This story is a fascinating peek inside the party life of a few of the 60's rich and famous and a young girl wannabe. Jane Green does an amazing job portraying the desperate desire to want to be a part of something, and the reality that doesn't live up to what Claire thought it would be. The realization that all people are flawed and the grass isn't always greener was a poignant moment to me. I was inspired to fall down the rabbit hole that is Google to learn more about those that the story was based on and it truly was a unique era in time.

Claire was devastated when her mother died. Her father had checked out and left the parenting to her new stepmother, Linda. Claire did the only thing that she could think of to do. She packed her suitcase, left their little village, and moved to London to become rich and famous. It was the 1960s and the height of the music scene in England. Claire's only dream was to be rich and famous. And by pure luck, she falls in with a crowd of rich and famous people. Including Talitha and Paul Getty. They embrace Claire, or CeCe, as they call her, and sweep her up into their extravagant lifestyle. Jetting her off to Marrakesh, CeCe becomes part of the crowd that parties hard, eats abundantly, and celebrates all love. As the days and nights pass in a blur, CeCe realizes that being rich and famous does not mean that life is perfect. And the excess food, booze, and drugs can lead to some serious problems. Will CeCe get swept up and lose herself in the extravagant lifestyle or will it lead her to the love she has been seeking ever since her mother died?

As a devoted Jane Green reader, I really struggled to get into Sister Stardust. I was nearly done reading the book when I realized that Talitha and Paul Getty were real people and Sister Stardust was a reimagining of their life during a trip to Morocco. I have never felt an affinity for the sixties or the Moroccan culture and that may have been why it took so long for me to get into the story. However, by the end, I was googling and found out just how iconic Talitha and Paul were back then. If you google before the end of the book, then you know how Talitha's story ends. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS


Bottom Line - Sister Stardust is a departure from the normal Women's Fiction that Jane Green writes. Her foray into Historical Fiction was not my cup of tea, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading to the very end. Let me know what you thought of Sister Stardust.


Details:

Sister Stardust by Jane Green
On Instagram
Pages: 304
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: 4/5/2022
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley!

Sister Stardust was the first Jane Green book that didn't sit well with me. I felt as if the story had so much potential to come alive but instead it was a lot of telling, rather than showing.
There were some moments I enjoyed but ended up not even finishing due to lack of interest.
I feel so bad bc I usually really enjoy her books.

I like novels based on true life characters and events. SISTER STARDUST is set on the 1960s. It fictionalizes the life of Talitha Getty the wife of Paul Getty the heir to the Getty oil fortune.
Claire a young girl from a small English city heads off to London to find a job. On the way to a party Claire and her friends meet John McKenna and his friends. At loose ends John and his friends tag along. John proves to lead an interesting life as a promoter and has lots of connections in the music world.
Determined to make her brother’s birthday special Claire heads back to Newcastle and discovers her stepmother has organized the whole event. It is destined to be a big bore until John steps in to save the day. He brings some famous musicians to liven up the party.
As the evening ramps up and starts to get out of control the group makes their escape and takes Claire with them. They all set off to Marrakesh to the home of Talitha and Paul Getty. Here Claire feels an instant bond with Talitha and they become fast friends.
After living a sheltered life Claire quickly learns the rich and famous live life differently.
She is overwhelmed and awed by their decadent lifestyle.
I really liked SISTER STARDUST. I found the characters and the storyline engaging. The story is well told. I like when a book leads me to do a bit of research.
The story reminded me of DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
I would like to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced digital edition of this book.

This book had me feel like I was living in that time I had heard so much about. Famous rock musicians and designers all coming together in love. Hypnotics and tripping, from Quaaludes and LSD, played a mega affect on those times we hear so much about. I loved the authenticity of this book and the amazing feeling of acceptance from these mega famous and wealthy to open their homes and worlds to an unknown.
With such a pivotal movement in history and the wonderful way the author brings this to life, this is one book I wouldn’t miss out on.

I loved this one! I didn’t expect this type of novel from Green. I read this book in one sitting. The historical details and details about Morocco had me planning my next trip! Cece is so lovable, and i found myself routing for her. I felt like i was at their dinners in Morocco.

Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for providing my review copy.

This was my first Jane Green novel and I loved the way they were able to pull you into the 60s.

