Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of From Dust to Stardust by Kathleen Rooney!

This just didn’t grab my attention. I was bored and didn’t vibe with the writing style, having a hard time getting attached to the characters. It felt like there was no direction and The dollhouse aspect was interesting but pulled me out of the story. I love old Hollywood stories and would have loved to read about the silent film era but sadly this just isn’t my cup of tea so I DNFd around the 50 page mark

I really liked the whole idea of this novel, loosely based upon the life of Colleen Moore.
A huge plot, detailed storyline and character development. Plot is quick paced, but too quick in parts though.
A fan of old Hollywood, chasing dreams and kinda of the Great Gatsby and Babylon era will like this book.

Loved this one. Strong and brave woman's journey. It's written in brilliant story telling way. Beautifully described characters and their dreams and struggles are heart touching. Satisfying end. Lovely read.

How fascinating!
Take a romp back through time with a young girl named Doreen
I loved the time travel back to the early days of Hollywood! I learned quite a bit along the way and I especially appreciate the historical perspective of the story.
Imagine! Walking through time and experiencing it for yourself through the eyes of this young lady. I think it would be fun.
I loved Doreen's pov. It enabled me to "visualize " what life might have been like in the 20's and 30's.
I also loved Granny. I was glad she was able to go along with Doreen to Hollywood.
The author has done quite well. But, I wish that in a way the book was written in straight fiction style without the present tense because to me I felt it was written more in diary form. It makes it harder to connect with the characters in the story.
This why I gave it 4 stars. Otherwise I did enjoy the historical aspect of the story.
The cover is gorgeous and quite honestly that was why I chose the book. I'm a sucker for book covers.
4 stars for this one. I gave my reasons above.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Inspired by the autobiography of Colleen Moore, From Dust to Stardust by Kathleen Rooney tells a story about a young girl who navigates life during a turbulent era and chases her dreams of becoming an actress.

Summary: At the age of fourteen, Eileen Sullivan takes a train from Chicago to Hollywood to chase her dream of becoming an actress. Taking on the stage name of Doreen O'Dare, she navigates her life and career.

Tropes/Genres:
• historical fiction
• set in 1910s–1920s Hollywood
• coming of age
• based on a true story

Review: I had no idea where the story was going. I was even getting bored in the first half of it because there seemed to be a lack of direction. While it got better past the halfway mark, where the drama started brewing, I still wonder what the purpose of this book is.

I thought the book had a very interesting premise, but the writing style just couldn't get to me. It just felt like something was coming, but nothing came. The story didn't feel complete – it made me feel a bit lost when it ended. While things certainly got more interesting towards the end, it didn't make me feel that this book, as a whole, was a work of art. It just felt like the book was trying to do too much but ended up not being any of whatever it was trying to achieve.

However, I also thought the details of Doreen's relationship with Jack – how it started and ended – very good. I liked the progression, how it slowly but surely got destroyed due to his drinking problem. I think the author did a great job retelling the events of Colleen Moore's career and personal life, as written in the subject's autobiography. The only issue is that the writing didn't connect with me. It just felt like the story was going nowhere, merely info-dumping without much purpose.

The book is written as an interview regarding the miniature Fairy Castle the real-life Colleen Moore had. While there were some bits about it, it had no connection to the story whatsoever other than being the reason why Doreen O'Dare told her story. I also didn't really understand the part about fairies in this book. I think it could've been better explained apart from the sole fact that her Irish grandmother believed in fairies.

Regardless, it was nice to read about the cinematic history of America, Colleen Moore, on whom Doreen O'Dare is based, is a film actress who began her career during the silent film era and one of the most fashionable and highly-paid stars of the era. It's interesting to see how the author weaves fiction with history.

This is a historical fiction written in the style of a memoir, based on Colleen Moore's autobiography. I think fans of the 1920s era and Hollywood of that time would love this book. Readers of memoirs will likely enjoy this as well because the book is written like a memoir, albeit fictional.

