A lovely book which must surely have had some sort of follow up, given how young Clara Bow was when she gave this account. Some 100 years later, it is interesting to learn of her experiences in the film industry and wonder how much has changed or not.

“This town is fake, but you’re the real thing
Breath of fresh air through smoke rings
Take the glory, give everything
Promise to be dazzling”
-Taylor Swift lyrics to the song “Clara Bow”

Mary Pickford…Lillian Gish. These silent screen actresses had a ring of familiarity, Clara Bow, not so much for this reader until Taylor Swift’s song. Intrigued, I embarked upon a quest to learn more about Clara Bow.

Clara Bow: My Story is presented in three sections. The first, a biography. Attending the New York City premiere of “It” (1927) based upon a novella by Elinor Glyn, Clara Bow had achieved her acting dream. Born in Brooklyn, having endured a “difficult, unstable, and often painful childhood”, she now personified the “It” factor. Her style made her appear carefree, energetic and self-assured. “(Clara’s) instinctive acting style (was) so different from the more theatrical conventions of silent film.” A new archetype had been born. “Young women bobbed their hair to match hers. Dressmakers copied (her) slinky gowns…”. She smoked…danced the Charleston…listened to jazz.

Historian A. K. Brackob recounts the lonely, troubled upbringing of a child with a mentally ill mother and an often absent father. “Movies were her escape, her comfort, and the focus of dreams she kept largely to herself.” “Clara Bow’s life was a collision of extremes: It was a life defined by abandonment and adoration, poverty and excess, vulnerability and stardom, trauma and triumph.”

Clara’s story, in her own words, is shared with Adela Rogers St. Johns, journalist, novelist and silent movie screenwriter. During the 1920s and 1930s, St. Johns conducted celebrity interviews for Photoplay Magazine. Clara’s story was presented in three installments: February, March and April of 1928. She describes feeling older than her 22 years as a result of long time suffering. She was the third girl born to her parents. One lived two hours. One lived two days. Her mother was “broken in health and spirit”. She was terrified to bond with Clara. This was the beginning of her mother’s lifelong mental health issues. The family moved often as her father chased any available job. They barely scraped by, never having enough to eat.

Clara, a tomboy, felt at ease playing sports with the neighborhood boys. She was excluded from the circle of girls. Her teenage years were even more turbulent because she no longer “looked” like one of the boys. She spent most of her time in movie houses and dreamed.

At age 16, she entered the “Fame and Fortune” National Acting Contest of 1921. Her father gave her one dollar to have two snapshots taken for her entry. Wearing her only dress, she joined the other contestants in the waiting area. One of the judges noticed, “There’s an interesting face-that kind with the red tam and the gorgeous eyes…Me-little Clara Bow.” Securing a bit role, she was informed that she had to provide her own four dresses to play the part. She begged a relative for a small loan and was able to purchase four second-hand dresses. With the movie release, she proudly encouraged several classmates to view the film. How they laughed when it was discovered that Clara’s scenes were on the cutting room floor. How humiliating!

Clara Bow as trendsetter, an untrained actress with an intuitive sense for acting. She represented a challenge to the traditional roles for women. She was expressive, wild and magnetic. The audience loved her. Her impact was felt by an entire generation.

Clara Bow’s Filmography is a silent film lover's delight, a list of each movie complete with director and cast members. Starting in the 1920s, the movie industry transitioned from silent films to talkies. Clara’s first talkie was an early Paramount Sound Film called “The Wild Party” (1929). By the 1930s, sound film became the industry standard.

An excellent read for silent film buffs.

Thank you Histria A&E and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First you have to realize when this story was written and second she wrote it when she was just 22. Understanding this will make you appreciate Clara's story much better. You will feel her innocence, naivety (at times), toughness (she was raised in Brooklyn lol) and her determination. Clara writes in depth about some aspects of her life and skims over others particularly her Hollywood years. It appears she does this as she believes her readers already know about this from all the fan magazines. The story does end abruptly and lived until 60 but unfortunately never wrote anything again. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love the very old movies and I have found Clara Bow a delightful actress. I never would have guessed the pain of her childhood and her struggle as an adult with mental health issues.

The book, Clary Bow: My Story, reveals a vulnerable but determined woman who despite her success as a teenager had already lived a difficult life, surviving her mentally ill mother (and I mean that literally: at one point, her mother tried to kill Clara). poverty, and being bullied. A child who preferred the rough and tumble games with the neighborhood boys and was rejected by her female peers well into her adolescence. Despite being considered ugly, she turned into one of the great beauties of her times and despite her painful family situation she portrays her family, and in particular her mother, with a love and compassion that I found very moving.

Despite slander and condemnation from people as she emerged as the "It" girl--the ultimate flapper, in fact the defining image, of a lively, party girl of the 1920's. Bow exudes energy and a sense of fun. Her image leaps from the screen into my heart--that's honestly how I feel about her and why I was so excited to read this book (which did not disappoint).

Bow's voice is open, vulnerable and surprisingly (to me, for a writer with no training and no education in addition to a high school degree which it seemed she was so busy pursuing a career in acting she barely had time to show up for).

My only complaint is a minor one: the book is relatively short and I wanted to read more. However, the story is complete and did not feel unfinished in any way.
Clara Bow: My Story will be released on February 10, 2026 by Histria Publishers. I am grateful to have received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it.

Here’s a **short, tailored Goodreads-style review** with a subtle Taylor Swift reference:

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*My Story* by Clara Bow is a fascinating and poignant glimpse into the life of a true Hollywood original. Bow’s voice feels raw, candid, and ahead of its time, capturing both the glamour and the cost of sudden fame.

Swifty readers will recognize Taylor Swift’s *“Clara Bow”*—the book echoes the songs’s themes of being built up, projected onto, and ultimately misunderstood by an industry hungry for the next icon.

A compelling, sometimes heartbreaking memoir that gives real depth to the legend.