Jane Green has been my go-to author for more years than I can count! She has seen me through the highs and lows…Jane’s books were there to comfort me…❤️ I can just get wrapped up and lost in them. I must say.. she knocked it clear out of the park with this one! 😍 5 shiny stars ⭐️


With Sister Stardust I was swept away to a glamorous life in a palace in Morocco. Drug fueled nights and days… partying and living with some of the most famous people of the 1960’s. 🥂

My favorite part of this book is that we get to see this all from the POV of Ceecee. Just a sweet young girl that finds herself swept up in Talitha Getty’s world. Married to an oil heir.. Talitha has a magnetic energy…she was gorgeous.. talented..alluring..and she could throw one heck of a party.. 🥃🍸🥂🍾Even the Rolling Stones were known to frequent the palace. 🤭

I absolutely loved how Claire started out and ended this story for her daughter! As Claire took a stroll down memory lane we got a look into the life of the 1960’s… as this is based on a true person… you must check out @sisterstardustt Instagram page! The photos Jane has collected of Talitha Getty are amazing…I stalk it on a regular basis. 🤫🤫🤫

Thank you so much Jane for letting us all into Talitha’s life. It was fun, intriguing and terrifying at times as Talitha pushed the drugs,sex and rock n roll to the limits.. and beyond.❤️

What is there not to love about Jane Green and her books? This one was so different from what you expect from her but that made it even more enjoyable. I loved being transported back to the 70s and reading through the dynamics of this book. Cannot wait to read what Jane writes next!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read and review this one!

“I felt a stab of pain, together with sweetness, the recognition that I was looking at someone with a hole in her heart the exact size and shape of
mine.” -Cece

It’s the late sixties and Claire is dying to break free from her small town English shackles. After a fight with her stepmother she’s forced to leave home. So to London she goes, a little bit of luggage and even less money. In a whirlwind she gets a retail job and then a better one and is dying to hobknob with the rock elite. The Beetles, The Stones, sex, drugs, all become her life in no time. When she boards a plane to Marrakesh on the whims of her companions, her life as she knows it will change forever. She meets Talitha Getty, wife of Paul Getty of the oil heir Getty’s.
Talitha is all at once strong, alluring and vulnerable. Claire (who now goes by Cece) and Talitha become fast friends, bound by the mutual loss of their mother at a young age.
But is this fast paced and languid life of leisure and drugs for a girl who admits to being but a country mouse?

Ok I loved every bit of sixties era trivia thrown in. I was googling every second because I had to know every reference. The story was fantastic, I felt like I could see the streets and mountains of Marrakesh vividly. Bonus- the book comes with a few recipes!

I'm not sure how I ended up with this historical fiction book about Talitha Getty on my to-read list but I'm glad that I read it. I had no idea who Talitha Getty (wife of Paul Getty) was before I started reading it nor did I know her connection to the 60's rock-and-roll scene. It was a great way to learn about some 1960's history. Lots and lots of drug use but the main character of the book, Claire, grounded this book that could have easily been over-the-top (because Getty's life was over-the-top.)

Jane Green is one of my favorite authors and I loved Sister Stardust! I thought it was so interesting that the story of Talitha is inspired by a true story. Green painted a fabulous picture of how life was in the 60s. The characters were all great and while there were many supporting characters, they all contributed to the full picture and made the story. This was a very unique historical fiction novel and I’m already highly anticipating whatever Green writes next. This one just came out earlier this month so be sure to grab a copy!

This book was phenomenal!!! Jane Green captured the 1960s like no other fictional book I've read! She was spot-on with all of her facts about what was going on during then with drugs, sex and rock 'n roll - her research was extensive and accurate. I'm a big fan of the Rolling Stones and Beatles and all of her facts were correct. It's interesting how she made the death of Dave Boland (fictional character) almost identical to the facts (as we know them) of Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones. Kudos Jane for a great book and your research into Talitha Getty. Any fan of the 60s will love this book!

✌️Book Review✌️
𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵 by Jane Green
Release Date: April 5, 2022
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Have you or someone that is close to you lived in the 50’s and 60’s era and have shared what that time period was like for them? Do you or have you felt you have done through a decade of that amount of freeing change in your lifetime?
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My parents/grandparents lived through those times and I’ve always been fascinated by the stories they have shared with me during their time in the 60’s.
——
⠀
In 𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵, Jane Green, brings to life in epic proportions a story from the late 60’s when a small town girl, Claire, gets her chance to find that freeing lifestyle in Morroco.
⠀
Marrakesh is where Claire meets the gorgeous socialite Talitha Getty, who to this day her BoHo fashion style is still holding strong. Claire is introduced to a world that one can only dream of as her and Talitha instantly become friends.
⠀
This book had me feel like I was living in that time I had heard so much about. Famous rock musicians and designers all coming together in love. Hypnotics and tripping, from Quaaludes and LSD, played a mega affect on those times we hear so much about. I loved the authenticity of this book and the amazing feeling of acceptance from these mega famous and wealthy to open their homes and worlds to an unknown.
With such a pivotal movement in history and the wonderful way the author brings this to life, this is one book I wouldn’t miss out on. ✌️♥️
⠀
Thank you @hanoversquarepress @janegreenauthor @harpercollins @netgalley for the gifted book.

