Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

The Dragon Lady was an excellent read! A blend of fact and fiction, it was a wonderful and complex character study of Virginia (Ginie) Courtauld, as seen through the eyes of a young girl named Catherine, Ginie and her husband.

There is an element of mystery to it since at the outset Ginie has been shot in her garden while Catherine and her father were visiting. The who and why are unveiled in a slow reveal, which made this whole read quite captivating. There is also the mystery of the tattoo running up Ginie’s leg, and it’s one that’s never truthfully answered as to why and when it got there, which did leave a twinge of disappointment. Perhaps this only added to the air of mystery that surrounded Ginie her entire life.

Full review continues in link on the Literary Hoarders site below:

Wow! What a fabulous book! It's based on true events, but the author has made a great story! Takes place in South Africa which makes it wild and mysterious for anyone who has never visited. This book truly takes the reader on a trip to South Africa! Writing is amazing, story is incredible and the author paints a beautiful picture of this beautiful land! Something for everyone in this book! Enjoyed it so much! Impossible to put down, so I read it in one night. Don't miss it! One of the best books I've read this year!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own!

Absoluting fascinating historical fiction that plays off real lives. Moving from the 1920s to the 1950s, it's the story, primarily of Ginie Courtauld, a woman who loved and was loved by Stephen Courtauld, whose brother Sam was one of the founders of the Courtauld Institute. She may have had a lot of money but Ginie was always an outsider, no matter what she did or where she lived. Part of that was due to the prejudices of the time (she was a divorcee) and part of that was by her own design. This novel is primarily set in Rhodesia, where the Courthaulds settled and lived if not large then certainly on their own terms. Unfortunately, their progressive views did not endear them to others in the British community, which, of course, leads to the critical event where she is shot in the garden. Do not discount, however, the fascinating sections in the UK- there are all sorts of tidbits about class and attitudes. Or the fact that they had a lemur named Jongy who they treated as the child they did not have. While this tale moves back and forth a bit in time, it is framed by Katherine's story in 1990. Frankly, she was a lot less interesting than Ginie and Stephen. Thank to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction- a great read.

This nonlinear historical fiction novel tells the fascinating story of Lady Virginia “Ginie” Courtland; an extraordinary woman whose life took her from Italy, art deco inspired Eltham Palace in the 1930's to 1950's Rhodesia. Ginie’s colorful, boundary-breaking life is told with lyrical prose and an evocative sense of time and place.

Ginie and her second husband Sir Stephan move to Africa after finding that Ginie’s divorcee status will not allow her to be accepted into the titled society of 1920’s Great Britain. In Rhodesia, the couple turn to philanthropic endeavors while also trying to bring equality between the African and white populations. The two built a theater which they insisted be desegregated and also contributed to the building of the Rhodes National Gallery (now the National Gallery of Zimbabwe), to which they contributed many great works of art.

This was a fascinating story of a woman I was unfamiliar with. Her life and her achievements were enthralling and I found myself looking for more information about her. She was a woman ahead of her time, even down to the tattoo she had on her leg (thus the title). Refusing to adhere to the societal constraints of her time, Ginie followed her beliefs and her conscience often making enemies of those in her own class. I highly recommend this novel to fans of historical or biographic fiction as well as to fans of women’s fiction. This will be a great addition to your monthly book club lists.

Thank you to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Louisa Treger’s The Dragon Lady is about the Ginie Courtald’s life as the “lady with the dragon tattoo.” Set in Rhodesia, current day Zimbabwe, in the early 20th century, Ginie and her husband Stephen find themselves to be find themselves to be relative social outcasts as they each think and behave differently than society deems acceptable. Ginie has a dragon tattooed the length of her body and creates varying stories about her tattoo, and she is also a divorcee with an annulled marriage that further adds to the speculation about her private life. Stephen is an advocate for the arts and advocates for improved treatment of the native population.

Even though as mentioned in the afterword that not many details about the Courtald’s life are known, Treger’s dedication to research and evoking the atmosphere of the era brought this novel and its characters to life. She touches on the claustrophobic racial tensions, the glitz and glamour of high society, and the struggles between wanting to be one’s own self and wanting to fit in with everyone else. Ginie is bright, vivacious, and carries a wonderful depth; and the rest of the characters add such dimension and life to the story.

When I started reading this, I was in the mood for some historical fiction that flowed and The Dragon Lady delivered. I fell into the story and got lost in it, and I came out of it wanting to know more about Rhodesia/Zimbabwe history.

