Red Letter Days

I devoured this book! As you all know by now, I’m a sucker for historical fiction and novels told in different POVs, so ‘Red Letter Days’ was right up my alley. Stratford tells the unique story of two strong, badass women that are based on real life women writers during the Red Scare. Even the more minor characters had complex personalities and stories that pulled me into the novel. It was as if an old movie was playing throughout my head with the likes of Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Doris Day, and other Golden Age Hollywood royalty playing the parts. One relationship in the story (which I’m trying not to spoil) had the back and forth banter reminiscent of Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in ‘Charade.’

The book was not only wonderfully descriptive and detailed, but I also learned new things about the Red Scare and HUAC that I hadn’t known before. It was refreshing to have a historical fiction novel that wasn’t about World War 2, although I do love those and will still continue reading them, but now I need more 1950’s stories!