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    The It Girls: A Novel
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    The It Girls: A Novel
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    The It Girls: A Novel
    Ebook390 pages7 hours

    The It Girls: A Novel

    By Karen Harper

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    From New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper comes a novel based on the lives of two amazing sisters . . .

    One sailed the Titanic and started a fashion empire . . .

    The other overtook Hollywood and scandalized the world . . .

    Together, they were unstoppable.

    They rose from genteel poverty, two beautiful sisters, ambitious, witty, seductive. Elinor and Lucy Sutherland are at once each other’s fiercest supporters and most vicious critics.

    Lucy transformed herself into Lucile, the daring fashion designer who revolutionized the industry with her flirtatious gowns and brazen self-promotion. And when she married Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon her life seemed to be a fairy tale. But success came at many costs—to her marriage and to her children . . . and then came the fateful night of April 14, 1912 and the scandal that followed.

    Elinor’s novels titillate readers, and it’s even asked in polite drawing rooms if you would like to “sin with Elinor Glyn?” Her work pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable; her foray into the glittering new world of Hollywood turns her into a world-wide phenomenon. But although she writes of passion, the true love she longs for eludes her.

    But despite quarrels and misunderstandings, distance and destiny, there is no bond stronger than that of the two sisters—confidants, friends, rivals and the two “It Girls” of their day.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 24, 2017
    ISBN9780062567789
    Author

    Karen Harper

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    Reviews for The It Girls

