“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” Mary Pickford
16 Bookers
met at the home of Kittie Minick to discuss this month’s selection that asks
the question, “Who is Zora Lily?”
We welcomed
new members Karla Lawson and Rebecca Robinson and many thanks to the strong arm
of the invincible Jean Alexander for “suggesting” they join us. All kidding
aside, we are delighted to have you and hope you’ll make a return visit. Also, we’re
looking forward to Suzie Fagg joining us next month.
On the business side
Bookers
support for Jen White Sherman and Bookish is much appreciated. We ordered 95
books, totaling about $1,800.00!
Copies of The
Berry Pickers were passed out to those who ordered them. If you were
not there, I have your copy here.
Our
December 10th meeting will be at the home of Kat Mackey, 10:00 a.m.,
146 Hilton Head Island Drive. Kim Nalls has volunteered to assume the role of
“Food & Beverage Czar” for our holiday brunch and the year-end-wine-and-cheese
evening meeting in May. The group chose to expand the menu options and Kim will
be putting together an email detailing the choices and I’ll be sending it out
as soon as possible. As always, please respond to her directly (kimlnalls01@gmail.com) instead of replying to me.
In
December, we’ll be discussing The Wedding People by Alison Espach
which is a humorous, tender, and introspective contemporary women’s fiction set
in Newport, Rhode Island. Phobe Stone, who is experiencing a personal crisis,
arrives alone with no luggage at a grand hotel and is mistakenly identified as
part of the wedding people.
Ann
Ireland reminded us of the PWC Philanthropy project – One Man’s Treasure
Clothing Drive. Folded donations must be delivered to her home in black garbage
bags, 201 Colonial Drive by November 14th.
Recap
Bookers
set a record – all read, all finished, all liked – Woo Hoo!
My
name is Zora Lily, the maternal great-great-grandmother of author Noelle
Salazar. My husband, Horatio, and I moved from Canada to Seattle during the
logging boom, living in a camp in Ballard, Washington. We raised eight children
whom we adored, and although I was just a hair beyond illiterate, I dreamed big
and laughed hard with a gaggle of girlfriends. The good Lord said it wasn’t
good that a man should be alone, so he made him a helper fit for him. I was
that gift to Horatio, but it was my granddaughter who used her skills and
imagination to craft the novel you have just read.
Noelle
was raised in the Pacific Northwest where she’s been a Navy recruit, a medical
assistant, an NFL cheerleader, and always a storyteller. Just my name, her
research skills, and the narrative were what brought my life to these pages,
and I’m told when she’s not writing, she can be found dodging raindrops and
daydreaming of her next book. Her latest, The Lives We Leave Behind,
is scheduled for release this month.
Today
I’m here to tell you my story, and about Greta Garbo’s white satin gown from
the 1923 film, The Star, that was the centerpiece of the Hollywood Glamour
Exhibition in 2023 at the Smithsonian. The curators were fitting the alluring
gown designed by the famous designer of the 20s and 30s, Michele Clémente,
whose signature was demure and high neckline creations, when an elegantly
stitched tag fluttered to the floor…it read Zora Lily…begging the question…who
is she?
I
was a young hardworking seamstress from a poverty-stricken family in Seattle in
1924 and instead of following my dreams of becoming a famous designer like Coco
Chanel, I was forced into the role of the family breadwinner after the death of
my brother, Tommy. My granddaughter used perfectly aligned stitches as she
pieced together a stunning masterpiece from the fringe on the speakeasy
costumes for my best friend, Rose, to the unlikely attention from my wealthy
businessman aka love of my life and bootlegger, Harley, to the frantic sewing
rooms backstage on Hollywood shows.
My
saga fills an emotional stage with struggles, happiness, joyful laughter,
self-doubt and heartache. My family and siblings were a stark contrast to the
stilted staff, jealousy, and anxiousness in the living rooms of the wealthy
where I worked as a nanny. Our family was just trying to make it one more day
without starving and my childhood was filled with prejudices towards my family,
especially aimed at my drunken father. Hopes and dreams led me from the grey
skies of Seattle to sunny California and betrayal and disappointment led me
back home and that’s where my life as a successful designer with my own
boutique began and the accolades poured in. But one thing was missing – Harley
– but I knew he would have been proud, and suddenly a familiar pair of blue
eyes, my future, stared at me from outside my shop.