I am usually a huge Jane Green fan but this new style for her of historical fiction fell a bit flat for me. It’s hard for me to believe that historical fiction is based on years I was alive, but the story is set in the sixties, full of the drugs, sex, and rock ‘n roll that existed. Although loosely based on Talitha Getty’s life, the main character is Claire, a young woman who wants to escape her dull life in Dorset and experience more. After moving to London, Claire falls in with this drugged out, artsy crowd and to me, that’s when I was disappointed. There was so much more to the sixties than the overdoses and gratuitous sex. I appreciate the effort but would not recommend as I do all of Jane Green’s previous books.

𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨!

Just wow, this story took me by surprise and took my breath away.
Jane Green took me to the 60’s in a magical journey through London and Morocco into a glimpse of the world of Talitha Getty. A wild and addictive ride, loved it.

Thank you Hanover Square Press for this gifted copy and this fantastic book package.

Sister Stardust by Jane Green released April 5, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

I have long been enamored with the 1960s- from the counter culture, to the music, to the fashion, to the hedonistic lifestyles. Jane Green’s new historical fiction novel, Sister Stardust transports us to that time and through one of history’s forgotten characters.

Talitha Getty appeared to live a charmed life, a fashion model, married to the oil heir Paul Getty she moved to Marrakech, Morocco where she held court over a community of expats. The counter culture had arrived in this remote corner of the world, complete with psychedelic drugs, free love and rock and roll, Talitha presided over it all as the grande doyenne.

Claire, a young girl from London falls under Talitha’s spell and has followed her to Marrakech where they become the yin to the other’s yang. As they are living a charmed life in this exotic location a darkness in Talitha begins to bubble to the surface with possibly catastrophic resultsfor everyone, but especially for Claire.

Green does a marvelous job of taking the reader on a time travel adventure to the swinging sixties full of hippies, sex and drugs and rock stars. She let’s us view it through the eyes of a young girl looking in. I loved learning about Talitha, a little remembered figure from that time. Green is successful in bringing the story of this troubled socialite to life and making her the catalyst for events that unfold.

This novel reads primarily as a coming of age story, albeit one set in an exotic place and during a wild and hedonistic time. We watch Claire grow from a naive girl from London to a fixture in the Marrakech counterculture worshiping at the ground of Talitha.

This book truly captivated me. I was transported to another place and time. She also gives us a character to root for in Claire and introduces us to the fascinating and troubled real life character of Talitha Getty. It’s been a while since a novel so completely enraptured me and I have to say I loved every second of it. This book was a big hit for me. What was a book that transported you to another time period you loved?
Thank you to @netgalley and @hanoversquarepress for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this book for a candid review.

I have not read any of Jane Green's other books this is my first.

This book follows the life of Claire who is kicked out of her house by her step-mother. She decides to go to London to meet famous people and meet glamourous people. After working in a department store she falls into a famous party and then into the 'in' crowd.
Once she is accepted by the groups she is taken to Morocco where she crosses paths with Talitha Getty and is pulled into their world of sex drugs and rock and roll.

This book is engaging and interesting I didn't know anything about Talitha Getty but it did get me interested in her as a person.

I would recommend this book to fans of the sixties and the glamourous life.

As a fan of Historical Fiction, I was thrilled Jane Green decided to tell the story of Talitha Getty through an imagined friendship. This book is magical! I felt like I was transported to 1960’s Morocco and caught up in the Getty entourage. The author creates such a vivid experience. I found this to be an honest and satisfying examination of the excessive lifestyle of the times. Also, don’t miss the Sister Stardust playlist on Spotify!

Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid won’t want to miss this one!!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

After reading “Sister Stardust” by Jane Green, I feel that I have been transported back in time to a musical era that I lived and loved. I still play many of the various artist’s songs from that era. I appreciate that Jane Green has written a novel that is based on the true story of the life of Talitha Getty. I was so intrigued and fascinated that I did look up Talitha Getty and her husband and did see pictures that were vividly described by the author in her story. The genres for this novel are Biographical Fiction, Biographical Historical Fiction, and Historical British Literature. This also is a Coming of Age novel.

Talitha was married to Paul Getty, and they lived mostly in Marrakesh in an extraordinary and exquisite palace with many gardens that were an entertainment haven for many of the musicians of the era. This was the era of “free love”, experimentation with life, music, and art. A variety of drugs were available, and there were frequent parties with entertainment. The unique clothing and accessories were artistic statements as well.

Claire, a young woman has had one too many arguments with her stepmom and leaves their home. She wants to be a salesgirl in London and happens to meet someone that has contact with the various bands. Before she knows it, she is on her way to meet Talitha Getty with a variety of famous characters. What appears on the surface to be an incredible adventure for Claire, has dangerous consequences. I would highly recommend this memorable novel to other readers!
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