    3.5/5

    50 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Very entertaining, very descrptive, and well researched! Some parts might have been a little too wordy and other parts (I can really only think of one or two honestly) could have used more detail (could truly just be me wanting more info for my own curiosity). If you are interested in European life (some American parts too) of the early 1900s, you will enjoy this story. I look forward to reading more by this author.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of Nellie and Lucy, sisters struggling to make their way in life, one as a designer and dressmaker and one as a writer and Hollywood producer. The story is slow and it was truly a struggle to stay with it to the end. The sisters have a lot of disagreements with each other, with coworkers and spouses. Thank you LibraryThing for allowing me to read this selection.
    • 3/5
      Although we may think that our time has a strange and unprecedented obsession with the people we’ve made famous, we are actually just following in the footsteps of previous decades and centuries. Every age has had its celebrities and its obsessions. Karen Harper’s newest novel, The It Girls, explores two famous women, real life sisters, who were the epitome of that indefinable “it.”Lucy and Nellie Sutherland wanted nothing so much as to be as famous as their own celebrity crush, Lillie Langtry. Lucy wanted to design clothing and Nellie wanted to be a celebrated author. In this process of achieving their goals, each of these determined women weathered unhappy marriages, hardship, poverty, and obsessive critical attention that wasn’t always positive. Lucy was the designer behind the romantic, floaty, and highly coveted designs under the label Lucile and Nellie became Elinor Glyn, the author behind quite scandalous, very popular romantic fiction. Both sisters were clearly creative, driven to succeed, and quite good at marketing themselves and their brands. In their early years they assisted each other but as they each became more successful, there was a widening streak of jealousy over the other’s success that changed and harmed their relationship periodically.The lives and accomplishments of Lucile, Lady Duff-Gordon, and Elinor Glyn were fascinating but they might have been better served by having separate books about them. Although they were sisters, their relationship to each other did not seem to be the focus of the book, instead it centered on their rise to fame and the obstacles they overcame to live celebrated lives. The beginning of the book with the two as teenagers in Jersey is rather awkward as they have a conversation with each other recounting their early years. Since they both already know their own history, it is a strange choice to give the reader their backstory this way. And after the women’s younger years, their lives diverge quite a bit, the bulk of their contact being at a distance. They do come together to support each other in hardship but mostly their stories are very separate. The narrative jumps back and forth between the sisters, sometimes at concurrent points but sometimes in different years or months. These switches back and forth aren’t as seamless as might be hoped, perhaps because the parallels in the sisters’ lives aren’t terribly clear. Despite the coming together at the end, which had a completely different feel than the preceding story, this felt more like two books living uneasily together under one cover. Even so it might spark readers to find more on Elinor and Lucile, two women who lived interesting public lives in spite of the challenges in their personal lives.
    • 1/5
      Boring account of Lucille, the designer who stole a seat on a Titanic lifeboat, and Whatshername, who wrote the shocking "The Green Hat." Yes, yes, she had an unhappy British marriage, blah, blah.
    • 3/5
      The it girls by Karen Harper Like how the girls have found different careers: fashion designer and one a novelist.Starts out as young girls and they are moved to Canada from England. Because of their fathers health problem they end up back in England as they are growing into young ladies, attending balls and coming out parties.Like hearing of the differences between the two and mostly the historic events that occur during their lifetimes and how that changes things.Paying off a boat owner as they rescue you from the sinking of the Titanic but it's not as it seems. Betrayal and how it effects each of them.Loved hearing of all the travel, the fashion design and writing businesses over the years. Good readI received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 4/5
      An authoress and a dressmaker on the loose.Nellie and Lucy were sisters and were mischievous from the start. They went through thick and thin together. The time was early 1800's and women were to be wed and not be in a trade, but the Sutherland girls didn't abide. Well Lucy didn't. Nellie sort of did, but she still had high hopes of her books being published, and they were published.We follow both girls from their childhood to becoming adults. The writing pulled you into the story line and kept your interest with the antics of Nellie and Lucy. Both women are delightful, strong, and enthusiastic about their chosen choices for what they decided they wanted to do.They both had "it" - charisma and charm.I enjoyed how excited Lucy was about her dressmaking business and how Nellie was happy or seemed happy with her life with her husband in the beginning.Lucy's gowns were named for passion further increasing the moving forward of women. Some thought the names and her products were scandalous.Nellie’s books were considered scandalous as well.One of the gowns was titled: DO YOU LOVE ME. Along with the gowns and the scandalous books her sister has been writing, the two women kept moving forward making a name for themselves. :)We follow their business dealings and their love life.THE IT GIRLS is set in the late 1800's when these two feisty women want to change from only being homemakers to being able to handle a career as well.If you enjoy cheering on women who most likely led the way for all women to make a name for themselves, then you won't want to miss reading THE IT GIRLS. The cover is dazzling just like the two main characters. My only complaint was that the story line dragged out a bit at times.If you enjoy determined women, fashion, and books, you will love THE IT GIRLS. 4/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
    • 5/5
      I love it. So much in one story. I recommend it to everyone
    • 4/5
