A lovely piece of historical fiction about a very charming and sympathetic set of protagonists. Adele and Violet's experiences and lives are intertwined together on the page as they were in life, brought to life with vivid descriptions and impressive research.

It was so interesting to read about the relationship between Fred and his sister, Adele. Not only did they take America by storm but England, too. Engrossing and a fun read. Adele truly came to life on the pages.

So I definitely really like the story here. Could have done with more Violet and the whole book being slightly shorter but it was good.

Eliza Knight brings the lively and enchanting Adele Astaire to life in this exciting, emotional historical fiction novel. Following Adele and Violet Wood, an aspiring dancer from London, Knight’s characters dance and leap off and around the pages. Following the highs and lows of show business and the twentieth century, Knight’s pages are populated with exciting historical figures in the background interacting with Adele, her brother Fred, Violet, and other characters. Knight’s settings also play a decent role in the story, between switching between Adele and Violet’s perspectives and locations and the emotions that the two women attach to the various locations they find themselves in. The characters and the dual perspectives make this book a vibrant, emotional, and immersive read with amazing characters, an exciting storyline, and lively settings. Knight’s prose, character creation, world-building, and descriptions are incredibly well done, and she has used her full powers of creation and writing to build this fascinating novel and its world. Starring Adele Astaire brings a fascinating, lively, vibrant historical woman and the worlds she lived in to life, and Knight has done so in a way that gives Adele the spotlight and the first and last word of the book.

It's evident that Eliza Knight conducted extensive research prior to writing this book and this effort truly paid off. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspects of the story, the seamless transitions between London and New York settings, and the appearances of other significant historical figures. However, what somewhat detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book were Violet's chapters.

I understand why her character was introduced to delve into stardom and Old Hollywood during this era, providing room for creativity. However, I felt that the majority of the focus should have been placed on Adele. Not only because the book is literally named after her but also because Adele's journey personally appealed to me more than Violet's did.

Biographical, Historical Fiction

This is the story of Adele Astaire, the sister of Fred Astaire. It is a fictional biography. The story is very well-researched. It takes us from the Roaring Twenties, through the Great Depression, and then, through World War II and beyond. We see Adele dancing on the stage with her brother, going through triumphs and tragedies, and befriending Violet, a dancer, who goes through her own successes and failures in life and the theater. If you like biographical fiction and the glitz and glamor of theater, you might enjoy this historical, biographical fiction. It is not normally the genre I read; however, this is one of my favorite authors, and I tend to read everything she writes.

I'm obviously not sure how accurate this account is, but I found Adele Astair to be very obnoxious. I couldn't stand the constant show-boating. I understand she was a performer, but it was over the top, very similar to the movies of the time period with the overacting and forced humor. I enjoyed reading about her life, and I liked Violet's character, but I was easily annoyed by Adele several times throughout.

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Upon finishing this very enjoyable book about a delightfully talented, strong, kind woman, my biggest question was , “Why didn’t I know about her before?”. Set during the 30s in New York and war torn London, Starring Adele Astaireby Eliza Knight,, tells the story of Fred Astaire’s big sister, her dancing career, her marriage to a member of Royalty and, my favorite subplot, her friendship with Violet, a fellow dancer who has had all the advantages which the Astaires shared. With all the name dropping and events happening, this book sent me down the rabbit hole looking for more on the social and entertainment goings on of this tumultuous period in history.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
#Starring Adele Astaire. #NetGalley

Starring Adele Astaire is a historical fiction novel about Fred Astaire's sister, who was a famous dancer in her own right throughout the early 20th century. I honestly didn't know that Fred Astaire had a sister and I like reading about previously famous people who aren't super well known today, so I was excited to read this book!

I enjoyed this book! It covers around 2o years of Adele's life, through the 20s, the Great Depression, and WWII. I liked reading about what show business was like at the time and the people who Adele got to know. I liked reading about Adele herself and how hard she worked to get where she was.

