With the tagline of “A Lucille Ball Story,” I was under the impression that this novel would be a factual/fictional account of the Lucy and Desi’s rocky marriage, their triumph of making television history, and what it was like to co-own a television production company in a male-dominated industry. I’ll admit that while I’m not the hugest fan of Lucy’s comedy, but I have always admired her shrewd business acumen.
But upon getting my hands on this novel,
I quickly learned that it, really, has nothing to do Lucy’s real life. It is a
smash-up of memoir and fantasy based on a “what if” scenario. Granted that is
what writing fiction is based on, but author Strauss takes such liberties with
timelines (Desi Jr’s birth year is wrong) and events that the whole concept is outlandish.
The novel is based on a Strauss family
myth that the author’s grandfather had a torrid affair with Miss Ball. The
writing is convoluted, with multiple plot lines showing up in almost every
paragraph. I was looking for some shred of evidence that Strauss’ ancestor’s story
was true, but found none.
Avoid this novel at all costs. “The Queen of Tuesday” receives 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
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