Catch the Sun
by Lee Zamloch
Date Published: July 23, 2012
Pages: 316
ISBN-13: 978-1434830456
Book Synopsis:
Marilyn Monroe
begins appearing on Amanda Grace’s patio dancing, laughing at the moon and
gazing at Amanda through the glass doors. Is it possible that Marilyn, against
all reason, has somehow transported herself through time and space to
contemporary Los Angeles? And why does she haunt Amanda, a model whose beauty
is undeniable, but whose talent is questionable?
The visitations
begin when Amanda’s mother, Edith, commits suicide, an event that shakes Amanda
to her foundation. For, while she has been a successful model, she has always
measured herself against her mother, a well-known artist who has overcome
severe obstacles. But unlike Edith and her accomplished sister, Joanne, Amanda
Grace has not distinguished herself intellectually or artistically, nor even
managed to marry and have children. In her eyes, she has failed to live up to
her mother’s expectations. Now, with Edith’s death, she has forever lost her
chance to prove herself. In her grief, she forgets to eat, sleep, or carry on with
life’s simplest tasks. The final blow comes when Amanda accidentally learns she
was adopted. With the loss of her family as a touchstone, her foundation
crumbles, and her fragile sense of self dissolves completely.
CATCH THE SUN is a story about how an
obsession with a celebrity can impact the life of an ordinary woman. It
explores our endless fascination with Marilyn Monroe’s fragility, beauty and
dazzling rise and fall.
Review:
Catch the Sun revolves around Amanda Grace, a woman who at one point experienced the limelight of fame but has since fallen out of favor of the rich and famous. The suicide of her mother begins the downward spiral for the once-adored actress. Her agent leaves her and her career as an actress is overshadowed by her past and the loss of her mother. As her world continues to crumble around her, she begins to see flashes of a woman outside her window. A woman who could understand her loneliness and betrayal - Marilyn Monroe. Inspired, Amanda is determined to find out all she can about the beloved actress in hopes of mimicking her. It is her comeback in the making.
What I loved most about this book are the perspectives that we see from each of the female characters. The story moves wonderfully from the past, showing glimpses of Amanda's mother and Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn's narrative is fictional, of course, but it does not detour from the emotion of the individual.
And, as you may have guessed, I look out for my readers. That said, this story involves much talk about suicide, depression, abandonment and just plain loneliness - pretty grim stuff. However, it does not ever sound fake or exploited, but real and understood. These are realities and the story treats them as such. This book kept my interest until the end. This is, in large part, due to the wonderful character developments for each of the strong women portrayed in this book.
About Lee
Lee Zamloch lives on the Central Coast of California where
she writes fiction. Her work has appeared in a number of literary journals and
she has won several honors for her writing including the Booklegger Award for
best submission of the year from Toyon and honorable mentions from the Nelson
Algren Award, and Raymond Carver Short Story Contest. She has published two
novels which are available from Amazon.com in both print and kindle editions.
She is currently at work on her next novel.
Lee has
been a teacher, a consultant, a college professor and a program designer. She
enjoys hiking, reading, traveling and romping with her two Siberian huskies,
Sunny and Storm.
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