      The Isle of Jersey April 1875 and the two Sutherland sisters hiding under a table to sneak a peek at Lillie Langtry. Lucy (Lucile)16 months older than her sister Nellie (Elinor) age 10...and the story takes off from there.What a great story it was.I loved learning about these two sisters. One became a famous fashion designer and the other sister a famous author. Life isn't easy for young women trying to make it in a mans world. The book follows all the ups and downs of these two sisters. Their loves, marriages and losses. Their jealousies of each others successes and the fierce loyalty that they always hold for each other. Putting their careers first, at times made me want to shake them. I really fell for Cosmo and was worried how that part of the story would play out. I was drawn into the story and their lives to the point that I felt like I was there and turning the pages faster and faster to see what would happen or what the outcome.The book moves right along with never a dull moment for me. I recommend this book and I thank LibraryThing Early Reviewer for my advance copy. I will be looking into other books written by this author.
    • 4/5
       MY REVIEW OF 'THE IT GIRLS" by Karen Harper"The It Girls" by Karen Harper is an intriguing account of how fiction and history can work in a novel. The genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, and Fiction. The timeline for this story is  set from 1875, and goes into the twentieth century after The Great War or World War 1, and then some years after. The location of this story vacillates between Europe,(England, Paris, France,Scotland) and the United States.The author describes the two sisters that represent the "It Girls" as complex, complicated and competitive. There are a cast of characters that are quirky, colorful, betraying, disloyal, and  some  friends and family that are loving and loyal.   Elinor and Lucy Sutherland are ambitious, creative, self-centered and adventurous. Both sisters, even as young girls looked for ways to be creative and seek adventure. Lucy's dreams were to design fabulous dresses and Elinor aspired to be a writer.The author takes the reader on a journey through the historical times, and acceptable traditions, with the two sisters. Both women have highs and lows in their careers as well as in their love lives.  One of the sisters is aboard the Titanic and survives, when the ship sinks. One sister escapes being abducted. The author shows us the times in Europe during World War 1, and how the sisters  provided help.The author portrays the glamorous and wealthy lifestyle of famous people, set against the backdrop of history.   Wealth and success  and their careers were very important to the sisters, often causing complications with their family.I appreciate the author's extensive historical research into the characters and the times.I would recommend this novel for those readers that appreciate Historical Fiction.I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
    • 3/5
      I liked the book. I wish I'd remembered that it was based on 2 real women who from the time. The story is based on their very interesting lives.
    • 2/5
      I struggled a lot with this book. Other than the fact that they apparently served as the source for the expression “It Girl”, I did not understand the choice to write an entire book about Elinor and Lucy Sutherland. From an early age, the two sisters quarreled, treated each other and others poorly, and behaved in ways that certainly did not make me want to learn more about them. Whatever fleeting fame they each had was certainly overshadowed by their poor personal choices. I powered through it because I had committed to read and review it through LibraryThing, or I would have just put it aside. I received this ARC from LibraryThing and William Morrow. All opinions are my own.
    • 5/5
      Sisters, Lucy and Elinor Sutherland grew up on the sleepy island of Jersey. They were insatiably curious and had large ambitions; ambitions far bigger than the island. Upon meeting the notorious Lillie Langtry one day in their youth, the sisters decide that they will one day become much more. Through time, hard work and dedication, the two women eventually do realize their dreams. Lucy transforms into Lady Lucille Duff-Gordon fashion designer and entrepreneur extraordinaire. Elinor becomes Elinor Glyn, scandalous romance writer whose books went onto the big screen. Both Lucy and Elinor became the 'It' girls of their day; however, while both women excelled in their career goals, their dream came at a price in other areas of their life.Elinor and Lucy quickly pulled me into their world of daring, creativity and determination. I was amazed at what these two women accomplished in their lives, especially for women living in the early 1900's. The story follows Lucy and Elinor from their youth through later life bouncing back and forth between the two women. The writing showed the 'it' factor of each woman without laying it out. Lucy had amazing grit while opening up her own fashion enterprise and ingenuity enough to make change in the fashion world. Even though I knew of Lucille Duff-Gordon, mainly through her voyage on the Titanic, I never knew of her impacts on the fashion world and how they are carried through to the present. Lucille was the first to use live models and do runway presentations, she also led the way to get women out of corsets and into more natural silhouettes. I did not know much about Elinor Glyn, but it seemed that her style of romance writing had an impact on many people. It also seemed that she made an impact on Hollywood romance as well! While the sister's careers and social standings skyrocketed, I was surprised to see that their personal and family lives took a toll. Both women struggled in marriage and didn't seem to have strong relationships with their children, often living in separate countries. This imbalance, to me, was a strong commentary on the lives of women at the time, showing that even successful, strong women had to choose either career or family. Overall, a wonderful portrait of two strong, important women in history. This book was provided for free in return for an honest review
    • 5/5
      This is awesome! I was able to talk about the book after I read it. You did well! If you have some great stories like this one, you can publish it on Novel Star, just submit your story to hardy@novelstar.top or joye@novelstar.top
    • 4/5
      *I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*Having only previously encountered Lady Duff Gordon as a secondary character in novels about the Titanic, I was delighted to learn more about her life and that of her novelist sister in this novel. I appreciated how ambitious both Lucile and Elinor are, particularly for their time period and how each dealt with unhappy marriages. I'd highly recommend this book for historical fiction fans and I want to read more about these amazing women.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Beginning in 1875 and spanning several decades, The It Girls by Karen Harper is a fictionalized novel about real life sisters, Lucy (Lucile) & Elinor (Nellie) Sutherland.