This was a fairly straightforward historical fiction novel that didn't have a strong plot thread outside of Adele's life, which is understandable, but it did make the book feel a little aimless at times. This book is split POV with Adele and a random English dancer named Violet Woods. The two actors didn't intersect too often throughout the story so I was a little confused as to why exactly Violet was included. She also didn't have as much going on as Adele. I wasn't as excited about her chapters, but I don't think that they were as common as Adele's chapters. I kind of liked getting a different perspective on the time period.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it if you are interested in dance, classic performers, or the time period. 3.85 stars from me rounded up to 4. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book!

Adele and Fred Astaire have been a dancing duo for years taking the world by storm. As they get older, Adele wants a simpler life for herself, one complete with children and a doting husband. Adele's life is far from normal though. She travels from New York to London with many adoring fans and brushes elbows with the British aristocracy. That's when she meets Lord Cavendish, a fascinating man who catches her eye. Perhaps he is the answer to her prayers? It appears that she will get her happily ever after, but things with Charles Cavendish are harder than they look. Things don't go easily for her and even the thought of a family seems a far away pipe dream. A parallel narrative is told throughout the novel about young London East end dancer, Violet Wood. Adele takes her under her wing and it follows her ups and downs as well. Life for a female dancer is never easy, especially with WWII on the horizon. Eliza Knight's Starring Adele Astaire is a delightful historical novel, albeit often sad, that follows Adele from the 1920s to the 1950s. Fans of Hollywood and stories of forgotten women will especially appreciate this one.

I have grown up being mesmerized by Fred Astaire and I knew nothing about Adele, so I jumped at the chance to learn about this forgotten star in Starring Adele Astaire. Adele, just as talented as Fred, is forgotten in the pages of history as she took a different path than her brother. A path that should have been easier, but was riddled with many bumps in the road. Adele's life was indeed privileged, but it was filled with so much hardship. The trials and tribulations Adele experienced once married to Charles were heartbreaking. Also, I like how Starring Adele Astaire followed Adele from the 20s to the 50s, through dance, her marriage, castles in Ireland, nights out in London, house parties, miscarriages, alcoholism, and the horrors of WWII.

While I didn't care for Violet Wood's story as much in Starring Adele Astaire, I could appreciate the many problems women during that period faced just to pursue their dreams, especially if they were unconventional. I also appreciated how Violet and Adele stayed friends through the years and it all.

If you appreciate stories about lesser-known women, Starring Adele Astaire is the novel for you. I liked learning more about Adele's life and Knight brought the time period to life. My favorite aspect of the novel was all the cameos from famous people, from the Prince of Wales to Kick Kennedy, JFK's sister.

Lovely writing and an interesting look at a notoriously private Hollywood icon. I love learning about Adele who I never heard about before.

I am always a fan of giving a spotlight to the lesser known but still important people of a bigger story.

At the beginning of their career, Adele didn't play second-fiddle to her brother, Fred, but history remembers her that way due to her lack of physical screen presence. It's said that there are no known existing recordings of her dancing on Broadway and most people when they think of Fred Astaire partners, think of Ginger.

I was disappointed that this wasn't a historical piece solely focused on Adele and that the author added a fictional character Violet, but I understoof why Violet was added. Without her we wpuldn't understand a lot of the context going around Adele at the time, as Adele was highly priviledged at a time when most people were living handout to handout.

Good book, made me want to learn more about Adele.

I love biographical historical fiction! Good writers always seem to find people whom I never would have thought to read about in a traditional biography. Adele is the forgotten Astaire. Most people remember Fred Astaire and his other partners, most notably Ginger Rogers, but it was Adele that was there in the beginning. Knight does not attempt to provide a fully comprehensive biography of Adele within the pages of this newest release. Readers first meet Adele in 1923 as she and Fred were embarking on an overseas tour of their Broadway show Stop Flirting. By then the Astaires had been performing since 1907. Adele loved to dance with her brother but she knew deep down that showbiz wasn't what her ultimate goal was. Knight leads readers along the path that Adele took as she unraveled herself from the only world she knew in order to claim a life for herself.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

Thanks to William Morrow & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was not the book I was expecting. I was disappointed, mainly with the writing. I was looking forward to reading this historical fiction novel because it features one of my favorite time periods, 1920s through the second world war. We follow Adele Astaire from the glitz and glamour of the Roaring Twenties, through the grit and sacrifice of World War II.

