Tall Poppy Heather Webb suggests Becoming Bonnie for your next #Friday Reads!
In Becoming Bonnie, we get to see the transformation from hard-working, church-going teen to gun-slinging legend—one half of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde duo. Bonnelyn Parker loves her family and knows exactly what she has to do to keep the electricity on, and the 
pantry full. If only she hadn’t lost her job at the diner. She quickly relies on her best friend Blanche to help her find work. Yet when Blanche tells her to change into a revealing shirt and red lipstick, and follow her to a dark jazz club, Bonnie’s nerves thrum with anxiety. What in God’s name could they be doing there? Certainly nothing she’s comfortable with.
Though working in a juice joint—speakeasy—isn’t what Bonnie wanted, nor expected, she rapidly adjusts, putting her keen mind and survival skills to good use. Soon, she finds herself pulled into a life of illegal booze runs, pistols, and clubs run by notorious men. Suddenly she realizes she’s not the simple and sweet southern girl she was raised to be.
What I like most about this book is its fresh approach. Nearly every roaring twenties novel I’ve read or seen advertised takes place in New York City, Chicago, or occasionally, a European capital. Dirt-poor, small town Texas (and Dallas) is a refreshing change and utterly fascinating. Debut author Jenni Walsh deftly pulls the reader into Bonnie’s world, and then deeper into her mind, so we see exactly how and when she made her choices—and her bed. I have to admit, I rooted for Bonnie to connect with Clyde all along, because who can resist a handsome, dangerous man who also happens to be your soul mate? Even if it means you’ll never be that good girl again.
Booze-soaked, southern-fried, and fully immersive, BECOMING BONNIE is a rocking good read. It releases May 9th from Tor. Here’s the official Description:
The summer of 1927 might be the height of the Roaring Twenties, but Bonnelyn Parker is more likely to belt out a church hymn than sling drinks at an illicit juice joint. She’s a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family’s poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. But when Roy springs a proposal on her, and financial woes jeopardize her ambitions, Bonnelyn finds salvation in an unlikely place: Dallas’s newest speakeasy, Doc’s.
Living the life of a moll at night, Bonnie remains a wholesome girl by day, engaged to Roy, attending school, and working toward a steady future. When Roy discovers her secret life, he embraces it—perhaps too much, especially when it comes to booze and gambling—she tries to make the pieces fit. Maybe she can have it all: the American Dream, the husband, and the intoxicating allure of jazz music. But her life—like her country—is headed for a crash.
Bonnie Parker is about to meet Clyde Barrow.
About Heather Webb:
Heather Webb is the author of historical novels BECOMING JOSEPHINE and RODIN’S LOVER, which have sold in six countries and have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Elle, France Magazine, and more, as well as received national starred reviews. RODIN’S LOVER was a Goodreads Pick of the month in 2015. Up and coming, LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS, an epistolary love story set during WWI will release October 3, 2017 from HarperCollins. Heather is also a professional freelance editor, foodie, and travel fiend.
