Queenie

by Michael Korda

Book Overview

Queenie Kelley, a poor, half-caste girl from Calcutta, catapulted from the slums by an illicit passion and a single reckless act that shaped her destiny. She becomes Dawn Avalon, a legendary movie... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671466682
• ISBN13: 9780671466688
• Release Date: April 1985
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 650 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A 4½ STAR REVIEW

Michael Korda's fictionalized account of Anglo-Indian actress Merle Oberon's claim to fame in Hollywood's golden era is a delight from start to finish. Naming her Dawn Avalon and putting her at risk when she is wrongfully accused of murder, Dawn flees India to London where, as Queenie Kelley, she becomes a superstar of the stage and screen, while trying her best to stay incognito. Effectively narrated, Korda's story takes you back to a time when studio kings were enthralled by their star pets, as Queenie Kelly was by many, but especially by writer/director David Konig. Their union during the making of his movie is as enchanting and as riveting as the entire novel itself. Glamorous to the core, with colorful characters and edge-of-your-seat intrigue, QUEENIE is a perfect example of great escapist fiction.-----Martin Boucher

Excellent Read

This is one of my all time favorite books. It is a winding story that begins in India and takes you through the Golden Era of Hollywood. You really can't put it down. You love the heroine, depite her mistakes and flaws, and truly hate the villains. There are so many twists and turns. I highly recommend this book!

CHIC OR CHI CHI?

I first read "Queenie" ten years ago. It was a sexy, spicy, great, warm splash of a read. Somehow the fact that it was the retelling of Merle Oberon's story eluded me. I enjoyed the book immensely, personally identifying with the heroine's struggle to discover exactly what mold she's "caste" in as well as her personal and political victories over prejudice & racism in the industry. Why read "Queenie" again?One of the characters in a book I'm reading made reference to Miss Oberon's appearance as "Cathy" in "Wuthering Heights" commenting that "she didn't look CHI CHI,(Anglo/Indian) but she was you know." Checked out vitals on net and clicked with the fact that Ms. Oberon was first known as Queenie O'Brian. And was once married to someone named Alexander Korda (as in Michael's uncle). This book is probably closer to "the facts" than some of the Botox injected, pufferies that currently pass for biographies.

queenie is a sensatinal book

i have read Queenie written by michael korda, published by warner books late 1986. queenie kelley or princess dawn avalon corsini is my greatest heroine. i admire her strong willpower. her character as well as of lucien chambrun and charles corsini are very memorable to me. michael korda has successfully transformed her to a legend comparable to princess grace or diana or marilyn monroe. queenie is absolutely the greatest book i've ever read. it's superb.

Exceptional story

This is the best book i've ever read. You can't help being fascinated by Queenie/Dawn and the way she survives through the abuse of the old, british powerful Mr. Rumsey and the hate of his daughter Prunella. She manages to crawl out of the gutter of Calcutta and become a famous movie star, Dawn Avalon, in the most lavished film at that time, The secret palace. She goes through the film denying being anything but English, but in the final segment she admits to being anglo-indian, and that scene is the most touching one in the book. Read of the century!!!