The Girls In The Picture by Melanie Benjamin

It's hard to imagine but there was a time when there were no movies.  A time when people did not idolize movie stars nor grant them authority to make pronouncements about how we should live our lives, politics, whether or not vaccines are viable or a myriad of other topics.  This novel is set in that time and the exciting birth of the movie industry.

The first movies were short and silent.   Fans were amazed to see anything and there were barely plotlines.  Then over time, writers were hired to develop plots and stories that resonated with the fans.  The first female movie star was Mary Pickford.  She was a little blonde woman who played a young girl with beautiful blonde curls and she was universally loved.  She was the first star and the country was in love with her.

Frances Marion fell into the movie industry when her regular life bored her to tears.  At first she was glad just to be there and did anything and everything.  She had the great luck to meet Mary and they became fast friends.  Eventually Frances found her forte which was writing.  She began to write for Mary and together they made successful movies. 

Both fell in love.  Mary had an early marriage to an actor who womanized and treated her horribly.  But her true love was Douglas Fairbanks, the leading male actor of the time.  Both divorced and their marriage was celebrated around the world.  They built a mansion and were the golden couple of Hollywood.  Frances had two early marriages but found her true love shortly before World War I.  He was a preacher and athlete and they loved each other unreservedly. 

Of course, time moved on and the women were eclipsed by newer stars and writers.  But they were the pioneers.  They fought to establish their vision and they found a way to have power in the man dominated world they lived in.  Although they had a falling out over the years, their friendship is a beacon of women supporting women.  Readers will thrill to their stories as well as discovering a lot about the movie industry's beginnings.  This book is recommended for readers of women's and historical fiction.