A true Melanie Benjamin book - this one follows he intertwined lives of Frances Marion and Mary Pickford from the birth of the movie industry through the late sixties. Told with a feminist slant, we are privy to the challenges and successes of two determined, intelligent, women rising to the top of their fields while dealing with fanny pinching, disdain, and outright hostility.

As always, Benjamin imagines the dialog, internal landscape, and behind closed doors events of the story beyond what is documented in historical sources. I’m always a little uncomfortable with this as we of course don’t really know what was going through their minds (as Benjamin readily admits) but it makes for a very compelling story.

For history buffs, the readily documented portions of the story are fascinating all on their own - Mary Pickford started the first artist run studio along with Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and DW Griffith known as United Artists. Frances Marion was the highest paid scenarist (the name for script writers before the talkies) in Hollywood. There are lots of tidbits about what Southern California was like before the movie business really took off, and how it evolved into what we know today. Part biography, part history, part drama, this is another fascinating and highly accessible look into an intriguing piece of history.

Very interesting read. Beautifully written with lots of historical name dropping. An enjoyable read!

Usually this historical fiction is not my cup of tea, but as I delved further found myself wondering what was going to go on next. Loving old movies, the references to early stars and moguls of the film industry was intriguing and left me hoping for more nuggets. The author has obviously done her research!

EXCELLENT! I'm a fan of Ms. Benjamin and "The Girls in the Picture" was everything I hoped. It piqued my interest in both Frances Marion and Mary Pickford enough to want to read many of the books she mentions at the end in her author's note. A fascinating time and this novel brings it to life against a perfect backdrop.

Thanks to NetGalley for presenting me with an advance copy of The Girls in the Picture. I did not know a lot about the silent movie era and learned a bit about that through this title. At times, parts seemed to move a little slowly, but in general, I felt it provided a fair portrayal of Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and the scenarist, Frances Marion.

5 plus stars

What a remarkable and wonderful novel!

We meet Frances Marion and Mary Pickford in 1915 or so when Mary is making her debut into “flickers” and Frances is an aspiring writer. After meeting one another, they become fast friends. They tell each other everything. They share the good time and the bad with their acting careers, although Frances’ is only occasional acting and more of a starring writer career. They are independent women and proud to be. Mary calls Frances a suffragette. They swear that no man will ever come between them.

Mary is married to an abusive alcoholic who is a minor actor, but is also very jealous of Mary’s stardom. Frances is a twice-divorced single woman. They remain best friends until the inevitable happens – Mary meets a man and falls in love for the first time in her life. Douglas Fairbanks is also an actor who is charming and very athletic and sweeps Mary off her feet. Frances is taken aback at what she feels is Mary’s treachery.

Mary goes on to become the highest paid actress and Frances is the highest paid screenwriter. But it is not easy being independent and strong women in the early 20th Century. They are put down, ridiculed and plainly ignored. They, however, rise above it all and become famous world-wide in their own right.

While Mary, Douglas and Charlie Chaplin go on a bond tour, Frances goes literally to war. She enlists and goes to France to film the women behind the scenes; the nurses, the typists, the support staff. It creates somewhat of a gulf between the two women. Mary sees herself as going to a Pretend” war while Frances went to the real thing.

This book tells of the friendship and trials of two remarkable women. They were far ahead of their time in both their behavior and achievements. We learn of their triumphs and disappointments. We learn of the almost mythical stature achieved by stars that are only all too human.

This book is extremely well written and plotted. It is easy to read and follow. I knew who Mary Pickford was but I never had heard of Frances Marion until now. The book was both educational and entertaining. I enjoyed it immensely. This is my first Melanie Benjamin book, but I can guarantee it won’t be my last. I immediately went to Amazon and looked up Melanie Benjamin’s other novels.

I want to send a huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Delacorte Press for forwarding to me a copy of this most remarkable book to read and enjoy.

"Very heartfelt and realistic. I could connect on a personal level and it even made me tear up at the end. A must read!"

It was scandalous when Frances Marion left her second husband in 1914 to pursue a career in what would become Hollywood. Movies, or “flickers” are taking over Los Angeles, and Marion wants in on the action. Here she meets actress Mary Pickford, already a popular screen star, and the two like-minded women become fast friends> Frances’s career will not be in front of the camera, but behind it, as she writes the scripts and stories that Pickford and other actors bring to life. Filled with appearances by Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino and others, this is a fascinating look at the beginnings of the movie industry, and the vital role that women played, but were not recognized for.