From Dust to Stardust mixes a fascinating era of old Hollywood and the wispy fairytale-like story of one young woman's experience in the movie business. It straddles the line between what is real and what is imagined in a beautiful way, and provides the perfect metaphor for Hollywood itself. Enchanting!

You could hand over a dime and purchase a dream.
From Dust to Stardust by Kathleen Rooney

Fans of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk–and you are legion–will love Kathleen Rooney’s new novel From Dust to Stardust.

In the early days of the movies, a young girl follows her dreams and goes to Hollywood. Renamed Doreen O’Dare, stereotypically Irish, she works her way to fame. After a few years, knowing how Lillian Gish was forever typecast as a long -locked girl even as she aged, Doreen throws over her long curls for a bob and goody girl roles for flappers, predating Clara Bow who becomes famous as the vampish “It” girl.

Doreen finds a life-long forbidden love, and marries a handsome man with a fatal weakness for alcohol. But her rock is her family and Irish grandmother with her enchanting fairy stories.

Doreen is surrounded by famous actresses: Lillian Gish, dedicated to her craft and untouched by Hollywood excess; Marion Davies, a natural comedian forced into serious roles by her lover W. R. Hearst; the teenaged lover of Charlie Chaplin, Mildred Harris; Clara Bow, beautiful and tough.

When talking pictures come, everything changes. The studios give the actresses elocution lessons, but also winnow many out.

Stardust is still dust. After a while you want to brush it off.
From Dust to Stardust by Kathleen Rooney

Doreen’s Cinderella life turned out to be hard work, taking its toil on her health and her marriage.

Doreen had another life-long passion–collecting miniatures. She turned the doll house her father built her into a splendid fairy palace, using her jewels and the finest materials. It had miniature books signed by famous writers and diamond chandeliers.

During the Depression, Doreen took the house on the road to raise money for children’s charities. She donated it to a Chicago museum, and now in her later sixties, she is being interviewed about the doll house and her life, remembering all the stardust and dust of fame and love and loss, and the life that came after.

We read of a Hollywood run by “a pack of children, or at least by the childlike: “those who had not yet lost the capacity for wonder, who could dream during the daytime, who refused to draw a line between what was real and what was possible.” There are rivals and women who support each other, men who prey on the actresses and husbands who are unfaithful.

Inspired by the life of an early film star, Colleen Moore, who created the Fairy Castle that enchanted Rooney as a girl, the novel transports us back to Hollywood of a hundred years ago.

In the Author’s Note, I was happy to find a list of movies talked about in the book that are available to watch.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

I loved FROM DUST TO STARDUST and look forward to recommending it, The premise sounded intriguing, and I'm so glad the story lives up to it.

The oral history parts about the fairy castle are a great device.

The author does a wonderful job at conveying cinematic history through the lens of the main character. We really begin to know Doreen and follow along with her dreams, even as they shift. Her rise to fame is fascinating and then she pivots and pours her money and energy into the fairy castle.

**Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Hollywood is sort of a fairyland. People flit around unseen, ensuring dreams come true. Offer the fairies what they like, and they look out for you, make sure you have everything your heart desires. But, cross them and they become vengeful and set out to ruin your life. Author Kathleen Rooney uses the myth of fairies as a metaphor for the life and career of actress Doreen O'Dare, a fictionalized version of real life silent film star Colleen Moore.

The most apt way to descibe Colleen Moore's stardom is to evoke Jennifer Aniston at the height of Friends fame. When Colleen Moore bobbed her hair, thousands of young girls across the country followed suit (remember begging your stylist for The Rachael?)
Colleen Moore represented the perfect flapper - a modern woman, free to do what she liked, unencumbered by society's expectations. But Colleen Moore soon grew weary of the roles that pigeonholed her, unable to show off that she could be as dramatic as she was comedic. Colleen Moore ended her film career to become - of all things - a financial advisor. Her hobby was collecting miniature items and she decided to build a fairy castle, made of real gold silver and gemstones to house all of her miniatures.