Lady Virginia Courtauld and her husband Stephen live on an estate called La Rochelle in Rhodesia in Africa (now part of Zimbabwe). They are local philanthropists, building a theatre and an art museum, as well as funding other local projects. They believe that the Africans deserve to be treated the same as the whites and that they are capable of governing themselves. They give their workers better food and higher wages than the other whites living in the area, start a school, and create a workshop where the local women can make and sell their traditional handcrafts. Their views are controversial and cause conflicts with their white neighbors. In the opening sequence of the novel, their neighbor Mark Richardson is visiting Ginie with his daughter Cathy, and while they are standing on the porch talking, someone shoots Ginie.

The title of the book comes from a snake tattoo that Virginia Courtauld had on her leg from ankle to thigh, done while she was a teenager. No firm reason is given as the reason for or the meaning of the tattoo, but Virginia appears to have been a girl who liked to shock others. She was divorced at a time when divorce was strictly taboo and made one an outcast from upper class society - although she yearned to be accepted by the upper crust, she was also a non-conformist who thought and acted as she pleased.

The frame of the novel follows the known biographical details of the Courtaulds’ lives, fleshed out with fiction. Stephen Courtauld did indeed meet with Robert Mugabe at La Rochelle, and there was a little girl buried on the property whose ghost has been seen frequently. Eltham Palace in Greenwich, the Courtaulds’ London home, was considered by many at the time to look more like Hollywood than London, but today is considered to be a masterpiece of the Art Deco style (and is on my list of places to visit on my next trip to London – I’ve been to Greenwich, and I probably saw the outside of the palace, but didn’t know its history at the time). But many other details (like how the Jongy the lemur died and Virginia getting shot) are the author’s invention, which doesn’t damage the story. This was an enjoyable read about a time and place not well known to many readers, and two actual people who lived fascinating lives.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

This is a fictional account of Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia 'Ginie' Courtauld and their philanthropic life in Rhodesia.

Good story, interesting and nicely written.

4☆

The cover and title of this novel doesn't do it justice. This is fabulous historical novel that fictionalizes the lives of two British ex-patriots in Rhodesia in the 1950's. The characters are so well developed and alive that the novel sings. I'm looking forward to meeting the author at this year's Decatur Book Festival on Labor Day weekend.

A very special thank you to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. #TheDragonLady #NetGalley

The Dragon Lady is a fictionalized biography that explores the life of Lady Virginia (Ginie) Courtauld and her second husband, Sir Stephen Courtauld with emphasis on their time in Rhodesia in the 1950’s. It also gives the first person view of Catherine, who in the first chapter of the book reflects back to the time when she witnessed Ginie, a/k/aThe Dragon Lady, being shot while speaking to Catherine’s father, Mark, a naturalist and forestry consultant in Rhodesia.

Ginie Courtauld is a difficult personality. Her mother, Rosa, openly disliked her for being spirited and excessive. Her father, Riccardo was more loving. Her mother was thrilled when Gini was to be married to Paulo Spinola, who came from an aristocratic Italian family in Genoa. As a young woman, Gini lied to and omitted giving important facts about herself to both of her husbands prior to marriage. These lies caused the failure of her marriage to Paulo. She waited until years after being married to Stephen to finally be truthful. By then, Stephen was so full devoted to her, it did not matter.
Gini longed for social status, and spent a great deal of effort in trying to achieve her place in the elite class. As a divorcee, she was never fully accepted in England. She took each social rejection to heart. “The anguish of loss never left Ginie. Pain had settled in and fused with her DNA.” Ginie was outspoken and brash. She loved being mysterious and told many a different story about the origins of her snake tattoo, which eventually led to her being called The Dragon Lady. She had such great hopes for achieving a new social prominence in Rhodesia, but again was met with scorn for her belief that the Africans were being treated unfairly by the white majority, who were racists and elitists. While she worked hard to better the lives of those in her community, it felt like it was always being done with an expectation that others should be extremely grateful and glorify her. She felt miserable all the time because she didn’t get the respect she demanded.

Stephen Courtauld was the more likeable one of the Courtaulds. He came from an extremely wealthy London family, but did not work because he suffered from PTSD after World War I. He was a lover of art, fine architecture, botany, music and theater. Stephen’s actions, especially in Rhodesia, seemed truly philanthropic. Despite threatening letters ; physical harm to his personal property, and endless social shunning, Stephen continued doing what he believed right. He was awarded his knighthood for his work and leadership in the establishment of the Rhodes National Gallery, for an outstanding contribution to the civic life of the community and for wide-ranging philanthropy. Instead of seeking social status, Stephen desired social conscience.

