Jillian Cantor's beautiful new novel...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Galen Evans

Jillian Cantor first visited CLC in 2010, to share a surreal novel she wrote, The Transformation of Things. Since then, she has written some amazing historical fiction novels and she has a new one out now called Beautiful Little Fools, which is a new look at The Great Gatsby. She's here to chat with us about it today, and thanks to HarperCollins, we have THREE copies to give away!

Jillian Cantor has a BA in English from Penn State University and an MFA from the University of Arizona. She is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of eleven novels for teens and adults, which have been chosen for LibraryReads, Indie Next, Amazon Best of the Month, and have been translated into 13 languages. Born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, Cantor currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons. (Bio adapted from Jillian's website.)

Visit Jillian online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

On a sultry August day in 1922, Jay Gatsby is shot dead in his West Egg swimming pool. To the police, it appears to be an open-and-shut case of murder/suicide when the body of George Wilson, a local mechanic, is found in the woods nearby.

Then a diamond hairpin is discovered in the bushes by the pool, and three women fall under suspicion. Each holds a key that can unlock the truth to the mysterious life and death of this enigmatic millionaire. 

Daisy Buchanan once thought she might marry Gatsby—before her family was torn apart by an unspeakable tragedy that sent her into the arms of the philandering Tom Buchanan.

Jordan Baker, Daisy’s best friend, guards a secret that derailed her promising golf career and threatens to ruin her friendship with Daisy as well.

Catherine McCoy, a suffragette, fights for women’s freedom and independence, and especially for her sister, Myrtle Wilson, who’s trapped in a terrible marriage.

Their stories unfold in the years leading up to that fateful summer of 1922, when all three of their lives are on the brink of unraveling. Each woman is pulled deeper into Jay Gatsby’s romantic obsession, with devastating consequences for all of them.

Jillian Cantor revisits the glittering Jazz Age world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, retelling this timeless American classic from the women’s perspective. Beautiful Little Fools is a quintessential tale of money and power, marriage and friendship, love and desire, and ultimately the murder of a man tormented by the past and driven by a destructive longing that can never be fulfilled. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Jillian Cantor’s shifting kaleidoscope of female perspectives makes F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic tale of Jazz Age longing and lust feel utterly modern. A breathtaking accomplishment.” 

-- Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue

"Glittering with intrigue, full of fast-paced tension, and saturated in Jazz Age decadence, this powerful exploration of the women of The Great Gatsby will forever change the way you see the American classic--and perhaps, too, the role of women in all the stories we take for granted." 

-- Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars

“Jillian Cantor beautifully re-crafts an American classic in Beautiful Little Fools, placing the women of The Great Gatsby center stage: more than merely beautiful, not so little as the men in their lives assume, and certainly far from foolish. Both fresh and familiar, this page-turner is one to savor!” 

-- Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing? 
The best compliment is someone saying they couldn’t put my book down. I always crave that experience as a reader myself, so it’s a huge compliment if someone says that about my books. 

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Beautiful Little Fools?
I’ve always been a huge fan of The Great Gatsby but have always believed there was more to the women’s stories too. The rewards were getting to delve deep into a book I love and being able reimagine it in a new and feminist way. This was also the challenge, though -- figuring out how to tell my own story while also staying true to the original. 

If Beautiful Little Fools were made into a movie, what are some songs that would be on the soundtrack? 
Female jazz singers would definitely dominate the soundtrack. “No Good Man” by Nina Simone, “Summertime” by Ella Fitzgerald, and “Good Morning Heartache” by Billie Holiday to name a few. 

What is something you learned about yourself during the pandemic? 
I’m truly happiest when I’m spending time with my husband and kids so all the cancelled events and outings for all of us, while sometimes disappointing, weren’t actually always the worst thing. 

What is your most recent binge watch? 
I got obsessed with Korean dramas during the pandemic, so that’s mostly what I’ve been binging for the last year, one series after another. Anything Mindy Kaling does is also a must-watch for me, so I also just binged The Sex Lives of College Girls. 

What is something you are looking forward to in 2022? 
Beautiful Little Fools finally being out in the world of course! But also, hopefully being able to travel with my family more again. 

Thanks to Jillian for visiting with us and HarperCollins for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends February 8th at midnight EST.

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