. The first half of the novel is rather drawn out, as Dolly tries so very hard to chase her dream and let go of her heartbreaking past, as the beautiful and celebrated Loretta triumphs professionally even as her private life crumbles beneath her own secret tragedies, and as Teddy struggles to swim back up from the horror that has him in its grip. The last third of the novel moves much faster with each of these three and Perry faced with the decisions that will drive the direction of their futures. The writing is very visual, making it easy to imagine both the alluring glitter of the theater world and the Bright Young Things, and the simple pleasures as well as the drudgeries of the working class. The stories of each of the characters, even those who appear to have it all, are poignant and layered and their sorrows are forever imprinted on them. This is a well-researched and tender historical novel that looks at the soul deep damage caused by war, personal cost, the pull of dreams, and what it takes to achieve them, especially amidst a world remade in the wake of a terrible war.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My book club read Hazel Gaynor's two previous historical fiction books, The Girl Who Came Home and The Memory of Violets, both about strong women who dealt with difficulty and we liked both of them very much.Gaynor's new novel is The Girl From The Savoy, set in London just after WWI. Dolly Lane has left her small hometown, and service in a wealthy family's home with her friend Clover, to take a job as a chambermaid in the vaulted Savoy Hotel.Dolly is running from her past and Teddy, the man she has loved since they were children, who was tragically injured in the war and no longer remembers who Dolly is. There is another secret that Dolly is running from, one that is hinted at and then slowly revealed as the story unfolds.On her way to first day at the Savoy, Dolly knocks into a man, Perry, and the papers he is carrying are scattered. Dolly helps him pick them up and they have an interesting conversation. When she sees him throw the sheets of music he has written in the trash, she takes them with her.Dolly dreams of stardom on the stage as a dancer and actress, and she and Clover attend the theater often, sitting in the cheap gallery seats with hundreds of other girls who have the same dreams. When Dolly sees an ad for a songwriter's "muse", she answers it and finds that it is Perry.She becomes his muse and meets his sister, the famous stage actress Loretta May. Loretta takes Dolly under her wing, but she is hiding a terrible secret as well, one that will change everything.Sometimes historical fiction has a contemporary feel to it, which can take the reader out of the story but The Girl From the Savoy felt like a book actually written in the 1920's. It would not have surprised me if someone had told this book was written almost one hundred years ago. The language, the descriptions, it all felt very much of that time. Kudos to Gaynor for achieving that.I loved being immersed in the world of the glamorous, world-famous Savoy Hotel, and seeing what that world looks like from the viewpoint of the working class people who keep it running. Gaynor must have done a great deal of research to get this just right.The fact that so many young ladies at the time yearned to be actresses and dancers surprised me, for some reason that never crossed my mind that it was the aspiration of so many people, as it is today. I guess it is a timeless dream.Dolly is a terrific character, a young woman who has not only the desire to build a life she wants, but she has the gumption to make it happen for herself. She overcomes tragedy through sheer dint of will.There is one plot point that a careful reader will be able see coming and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It seemed a bit too convenient and contrived for me.Overall I liked The Girl From The Savoy, but it wasn't my favorite of Gaynor's books- that award goes to The Memory of Violets.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read The Girl Who Came Home and really thoroughly enjoyed it, however this book I could not stop reading from this author. I kept seeing this one make its way around the web a lot of times and each time I wanted to read it that much more. I finally got the chance to read this book. It far exceeded me expectations. I was instantly transported into the 1920's, the Savoy Hotel, and the grueling world of Broadway productions. Until some books where one or two main character's voices are strong, in this book I loved all of the voices from Dolly, Loretta, Teddy, and Perry. Each one had a story to tell that was lovely. Although I was very drawn to Loretta, then Dolly, Teddy and Perry equally. The Girl from the Savoy is a must read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Hazel Gaynor’s newest novel is set just prior to and after the Great War. When the prologue opens, its March 1916 in Lancashire, England and Teddy Cooper is saying goodbye to Dorothy (Dolly) Lane. He’s ready to go, boasting, “They won’t know what’s hit them when we arrive. Look at us. Tough as old boots!” But, her heart is breaking as she’s afraid she’ll never see him again. When the story begins, we fast forward to 1923 in London. It’s mentioned that she’d been walking with Teddy. So everything feels right! Right? Not so fast. We find out that Teddy had been in Maghull Military Hospital in Lancashire. The problem? He’s suffering shell shock. His nurse reads him Dorothy’s letters, but he doesn’t remember those times; he doesn’t remember Dorothy.In 1923, Dorothy is running late to interview for a job as a chambermaid at The Savoy, London’s grandest hotel. She runs, literally, into Perry Clements. The initial meeting, however clumsy, was also a comfortable and rather playful moment. She has no idea that when she answers an ad seeking a ‘muse’ that it would be for Perry. He is a songwriter. His sister, the rather famous actress, Loretta May, is living the life that Dorothy would like to emulate.There are three narrators in The Girl from the Savoy – Dolly, Loretta, and Teddy. Each offers their own perspective into their lives at the time as well as bits of their past. It was interesting that Loretta knew the struggles Dolly was going through by her own earlier struggles. The premise and the historical value of this novel were excellent. I’ve read two of Gaynor’s prior novels, and what she does faultlessly is the research necessary to bring the reader right into the era. However, I felt the pacing was a bit lagging and the character depth was weak. Rating: 3 out of 5.