The character of Catherine is used to show the consequences that Gini’s actions had on those who surround her. The results at time were terrible, and Gini was always mindless of how she set things into motion.

It is obvious that the author, Louisa Treger, meticulously researched the Courtaulds. She was able to bring to light the social norms of European elite in the 1910’s - 1940’s. The readers get to experience the grandeur of the Courtauld's homes. She transports the readers through Italy, England, Scotland and then fully immerses us in 1950’s Rhodesia. My one small complaint is that the chapter headings are given in broad decade terms, such as “Ginie, London, 1920s or Stephen, Rhodesia, 1950’s”. I would have prefered the heading to give more specific years. For example “Stephen, Rhodesia, 1958”, which was the year he was knighted. That would have made it seem more biographical and less fictionalized to me.

I recommend this book to any one who loves historical fiction, especially the sub-category of fictionalized biography.

Readers will enjoy this stimulating novel based on a real life couple, the fabulously wealthy and mysterious Courtaulds, who defied the well entrenched social norms of British colonialism in South Africa Rhodesia during the 1950s and 1960s. The author has developed a sensitive background and story on what motivated this couple, particularly Virginia, to step out and confront the standard and rampant prejudice of those times. Recommended for public library collections and book clubs.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Bloomsbury Caravel for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’m torn between giving the book 4 stars vs 5 stars other reviewers gave. It’s a great story, told exceptionally well, with very vivid characters and poignant writing. Why 4 for me, well let’s just say it’s Jongy – her pet lemur. But it would be a disservice to give it less than 5, as this story deserves much more.
The Dragon Lady is based on a real character, Lady Virginia Courtauld and her life in 1950s Rhodesia. “Ginie”, is a woman with a beautiful soul, who never fit into society’s norms. Not during her first marriage and not during her second. Because she is a divorcee, with liberal views, she was spurned by high society, regardless of her husband’s wealth and title. She is called the Dragon lady, because of the snake tattoo on her leg, the story of which we never truly find out.
The story is beautifully written in 1950s Rhodesia, where Ginne and her husband Stephen set up their estate, La Rochelle. They strive to improve living and social conditions for the local people, setting up schools for trade and farming, and working to improve conditions in an African nation that was segregated and a commonwealth of the British empire. The story opens up with Ginny being shot and discovering who shot her comes as the end of the story. The story revolves around the climate in Rhodesia and it’s story more than with the actual shooting. That is the beauty and breadth of this story.
Ginny resonated on such a deep personal level with me. We learn of her life story, growing up in Italy, half Italian and have Romanian – to a wealthy merchant. Married to an Italian noble family before having the marriage annulled to marry Stephen – at a time when Kind Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry Wally Simpson. Ginny has her secret and so does Stephen. Her’s from a mistake of a love affair when she was very young and his from WW1. Together they learn to love and support each other and fight for what they believe. Ginny is artistic, generous, well-meaning, good-hearted and loves her pets. Yet she is envied by women in her social circle.
The story deals with love, with jealousy, and with social, economic and political conditions in 1950s Africa and the Courtaud’s liberal views and involvement.
Ms. Treger wrote a wonderful and vivid story/ It’s historical fiction, but it’s a story bigger than its characters. It really is a story of country and its people. Both Black and White. It will be a story that will stay with me for years because of its depth.

This novel was superb, and deserves to be a major hit. The mixture of exoticism of a bygone era, mixed the racial tensions of Africa, and the beginnings of modern Zimbabwe, this novel is a winner. Her visual prose and nuanced characters leap from the page. I certainly hope this becomes a major movie, and a massive summer hit.

Very interesting partially historic tale about the racial tensions in Africa between the Whites and the locals. This story involves some white do-gooders vs the local whites who want to keep black people and their rights tamped down. The story involves Stephen and his wife "Giny" who want to see the local black community thrive despite all the racial tension. They are often not accepted in the local white community despite's their efforts. I received this copy from Net Galley for an honest opinion. I really enjoyed reading this part of history with its rich settings. It was an enjoyable read.

This is the story of Ginie from the 1920s up to the 1950s and the extraordinary life she lived, from Scotland to Italy to Rhodesia where she makes a home with her second husband, Stephen. The marriage is not an unhappy one, but both partners are haunted by their pasts, she by her first love and he by the horrors of World War I. Reading about Ginie’s tropical garden in Rhodesia, I felt like I was there and could hear the birds and smell the tropical vegetation. But this novel is not all hearts and flowers and Ginia will find herself in the sights of a gun before her story ends. This book is so beautifully written, so lyrical and evocative I felt like I was emerging from another world whenever I had to put it down