Can't We Be Friends: A Novel of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe
(eBook)

Award-winning author Denny S. Bryce and USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight collaborate on a brilliant novel that uncovers the boundary-breaking, genuine friendship between Ella Fitzgerald, the Queen of Jazz, and iconic movie star Marilyn Monroe. One woman was recognized as the premiere singer of her era with perfect pitch and tireless ambition. One woman was the most glamorous star in Hollywood, a sex symbol who took the world by storm. And their friendship was fast and firm… 1952: Ella Fitzgerald is a renowned jazz singer whose only roadblock to longevity is society's attitude toward women and race. Marilyn Monroe's star is rising despite ongoing battles with movie studio bigwigs and boyfriends. When she needs help with her singing, she wants only the best-and the best is the brilliant Ella Fitzgerald. But Ella isn't a singing teacher and declines-then the two women meet, and to everyone's surprise but their own, they become fast friends. On the surface, what could they have in common? Yet each was underestimated by the men in their lives-husbands, managers, hangers-on. And both were determined to gain. Each fought for professional independence and personal agency in a time when women were expected to surrender control to those same men. This novel reveals and celebrates their surprising bond over a decade and serves as a poignant reminder of how true friendship can cross differences to bolster and sustain us through haunting heartbreak and wild success. "Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo...a dazzling depiction of passion, prohibition, and murder set in the night club scene of 1925 Chicago." - Shelf Awareness on Denny S. Bryce's Wild Women and the Blues "The music practically pours out of the pages of Denny S. Bryce's historical novel, set among the artists and dreamers of the 1920s." - OprahMag.com on Wild Women and the Blues "All the glitz and glamour of Jazz Age Chicago, along with all the mob violence, is artfully described by the Bryce in this richly told, historical fiction debut." - Booklist on Wild Women and the Blues "The Mayfair Bookshop is a moving, touching tale of a Bright Young Thing turned bookseller/author and her quest to find fulfillment, inspiration, and love in the chaos of the WWII home front. Eliza Knight brings Nancy Mitford to life as an appealing and uncertain young heroine in the days before she is burnished by fame and success-you cannot help but cheer her toward her destiny!" - Kate Quinn "Just as Adele Astaire received standing ovations for her performances, so too does Eliza Knight deserve to be similarly acclaimed for this book. I can't believe I'd never heard of this incredible woman and I loved how the novel shone a well-deserved spotlight on this less famous but exceptionally talented Astaire sibling. Bravo Eliza Knight-and please take a bow. You've written a showstopper of a story." - Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan "Starring Adele Astaire peels back the layers on Adele Astaire's life beyond the stage while highlighting how ferociously an intrepid dreamer must fight for an edge into the spotlight. Eliza Knight's in-depth research brings these stories to life in exquisite, vibrant detail that will captivate readers everywhere." - Madeline Martin, New York Times and international bestselling author "Long before Ginger Rogers came along, Fred Astaire's dance partner was his sister Adele who positively dazzles in Eliza Knight's latest work of historical fiction. We follow the spirited Adele from New York to London and beyond as she takes a young dancer under her wing. As their friendship grows, the women learn to juggle fame, love, loss and the devastation of war. Knight's fan will surely appreciate how she once again seamlessly weaves her research into this rich tale, delivering another wi...