Title: Parlor Games
Author: Maryka Biaggio
Narrator: Leslie Carroll
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
Audio: 13.7 hours
Year: 2013
Publisher: Random House Audio
Source: Jen
Book Rating: 4/5
Audio Rating: 4/5
Summary:
Through the use of two story lines – her trial in 1917 and her life story beginning in the 1880s – May Dugas takes us from her hometown in the upper penninsula of Michigan to Chicago, Shanghai, London, Denmark, Monte Carlo, and Mexico. Is May a con artist? Is she just a woman looking for love and success? Parlor Games lets you be her judge.
My Thoughts:
This book has a great opening. I was drawn in immediately and needed to know just what made May the “Most Dangerous Woman….”
May is an unreliable narrator, but aren’t those the best kind? For anyone with wanderlust and a desire to elevate their place in the world, Parlor Games will be a delightful journey and May will steal your heart, whether she deserves it or not.For anyone with wanderlust and a desire to elevate their place in the world, Parlor Games will be a delightful journey and May will steal your heart, whether she deserves it or not.
Random thought while reading this book: What happened to train travel in the U.S. since the early 19th Century? May zips around the country by train. I want to do that. So let’s make this happen, ok?
Audiobook Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Carroll’s narration. It took me about half the book to figure out who the voice reminded me of – Susan Lucci. And Susan Lucci could TOTALLY play May Dugas.
my books. my life. 
I love that she’s from the UP! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that in a book and I might just have to read it because of that 🙂
And you know this, but I feel the exact same way about trains. Why can’t I take them everywhere instead of driving or flying? My dream is to be able to take a train from Mt. Pleasant to Ann Arbor, but I know that’ll for sure never happen. Sigh.
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I also have this one on audio, and I can’t wait to get to it! I love an unreliable narrator, and I am so curious about how a woman who does all these wicked things can end up being lovable. I am so glad that you had such good experiences with this one. That means I will most likely enjoy it as well. I have thought about going to New York on a train, but haven’t quite succeeded in making that happen yet!
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I read this one recently. I agree about the author’s wonderful portrayal of the time period and the different locales, but the character of May fell flat for me. Maybe I needed to listen to it instead!
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I think you’d find this interesting,
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I’ve already got this one on my TBR but now you’ve got me considering the audio over print . . . .
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