I had read Eliza Knight’s The Mayfair Bookshop but didn’t realize she was the same author until I got to the part in this novel which includes the Mitford sisters, the Bright Young Things, and the upscale British weekend house parties. “The Mayfair Bookshop” tells the story of Nancy Mitford - a contemporary of Adele’s - so Knight’s research came in handy for Adele’s story, too.

And this is the story of Adele Astaire’s life – both her career and her private life. The novel alternates with the story of a fictional friend of Adele’s, Violet Wood, who is also a dancer. They become very close friends as Adele mentors Violet, but I felt that we are told how close they are as “dearest friends,” without the actual experiences that would bring the characters closer.

In fact, I felt that the novel is often just an expanded description of Adele’s biography which I read afterwards on Wikipedia when I was researching photos. Her experiences and her emotions are described in a “tell instead of show” format. I didn’t feel engaged or connected to the characters, so can’t give this novel more than 3 stars.

I did enjoy the descriptions of her dancing with her brother, the famous Fred Astaire. Their relationship was believable. The inclusion of all the people in Adele’s life was fun – from Noel Coward to the Mitfords to the British royal family. Later in her life she even socialized with “the young senator from Massachusetts and his wife Jackie.”

I’m disappointed that the novel itself was not better, even though Adele’s life contained a lot of interesting events and captivating people.

I enjoyed Eliza Knight’s earlier novel, The Mayfair Bookshop, which was about Nancy Mitford. I was therefore eager to see how this author would tell Adele Astaire’s story; readers can rest assured that she has done a good job.

Many are familiar with Fred Astaire, here called Freddy when he was younger; this makes him feel more approachable and vulnerable than the star that is often pictured. Although perhaps less well known, Fred’s sister, Adele, danced with him for many years. While in this story, Freddie is often seen as quite serious, Adele wants to have some fun.

The two Astaires, with this last name that they were not born to, began dancing as young children. With all of their talent they went far. In part of this story, they are the toast of London as their newest show is a great success. This leads them to mingle with many famous people; just two of whom were Noel Coward and David, the Prince of Wales.

In these pages, Adele is portrayed as questioning what she wants in life. Is it dance and fame or could it be a marriage and family?

Adele’s foil is the fictional Violet, a young woman whom Adele befriends. Violet has grown up poor; she is hard working and passionate about dance. Her story is told as it intersects with Adele’s.

Rich with period details, glamour and a good story line, this is a title to pick up. Recommended for historical fiction fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for a complimentary copy of this novel!
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!!! I felt it was well researched! Reading it makes me want to go and do more research on the Astaires and also on the relationship between Wallis and Edward. Adele and Fred, sister and brother, were dancing duos in NY in the 1920s. Adele ends up befriending and encouraging an up & coming dancer, Violet Wood. Their friendship lasts the remaining of their lives. Adele suffers the loss of her husband and children. Then England and eventually America get pulled into WW2. The women do their part to aid the war efforts. Despite everything Adele endured, she made the best of it and succeeded in life! This novel is currently available for purchase as of June 6, 2023.

Staring Adele Astaire
By: Eliza Knight
5🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷

I have always loved Fred Astaires dancing and movies, but had no idea he had a sister Adele. She was his original dancing partner before Ginger Rogers.
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Adele is such a fun girl and her life was fascinating. She has been on stage everywhere but dreams of a life of children and a husband. She meets Lord Charles Cavendish and hopes to finally have her dreams met. Can she have it all?
🎷
Violet Wood befriends Adele and they are both women with ambition during the roaring twenties which comes with sacrifices, love during war. Another delightful read by Knight.
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#williammorrow, #elizaknight, #starringadeleastaire, #roaringtwenties, #historicalfiction, #booksconnectus, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50

Adele Astaire was a gifted and lovable dance star in 1920s New York. While history favors the legacy of her younger brother, Fred, many during that time would say that Adele was the more talented and charming one of the pair. Even so, she never planned to perform for audiences for her entire life. Starring Adele Astaire by Eliza Knight is a historical fiction piece that imagines the famous dancer's life from her point of view. Readers learn about her dancing career in New York and london, her partnership with her brother, and life beyond the stage.

