Sarah Siddons: The First Celebrity Actress Author: Jo Willett Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Pen and Sword History Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 224 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Sarah Siddons rose from a poor, traveling actor to Britain's greatest tragic actress by overcoming early career failures, becoming a superstar by her 30s, and skillfully managing her image and reputation in the eighteenth century. Sarah Siddons grew up as a member of a family troupe of travelling actors, always poor and often hungry, resorting to foraging for turnips to eat. But before she was 30 she had become a superstar, her fees greater than any actor - male or female - had previously achieved. Her rise was not easy. Her London debut, aged just 20, was a disaster and could have condemned her to poverty and anonymity. But the young actress – already a mo...
Sonora Author: Jenni L. Walsh Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Muse Book Release Date: 2025 Pages: 400 Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Inspired by a true story of one of the first female horse divers, Sonora explores a world of daring feats and extraordinary adventures set in the heyday of the American carnival scene. Sonora Webster is penniless but plucky, and despite the looming Great Depression, she follows her wanderlust, answering an advert to dive with horses. Little does she know that she is about to be thrust into a world teeming with danger, excitement, and fierce competition. As Sonora delves into the cutthroat world of show business, complete with trapeze aerial acts and juggling bears, her undeniable talent and unwavering dedication propel her into the limelight, making her a sensation, and after marrying the show runner, her en...