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Hazel Gaynor has yet to write a book that I haven't enjoyed and this book is no exception. This book takes place in London after WWI and follows three characters (Dolly, Loretta, and Teddy). Dolly, the main character of the book is a new maid at the Savoy Hotel. She dreams of one day becoming a star, like Loretta. Teddy is the man she had been in love with since she was a child until the war ends up breaking them apart.I ended up liking all of the characters and didn't like reading one person's point of view more than the others. Both Dolly and Loretta have some secrets and tragedies from their past that affect how they currently are. Teddy was extremely affected by the war and I loved getting to read about what happened between him and Dolly.This book did seem to be a bit long as Dolly doesn't start working with Loretta and her brother until halfway through the book. I personally would have cut out some of the parts with Mr. Snyder. I really did enjoy some of the twists that happened and really enjoyed reading about what happened in Dolly and Loretta's pasts. There was a bit of a build-up to the reveal of what had happened and I thought it was going to be something worse than it was.I once again look forward to reading more from Hazel Gaynor. I have received this book from a Librarything Early Reviewers giveaway and my review is not affected by that.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Hazel Gaynor’s newest novel, The Girl from the Savory, is an exceptional work of historical literary fiction. Set during the Big War, Gaynor’s latest novel is told by three narrator’s; Dolly Lane a maid whose life is changed by the war, Teddy Cooper who must bid farewell to his girlfriend, Dolly as he heads off to war, and finally Loretta May, an actress who appears to have the life Dolly is dreaming about. While Teddy is off fighting in the Great War, Dolly suddenly finds herself caught up in-between classes, and has numerous difficult choices a head of her. Each narrator is reliable, relatable, and gives the reader three vary different perspectives of this time period. Gaynor’s writing is fluid, atmospheric, and easily keeps the reader engaged. I would strongly recommend The Girl from the Savoy to anyone who enjoys well-written novels, historical fiction, and to book discussion groups.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was hooked on this story from the very first page. In fact I started reading and only took short breaks til I finished the book. Yes it is that good. The main characters are all exciting people with secrets that hold them back or push them forward. You have the men returning from the Great War and then those that didn't come home. You have the chambermaid, Dolly, who is the center of the story and how her life touches and affects the other characters. The story takes place in England. Life at the Savoy Hotel "upstairs and downstairs". All exciting, sometimes sad, each chapter telling from the main characters point of view. Just a great story that I really loved.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book has all the right ingredients for a good story -- historical setting, well drawn characters, familiar plot -- but never really comes together as it should. The story is predictable, and has been told before. Recommended only for fans of WWI fiction and/or the history of British theater.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    London 1923. Dolly Lane dreams of acting on the stage. Loretta May is worried her performing days are over. The lives of these two women coalesce in this study of women surviving in a male-dominated world. Narrated in three points of view, Dolly, Loretta, and Teddy (Dolly’s lost love) the novel reflects on the Great War, 1920s culture, and the glamour/drudgery of being a performer. I felt the letters added a great deal to the book. Strong female characters. Nicely done, Ms. Gaynor. Thank you to LibraryThing for my advance reader’s copy.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Hazel Taylor is a master of Historical Fiction but this novel.was too predictable. The storey is a combination of My Fair Lady and Cinderella. The only element of the book which is not predictable is the ending.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found this novel a little frustrating. It caught my interest enough to want to finish it but it took an awfully long time to get going for a light historical romance. As other reviewers mentioned, the writing is at times trite and cliched. Still, the characters are lovable and I genuinely cared what happened to them. Gaynor also does a good job of placing you in 1920s London (a fun place to be!). I can't say I will seek out Gaynor's writing in the future but I don't regret reading this one.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a very complex book covering a number of difficult topics including war, rape, stolen children (or forced adoption if you want a more friendly terminology) and more. It isn't all dark as there is room for hope and redemption as well as love. The book is hard to put down and a very satisfying read. The characters are well developed and they grow as the book moves on. I would very much look forward to another book by this author
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is one of those gems that is unexpectedly wonderful and purely captivating. The characters of Dolly Lane and Loretta May have such rich stories that really come to life with their grand personalities. There is more than just a rags to riches type of a story here, the author explores the gaiety of the 20's with the after affects of WWI and the hearts and dreams of many young women and men. A fantastic read that I truly enjoyed. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.