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ambershelf 's review for:
Mercury Pictures Presents
by Anthony Marra
After a childhood misdeed leading to her father's incarceration in Rome, Maria Lagana and her mother immigrated to LA to escape the increasingly authoritarian government. Maria moves to Hollywood as an associate producer at Mercury Pictures to further reinvent herself. But she can't outrun the past. On the eve of America's entry into World War II, an acquaintance of her father arrives with unsettling news. As Maria's past finally catches up, she must face her childhood transgression, confront her father's uncertain fate, and reimagine a future for herself in a country she now calls her own.
I adore Marra's writing style, which seamlessly blends humor, sorrow, and optimism. Going in, I was a bit skeptical of a WWII read set in Hollywood, but I was pleasantly surprised by its depth. MERCURY explores the meaning of Hollywood as a place for immigrants to reinvent themselves during a tumultuous time when antisemitism was on the rise, German and Italian immigrants were suspected of being spies, and Asian Americans were reduced to stereotypes. Other themes explored in the book include the media's complicity in pushing war propaganda, America's internal racial tensions in a time that requires a united front, and the choices one is forced to make to survive. At 400+ pages, MERCURY is a chunky yet captivating read.
MERCURY is a WWII epic with a cast of different characters told through flashbacks that allow the readers to glimpse a fraction of the past for each character. There are a lot of details, not just on the main protagonists but on supporting characters as well. In this sense, MERCURY reminds me of BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND (Juhea Kim) and MALIBU RISING (Taylor Jenkins Reid). MERCURY worked well for me because of the scattered time I have to read during year-end, but those looking for a plot-centered read or more focused character developments might find MERCURY to scratch the surface level. With expansive world-building and lyrical writing, MERCURY is a mesmerizing read I'd recommend to those looking for hopeful historical fiction.
I adore Marra's writing style, which seamlessly blends humor, sorrow, and optimism. Going in, I was a bit skeptical of a WWII read set in Hollywood, but I was pleasantly surprised by its depth. MERCURY explores the meaning of Hollywood as a place for immigrants to reinvent themselves during a tumultuous time when antisemitism was on the rise, German and Italian immigrants were suspected of being spies, and Asian Americans were reduced to stereotypes. Other themes explored in the book include the media's complicity in pushing war propaganda, America's internal racial tensions in a time that requires a united front, and the choices one is forced to make to survive. At 400+ pages, MERCURY is a chunky yet captivating read.
MERCURY is a WWII epic with a cast of different characters told through flashbacks that allow the readers to glimpse a fraction of the past for each character. There are a lot of details, not just on the main protagonists but on supporting characters as well. In this sense, MERCURY reminds me of BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND (Juhea Kim) and MALIBU RISING (Taylor Jenkins Reid). MERCURY worked well for me because of the scattered time I have to read during year-end, but those looking for a plot-centered read or more focused character developments might find MERCURY to scratch the surface level. With expansive world-building and lyrical writing, MERCURY is a mesmerizing read I'd recommend to those looking for hopeful historical fiction.