Rooney's heroine, Doreen O'Dare begins life as Eileen Sullivan daughter of Irish immigrant parents. She is close with her grandmother who tells her stories of their homeland of Ireland and the fairies within. Eileen Sullivan is a dreamy girl, taken to see Peter Pan as a young lass, she decides that the only future for her is on the stage. An uncle, owed a favor by film impresario DW Griffith offers her a screen test and at just 14 years old Eileen becomes Doreen O'Dare, nascent Hollywood icon. She cultivates a career that fosters friendships with Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Marion Davies, and early female screenwriting legend Frances Marion. Doreen survives a tumultuous marriage to an alcoholic producer and after a lengthy career and the advent of talkies she retires to focus on the fairy castle she compiled bit by bit over the years of her career. From Dust to Stardust is an honest and heartfelt look at what life is like in the fairy tale realm of stardom, and how harsh reality is when the fairy dust rubs off.

This lovely book is such a charming read! I thought it was so wonderful that through the fictional Doreen O’Dare and her Fairy Castle, we learned more about the real Colleen Moore. I always enjoy getting lost in a novel set in classic Hollywood, and this one is positively a book I will recommend to others!

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

I loved "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk", so I was really excited to get my hands on this book. Overall, I liked it and found it an easy story to get drawn into. Sadly though, there just didn't seem to be much point to the plot. By the time I got to the end, it felt a bit like.. "is that it?".
I also didn't love the jumps to the dollhouse conversation in the museum, and thought it took away from the story a bit. It could have been done without that, as it felt a bit overly whimsical.
Overall, a nice read, but not as memorable as Lilian Boxfish.

A book inspired by a real actress which left me feeling a bit lost by the end of it. I struggled to get along with the writing style of this book, but that's largely personal prefernce. Though I wasn't sure what to expect from reading the description, I was intruiged. But even not knowing what to expect, I felt like this wasn't quite it.

Written as a spoken interview regarding the miniature Fairy Castle, I was at first hoping for more details about it, we get a scant description about each room or an item in each room, but this then has no real connection to the story that comes with the chapter.

I liked the premise of the book, reading about early American cinematic hisotry, the life of a star in flapper era Hollywood, a miniature Fairy Castle which tours the United States during the Great Depression. But it felt like the book was trying to do too much and ended up being not quite enough of any of it.

I even seeked out Rooney's earlier novel Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, which is also based upon a real person and again I was left wondering, what's the point of this book? So I guess this style of writing just isn't quite for me.

**Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Eileen Sullivan, daughter of Irish immigrants in. Has one dream only, namely to become an actress during the silent movie times. With dogged determination and lots of hard work, she becomes the actress Doreen O‘Dare. This lively and fascinating story gives insight into the studio work, many cliches, and dilemmas female actresses faced. It also shows that fame does not always come with a happy private life. I found it an interesting and suspenseful read. 5 stars

I was really excited about this book based on its promise of a high octane colorful lead character, the historical setting and the glitz of old time Hollywood. Sadly I failed to feel engaged in the plot. However I was quite intrigued by the final explanation by the author about the real actress she was inspired by for this novel. It made me want to know more about this Colleen Moore.

Thank you Net Galley for providing me with an e-arc of from Dust to Stardust in exchange for a honest review.

This was a great read and I'd definitely recommend to any historical autobiography reader. I liked the premise of the book and the writing is beautiful.

Personally I got lost in parts and that lost my overall appeal for the story line.