      Rising from humble beginnings, Lucy and Elinor's professional lives took divergent paths, but their personal lives bear startling similarities. Both women are rather impetuous and neither of them make the best decisions regarding the men in their lives. Each of their marriages are somewhat disastrous and they both embark on somewhat scandalous love affairs. Lucy's love of fashion results in a lucrative career as a designer while Elinor goes on to enjoy success as an author even though her books are rather risqué.  Lucy survives the sinking of the Titantic and later goes on to face a few legal challenges regarding her fashion designs.  In addition to her novels, Elinor pens a few screenplays and mingles with some the famous actors of the silent film era.

      Despite the sisters'  fascinating accomplishments, The It Girls is rather slow moving and a little choppy since the novel covers several decades of their lives. The characterization of the women is a little superficial and despite their very different interests, they lack individuality on paper.  While the story is not without flaws, Karen Harper effectively brings attention to two successful women who were very much ahead their time.
    • 2/5
      For someone who's written so many novels, you'd think Karen Harper would be better at it.

      The lives of the Sutherland sisters are interesting, but honestly you'd be better served just reading their Wikipedia pages and being done with it. You'd certainly have a better idea of when and where events took place, since this book leaps around all over the place. A chapter might end and the next one take off two minutes later; or a page break might signify a gap of a couple of years.

      The book infodumps all over the place, and in the worst way: by having the characters work the information into their conversations. The result is that every character has the same stilted, unnatural voice, and the sisters argue in practically all their interactions. I'm still not sure if they were meant to be at each other's throats all the time, or if it was just because of the author using them as mouthpieces to dispense information.

      Potentially interesting scenes (such as Lucile's first fashion show) are cut short. We hear a lot about how divorce would harm Lucile's business prospects... but then a chapter later she's apparently divorced and nothing more has been said about it. Elinor is kidnapped (maybe?) in Warsaw, but with no suggestion as to why or who might responsible.

      It seems Harper did a lot of research for this novel, but I can't say I'm impressed with her efforts to turn historical fact into "fiction". The worst part is that now I've seen her bibliography all her other works sound interesting, and I know that at some point I'll convince myself to give her another chance despite this mediocre effort.
    • 3/5
      3.5 STARS ...which means its an interesting novel but somewhat lacking. Two rather self-centered sisters that actually lived around the turn of the 20th century...... but not sure what made them "IT" girls tho? Successful in their chosen fields ( fashion and film ) but narcissistic and bonded for life. Was that what it was all about in that era? Times had changed i understand. The definition of what becomes a lady was evolving. Gumption is a great thing but only when used positively.... I chalk it up to the machinations of the changing times.Anyway, Nellie and Lucy truly existed, a product of the times, their stories are intriguing but this book tried to chunk too much in-between the covers.
    • 3/5
      For those that enjoy reading historical fiction, this will be book you'll want to read. The story revolves around two sisters who are ambitious and rose from genteel poverty to become successful in their careers at a time when it was considered vulgar for ladies to make work and make their own money.Lucy (who later is known as Lucille) is a fashion designer who actually survives the sinking of the Titanic. Nellie (who is later referred to as Elinor) becomes a novelist known for her racy books that are sometime banned for being too sexy and not acceptable for readers.Both sisters marry badly, but always manage to take control of their lives. It was fascinating to read about all the famous people these two sisters mingled with, the Titanic sinking and their life spanning many decades from the late 1800s to the 1930s and beyond.Character depth was lacking and sometimes the book seemed to drone on the same conversations for too long, but it was interesting to learn about these two women that most people today may not have known about. I received a complimentary copy via Lbrarything Early Reviewers in exchange for a review.