2018 MARKS 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HOUDINI –
LONDON AFFAIR
New historical novel reveals details of the love triangle.
Houdini “stirred me to the deep” – Charmian London’s diary
2018 kicks off with a provocative novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF MRS.
LONDON, by Rebecca Rosenberg, about Jack and Charmian London’s fateful meeting
with Harry and Bess Houdini.
“One
of Houdini’s best kept secrets was his affair with Charmian London in 1918. Now
Rebecca Rosenberg tells the story using an elegant blend of fact and fiction,
creating a Houdini book like no other. THE
SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON is a true peek behind the curtain and a
page-turner.” –John Cox, wildabouthoudini.com
November,
1915. The Londons attended the Great Houdini Magic Show at the Orpheum
Theatre in Oakland, California, where Houdini performed his Chinese Water
Torture Chamber Act. The couples dined afterwards and became fast friends, spending
Thanksgiving together, and keeping up a lively friendship which lasted until
Houdini’s death.
January,
1918. Charmian London traveled to New York to see Houdini in the
patriotic World War I extravaganza, "Cheer Up" at the Hippodrome
Theater, where he famously made a five-ton elephant disappear on stage. Most of
the evidence of their affair comes from Charmian London's diaries at the
Huntington Library in Pasadena, California. Charmian wrote that after they saw
each other a few times, Houdini made a "declaration" that
"rather shakes me up." They became intimate a short time later. She
wrote that Houdini’s visits "stirred me to the deep," and that he
felt the same, declaring, "I'm mad about you," and "I give all
of myself to you." Throughout, she refers to him alternately as
"Magic," her "Magic Man," or "Magic Lover."
My
Thoughts…
I have
been a historical fiction fan forever and was intrigued by The Secret Life of
Mrs. London. Jack London was an
unknown to me. I am not familiar with
his writing, his life, or anything else about him. It was interesting to learn about him in
a fiction book, but still walk away with facts about his life. He was not overly likable, the way he
treated those close to him was not something that I could understand. He was entirely into himself, his needs, and
the way he wanted those in the public to perceive him. I struggled with his decisions and his
actions but they played a huge part of the story of Houdini and Charmian (Mrs.
London).
Houdini
is someone I am familiar with. He has
always intrigued me. I love magic and
risks he took while entertaining crowds has always interested me. The author, Rebecca Rosenberg, did an
amazing job of describing his shows, from the things he wore to the tricks her
did I could picture them as I was reading.
The relationship with his wife, Bessie, was sweet. There is no doubt he loved her but there was
more to their relationship.
Charmian
is not your typical wife. She is wife
to an eccentric writer who is very demanding of her while not always giving her
what she needs. Her devotion to Jack
London was unrequited. I wanted her to
be stronger, stand up to him, demand he give her the attention she needed.
The
Secret Life of Mrs. London is an amazing historical fiction story that I would
recommend picking up.
Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads
Purchase your copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or BookBub
“The Secret Life of
Mrs. London is a heart-wrenching portrait of a marriage between two people who
utterly depend on one another, but ultimately aren't enough for each other.
With skillful precision of language, Rosenberg weaves a narrative that defines the
complexities of love, passion and art. This is a perceptive, deeply moving
novel by a great new talent about a couple who has gone unnoticed in historical
fiction until now. Anyone who has ever loved another person will want to read
this book.”
–----Victoria
Kelly, author of Mrs. Houdini, a novel
THE
SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON, by Rebecca Rosenberg
San
Francisco, 1915. As
America teeters on the brink of world war, Charmian and her husband, famed
novelist Jack London, wrestle with genius and desire, politics and marital
competitiveness. Charmian longs to be viewed as an equal partner who put her
own career on hold to support her husband, but Jack doesn’t see it that
way…until Charmian is pulled from the audience during a magic show by escape
artist Harry Houdini, a man enmeshed in his own complicated marriage. Suddenly,
charmed by the attention Houdini pays her and entranced by his sexual magnetism,
Charmian’s eyes open to a world of possibilities that could be her escape.
As Charmian grapples with her urge to
explore the forbidden, Jack’s increasingly reckless behavior threatens her
dedication. Now torn between two of history’s most mysterious and charismatic
figures, she must find the courage to forge her own path, even as she fears the
loss of everything she holds dear.
The
Secret Life of Mrs. London, ISBN 9781542048736,
$14.95 Published by Lake Union, 1/30/18
Available locally
through Reader’s Books, Copperfield’s Books. Online Amazon, Barnes & Noble.
Wholesale: Ingram,
Baker and Taylor or Brilliance Publishing.
Author Rebecca Rosenberg
A California native, Rebecca Rosenberg lives on a lavender farm
with her family in Sonoma, the Valley of the Moon, where Jack London wrote from
his Beauty Ranch. Rebecca is a long-time student of Jack London’s works and an
avid fan of his daring wife, Charmian London. THE
SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON is her debut novel, following her
non-fiction, LAVENDER FIELDS OF AMERICA.
Rebecca and her husband, Gary, founded the largest lavender
product company in America, selling to 4000 resorts, spas and gift stores. The
Rosenbergs believe in giving back to the Sonoma Community, supporting many
causes through financial donations and board positions, including Jack
London Park, Worth Our Weight, an
educational culinary program for at-risk children, YWCA shelter for abused women, Luther Burbank Performing Arts
Center to provide performances for children, Sonoma Food Bank, Sonoma Boys and Girls Club, and
the Valley of the Moon Children's
Home.
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