The book begins with the Astaire siblings boarding the Aquitania to the UK to make their London debut. From the very beginning, readers get to know Adele (then age 26). She reminisces about her training and performances with Fred in New York. But also while anxiously aware that the London stage could make or break their careers. She feels that her life was decided for her, and envisions who Adele Austerlitz would have become had she not begun dancing lessons at age eight and subsequently adopted a stage name. Readers understand that Adele's trajectory throughout the story will be a bit more complicated than they might have envisioned.

Knight also treats readers to another point of view in Starring Adele Astaire. A younger, determined, yet equally talented dancer, Violet Wood, catches Adele's eye while auditioning for one of her shows. From then on, Adele takes the young hopeful under her wing. The two begin a strong friendship with one another, despite being from extremely different backgrounds. Unfortunately, Violet's mother does not approve of her career choice. Even so, Violet finds a way to continue working towards her dream, against all odds.

While many details about Adele's life are easy to find, Starring Adele Astaire offers something different. Readers wonder how the famous performer might have felt during the most significant moments in her life. From meeting and spending time with Lord Charles Cavendish, to her heartbreaking pregnancies, her experience during the Great Depression, and her contributions to the war effort during WWII in Ireland.

Knight juxtaposes Adele's ambitions of settling down and starting a family with Violet's ambitions of pursuing her career on stage and reaching similar fame. I enjoyed the comparisons of two women in the same line of work but with opposite trajectories. Both women endure famous historical events, and I appreciate that readers get to see how the world's bigger problems affect them. Additionally, each chapter features a snippet of what seems to be a gossip column in a newspaper, which was a nice touch that added more insight into how audiences perceived the performers.

While the novel offered an interesting take on the iconic dancer's life, overall the story was underwhelming and the pacing was slow. Because Adele's chapters are in first-person, I felt as if I was reading Adele Astaire's diary. While not horrible, the problem is that her story does not lead into any big climactic moment. There's no build up to a “big moment” and consequently, no resolution. Additionally, Violet's chapters are in third-person. While I understand that this is so that the reader can easily distinguish which woman's POV we are reading, I wish more effort was made to give Violet a different voice. But seeing as the plot is weaker without Violet's POV, I'm grateful that she was in it at all.

I've always appreciated the talents of Fred Astaire in film, but never knew he had a sister that was more talented and that they danced on Broadway in New York and the West End in London in the 1920s to 1940s. Adele Astaire was actually more famous than her brother! Adele and Fred rose to the top of the theater world through hard work, dedication, and the unwavering support of their mom. Adele eventually realized her body couldn't continue to perform at the top level. She retired and found a husband, but things didn't go as planned. During WW2, Adele and Violet contributed to the war effort in their own ways.
Adele was an interesting person, but I found her friend and fellow dancer, Violet Wood, a more fascinating and courageous person. Violet is fictional but I was rooting for her the entire book. The Author's Notes detail the research and what was created just for the book. I was intrigued by how many famous people knew Adele or people Adele knew. The story begins in 1923 and ends with an epilogue set in 1954. I enjoyed how the epilogue wraps up Adele's story as well as Violet's.
You don't have to be a dancer to love this book. If you enjoy HF that brings to life women's stories, I recommend this book.
Thank you William Morrow and Net Galley for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Taking you from the 1920's through to the 50's, you get to follow Adele through some fascinating periods of the twentieth century. You see the gaiety and excesses of the pre war days, through the worsening economic conditions, through the Second World War and all the losses incurred, even on the Home Front. Throughput the story, Adele's relationships with her family and her strong friendship with a young dancer, Violet Wood, shine through. Adele's fairly privileged life contrasts with Violet's East End upbringing but they share a burning ambition to dance, even if Adele also hankers after a family of her own.

Adele's private anguishes and personal ambitions were usually well hidden behind her facade of loving life. The period portrayed lent itself to the introduction of so many contemporary people but you always felt that her Americanism set her a little apart. Violet's natural talent and desire to have a life on the stage motivated her, although she never forgot her family. At times, both women have to consider whether their careers on stage are worth the price they pay in other ways. She had some emotional moments to deal with and you truly felt how her life was turned upside down by the War. With period detail, believable characters (both fictional and actual), you are taken on an entertaining journey through the middle of the twentieth century. Highly recommended

In short: putting on the Ritz