Mazie
-
- $4.99
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
*"Deserves a standing ovation." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
*" This is a terrific and realistic piece of historical fiction that is perfect for theater lovers and historical fiction fans." --SLC (starred review)
*"The peppy first-person narrative keeps the story zipping along, and adroitly placed period details make the setting come alive in this bighearted, exuberant novel." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
An eighteen-year-old aspiring actress trades in starry Nebraska skies for the bright lights of 1950s Broadway in this show-stopping novel from award-winning author Melanie Crowder.
Mazie has always longed to be on Broadway. But growing up in her small Nebraska town, that always seemed like an impossible dream. So when an opportunity presents itself to spend six weeks auditioning, Mazie jumps at the chance, leaving behind everything--and everyone--she's ever known.
New York City is a shock to the senses: thrilling, but lonely. Auditions are brutal. Mazie's homesick and she misses the boyfriend whose heart she broke when she left. Nothing is as she expected.
With money running out, and faced with too many rejections to count, Mazie is more determined than ever to land a role. But when she discovers that booking a job might mean losing sight of herself, everything Mazie always thought she wanted is called into question.
Mazie is the story of a girl caught between two lives--and two loves--as she navigates who she is, what matters most, and the cost of following her dream.
Praise for Mazie:
"Entertaining and heartfelt."-- Booklist
"Mazie’s authenticity makes this novel stand out. Recommended for all collections, especially where theater is popular."– School Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Love, identity, and showbiz take center stage in Crowder's (Audacity) latest, set in 1959. Mazie Butterfield, 17, who is white and strawberry blonde, has known all her life that she'll leave her family's Nebraska farm for Broadway. Making the most of her small town's available resources, she's worked hard at singing and dancing, performed in local productions, and saved up from her job as a roller-skating waitress at the Frosty Top drive-in diner. When she unexpectedly gains the funds for six weeks in New York City, she knows it's time to go—even if it wounds her close-knit family. Following her ambitions also means that Mazie must leave behind her boyfriend, Jesse, who has high-flying dreams of his own but is committed to taking over his family's farm. From her new home in Mrs. Cooper's Manhattan boarding house for theatrical young ladies, Mazie brings zest and discipline to auditioning, and as her career starts to take off, Mazie must find a way to stay true to her roots while embracing her expanding world. The peppy first-person narrative keeps the story zipping along, and adroitly placed period details make the setting come alive in this bighearted, exuberant novel. Ages 12–up.
