The Liz Taylor Ring

 “The Liz Tylor Ring” by Brenda Janowitz  384 pages 

If y’all follow my reviews, y’all know that I’m often drawn to a book by its title and cover. Well, let me tell you, this book has both: an awesome cover and an equally awesome title. While I might not be the biggest Elizabeth Taylor fan, I am a huge fan of Old Hollywood glamor. 

There are two alternating timelines in this wonderful novel: 1968-69 and present day. It doesn’t even matter that Liz Taylor plays a tiny role in the novel. 

In 1968, Lizzie Morgan starts to date Ritchie Schneider. Lizzie’s parents are against the match as Ritchie dated Maggie, Lizzie older sister, several years prior. But no one can keep Lizzie and Ritchie apart. Their loves grows deep and passionate. This timeline follows the couple’s relationship through both the good and the bad, but the fire cannot be extinguished…even after a nine-month separation. 

The separation is where the ring comes into the picture (no pun intended). To facilitate the end of their separation, Ritchie buys Lizzie an 11-carat, flawless diamond ring, much like the one Richard Burton bought for Elizabeth Taylor, but much smaller (Liz’s was 33- carats.). The ring has disappeared and each of their three children is sure they know what happened to it. 

The oldest, Abby, and her husband, Gary, work in the clothing story that Ritchie founded. Its survival can be attributed to Abby’s creative ideas and marketing skills, taking the store into the 21^st century. “Addy was sure (the ring) had been stolen, back in 2008.” 

The middle child, Nathan, is having a domestic problem of his own. He isn’t sure he wants to be married to Diego any more. “Nathan is convinced that Lizzie, her Alzheimer’s rapidly progressing, placed it in Ritchie’s casket when he died in 2015.” 

The youngest is Courtney, twelve years younger than Abby and Nathan. Abby is jealous of Courtney, and Nathan seems indifferent. She has even bigger problems than her old siblings. Courtney knows “for a fact the ring had been gambled away in the fall of 2006.” 

The siblings are contacted by a bank in the Cayman Islands. Ritchie had a secret safety deposit box. The three fly down, unsure of what, if anything, they will find. And to all three’s astonishment, the ring is in the box. And yes, it is real. Each sibling has definite ideas of what should be done with it that wildly contradicts the others. 

This was an easy read, a quick “beach read” if I may, about family relationships. “The Liz Taylor Ring” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.