The Little Shadows
Marina EndicottFIC Endic
The Little Shadows revolves around three sisters in the world of vaudeville before and during the First World War, ranging all across Western Canada and the United States. We follow the lives of all three in turn: Aurora, the eldest and most beautiful, who is sixteen when the book opens; thoughtful Clover, a year younger; and the youngest sister, joyous headstrong sprite Bella, who is thirteen.
If your reading of this book has intrigued you, you might want to explore this excerpt from a PBS documentary of vaudeville, featuring Blacks & Vaudeville
The girls, overseen by their fond but barely coping Mama, are forced to make their living as a singing act after the untimely death of their father. They begin with little besides youth and hope, but Marina Endicott’s genius is to show how the three girls slowly and steadily evolve into true artists even as they navigate their way to adulthood among a cast of extraordinary characters.
You can view a BookLounge interview with Marina Endicott talking about this book
Endicott’s website is also a wonderful resource, providing lots of extra resources on vaudeville, including a glossary of the lingo, playbills, and a list and links of vaudevillian music. Lots of fun to explore!
She also shares the UK version of the book cover… which do you prefer?
Don’t forget, if you read this book as part of SPL’s STARR Summer Reading program, you can claim 2 stamps on your Rewards Card, and also be eligible to vote during Ontario Public Library Week, October 20-26, to choose the winner of the Evergreen™ Award!
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