A Star is Born and Born Again
Once again, the ever inventive author Kathleen Rooney has brought new narrative juice to an historical topic in this fictionalized story of one of Hollywood’s biggest silent film stars. Yes, it’s rags to riches for Doreen O’Dare, a determined teenager who follows her dream and makes it to the top, but who also sees the writing on the on the wall with the transition to talkies. She’s been sharp about her money, and changes course to follow another dream--making it to the top again, this time her way.
In the process Rooney reveals fascinating details about the making of silent films-- how actors and directors grew up with the industry, learning as they went, not always knowing what they were doing, little fish often surpassing big fish. And of her sad love story with a publicity genius who makes her a star but can’t keep up with her.
The parallel narrative is how her love of miniatures and for her Irish grandmother who yes, does believe in fairies, leads her to create a gigantic Fairy Castle that makes her as influential in the ‘30s as she was in the Jazz Age.
A tale of determination, talent, taste, independence, and influence—with a generous coating of fairy dust. A delightful read.

I really liked the premise of this novel. Silent movie star looking back over their life, through the framework of a toy house they have built over the years.
When I started I found the pacing of the book really good, but after a while it felt too quick. There was so much plot, characters and storyline. It felt hard to get invested in what was happening. I wasn't bothered by the fairy dollhouse parts, but they did help to anchor the story.
I think I'd recommend this to friends who are fans of historical fiction and old Hollywood, but I don't think there was much here for me. 4/10

Thank you net galley for providing me with a free arc of from Dust to Stardust in exchange for a honest review.

Although I found the pacing to be a bit off the plot and the characters made up for it. Each character feels unique and well explored and the way the story unfolds is quite neutral to the point where I forgot I was actually reading for most of the time. This was honestly such a great read and I'd definitely recommend.

Hurray for Hollywood!
Silent movies, some were good.
Rudolf Valentino, Greta Garbo
Buster Keaton, Gloria Swanson
Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin
Fatty Arbuckle, Stan Laurel (not forgetting Hardy)
Mary Pickford, Americas sweetheart
Theda Bara ,William S Hart
Tom Mix, Lillian Gish
The It Girl, Clara Bow
Theda Bara, Colleen Moore.

Who? Yes, that’s what I said too but in this novel Colleen Moore, one of the most fashionable actresses of the silent era, bob and all, comes alive as Eileen Sullivan, stage name Doreen O’Dare. He be melodrama, flappers, westerns, Historical epics and slapstick. All the above feature in one way or another.

In 1916 aged 14 ‘Doreen’ boards a train in Chicago heading to California as she’s bitten by the movie bug and is determined to be a part of it. Encouraged by her magical Granny O’Shaughnessy but with the permanent disapproval of her mother, her Uncle Walter wangles a six month contract with D.W.Griffith at Triangle. It’s now 1968 and she’s on her way to the Museum of Science and Industry on Chicago’s south side to record a message for her donation of ‘The Fairy Castle’, a fantastical dolls house which becomes as famous as her. Doreen records her amazing story from the early days of movies through the Depression and to the 1960’s. What an inspiration she is!

The most powerful parts of the novel are the early days of Hollywood which the author really does bring alive. This is an era of fascination and I like seeing it through the eyes of someone we’ve all but forgotten. I grow to like and admire Doreen/Colleen, her life is not always easy especially her first marriage but she rises above it. She grows in strength despite the potential for scandals and she stands up for herself. Telling her story via the recordings to Gladys at the museum allows Doreen to be reflective on her life and burgeoning career. She is seen as a wholesome good girl who wants to be loved. I like her resilience, her adaptability, guts and humour. Hollywood at this time comes across loud and clear and is set well into the context of the times such as Prohibition, the attitudes of the day and changing technology. It’s colourful, lavish, OTT just like Hollywood and the insights are thoughtful.

However, although I really do enjoy reading this at times you do feel like you’ve lived Doreen’s life hour by hour. It does sometimes read like a bio rather than a novel although it can’t be denied the films are magical. The pacing is a bit irregular and I guess that may be because it’s patently obvious the author has extensively researched Colleen’s life and wants to get it all in! Nevertheless Kathleen Rooney definitely breathes life into this wonderful character and I’m so glad she draws her to my attention. Despite my reservations it’s well worthy of a four star rating.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Lake Union for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.