Opening
night of the Hollywood Glamour Exhibition was wrapped in glittering mystery as
the mannequins’ faces and delicate costumes swirled elegantly in place
answering the question, “Who is Zora Lily.”
Our discussion
In looking
into Greta Garbo’s life and movies, I found a similarity between Zora’s story
and hers pointing to the possibility the author took a page from Greta’s
personal life. Greta’s father was an unskilled laborer – often out of work and
in poor health – forcing his family to live with the constant threat of
poverty. She dropped out of school at 13 to care for him and after he died, she
vowed to make a life for herself void of financial hardship. Zora’s dad was a
drunk, and often out of work, passing the financial responsibility on to the
family. Zora’s drive to succeed mirrored that of Garbo. Greta was MGM’s biggest
asset and Zora leveraged her abilities with the studio as Greta also did. We
wondered why the handsome Harley Aldridge was so well known by everyone at the
speakeasys and seemed to have unlimited resources and although his father owned
a legitimate furniture store business, his flamboyancy suggested something more
illicit. We discussed the significance of painted or rouged knees, a fashion
staple during the era, and it seems this was the flappers’ version of thong
straps above low-rise jeans. Rebellious
girls in the 1920s wanted to anger and shock their Victorian-era parents, so
not only would they bare their knees with short dresses, but they would also
paint pictures to make sure an onlooker didn’t miss their risqué hem length.
When Zora’s brother died, she was thrown into the role of breadwinner, and
although setting aside her dream of designing clothes and owning her own
boutique, this responsibility might have been the seed that led her to achieve
her goals. Jealousy and trickery reared its ugly head in the character of
Elsbeth Pritchard who worked for the same wealthy family as Zora…she handled it
by keeping her head down, needing the job more than she needed her pride…until
the time was right to seek her own revenge. Standing ovation Ms. Lily!
The drink
of choice of Zora and the girls was a Mary Pickford, named after the actress
who was married to Douglas Fairbanks. It was a classic rum cocktail (rum,
pineapple juice, grenadine & maraschino liqueur) sweet with a kick, just
like its namesake. Pickford represented Hollywood’s conscience, a favorite
soldier’s pinup girl…looking Victorian but acting modern – seductive in an
innocent, youthful and naïve way. Although the love story between Zora and
Harley was a major plot point in the novel, it offered some intrigue as to
whether it was genuine on his part, and if so, what did he expect to gain from
the relationship beside a bed partner. After Harley was deported to England for two
years for his bootlegging business, Zora took a leap of faith and joined her
friends in Hollywood but the promises of designing costumes for the movies took
a back seat to her role as a seamstress whose responsibilities never ended. Her
“career” exploded when her name was removed from all the costumes as she had
not signed a contract…she learned a lesson and never let that happen
again. We were mixed on whether Zora
should have written Harley sooner – one side why risk the relationship by
silence – the other was her determination to do it on her own and knowing he
would “lovingly” insert himself into the mix if he knew her plans. She knew her
talents and knew she belonged somewhere not because she was on someone’s arm, but
because she wanted to be on her own before she was someone else’s.
We talked
about how Zora’s siblings all shared everything – food, clothes, chores, beds
and life and how that scenario might be different in our world today. When the
movie, The Star, wrapped in 1927 to be released the following year Zora’s life
turned upside down and she wanted to go home, but where was home… and because
she had failed, she began doubting if she was good enough for Harley. She
returned to her parent’s home – one she didn’t recognize – indoor plumbing,
electricity, her father was sober and responsible, the kids had new shoes. Her
dad cleaned up his act because he thought Zora left because of him and after
Tommy died, he couldn’t bear losing another child – big time wakeup call. Patsy,
a native of Seattle, shared some of the sights and sounds of this diverse city
and we talked some about the Jackson Street Jazz Scene, then and now. I asked if you had a chance to rewrite the
ending, what would you change – everyone loved the happily-ever-after-feel good
ending and we commented if Zora had been alive to be recognized at the
Smithsonian, she would have taken every stitch and sequin to heart. It would
have been the cherry on top of a long journey to realization of a dream. We
loved that the book started with family, and aptly ended with family.
“If dreams die, life is a
broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” Langston Hughes
Happy
Reading,
JoDee
