Editorial Content for The Life Fantastic: A Novel in Three Acts
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
THE LIFE FANTASTIC is an exploration into the spirit of Vaudeville during the early 1900’s, through a look at the life of Teresa (Resa for short) as she comes of age.
Born into a Vaudeville family, Teresa’s parents have since fallen out of the performing life. Now, entering her teenage years, Teresa longs to experience the thrill of singing on the road. However, her father has other plans, despite her obvious talent. Determined not to allow her to follow in their footsteps, Teresa’s parents refuse to let her anywhere near a performance venue, intending for her to find a steady job at one of the nearby businesses. Unable and unwilling to accept this stifling future, and feeling the pull of a life on the road, Teresa runs away to New York to try and prove herself on the Vaudeville stage.
"The language and the action of THE LIFE FANTASTIC prove that the author did her research...Ketchum manages to capture the unique flavor and tone of the era of Vaudeville..."
The only problems? She finds herself with an unexpected stowaway and it turns out that becoming a star is harder than she ever imagined. Along the way she meets many different actors, including Maeve, her “mentor” of sorts and close friend, and Pietro Jones and his father, both talented Vaudeville dancers. African American Pietro exposes Teresa to the harsh racial prejudices of the early 1900s and makes her question social norms as she works to prove herself onstage and find her place in society.
Overall, THE LIFE FANTASTIC is a fairly quick historical read that lends itself to younger readers. While racial prejudice is an issue that permeates the entire story in a thought-provoking way, the other conflicts that Teresa deals with, both internal and external, are often “glossed over” --- resolved quickly to keep the tone of the book lighter in a way that appeals more to younger teens. Also, despite her age of 15, Teresa's actions and thoughts make her seem slightly younger than her given age, another reason why the novel may not resonate with older teens, but rather younger ones. The only real weakness of the book was its occasional lack of elaboration --- it feels at times as if scenes and characters are not always described as well as they could be, keeping the reader from fully immersing in the story.
For example, the book might have benefited from more development at the beginning of the novel to help the reader bond with Teresa, the main character --- without this connection, Teresa’s struggles and accomplishments do not resonate as much with the reader. However, Liza Ketchum creates a story as vibrant as the era itself, and the performers’ continual effort to find new jobs and prove themselves to every new audience in the hopes of one day finding stardom gives the book an exciting flavor --- there is always something to be done, somewhere to go, something to dream of, that propels the characters forward.
But perhaps the greatest strength of the story is the historical accuracy tangible in the novel. The language and the action of THE LIFE FANTASTIC proves that the author did her research: more than this, though, Ketchum manages to capture the unique flavor and tone of the era of Vaudeville --- the bond of shared dreams and challenges that connected performers as a family. The excitement of the era carries into the novel, making THE LIFE FANTASTIC a fun and quick read for younger teens.
Teaser
In Brattleboro, Vermont, 15-year-old Teresa LeClair --- who has a "voice like a nightingale" --- remembers the thrill of singing onstage as a child. Determined to escape the life her father wants for her, Teresa wins an amateur singing contest in Brattleboro's opera house and steals away on the night train to New York. There she runs into Pietro Jones and his father, talented African American dancers. At a time when young black men could be lynched for simply looking at a white girl, Pietro understands, better than Teresa, the danger of their relationship.
Promo
In Brattleboro, Vermont, 15-year-old Teresa LeClair --- who has a "voice like a nightingale" --- remembers the thrill of singing onstage as a child. Determined to escape the life her father wants for her, Teresa wins an amateur singing contest in Brattleboro's opera house and steals away on the night train to New York. There she runs into Pietro Jones and his father, talented African American dancers. At a time when young black men could be lynched for simply looking at a white girl, Pietro understands, better than Teresa, the danger of their relationship.
About the Book
Will Teresa Find Fame But Lose Her Soul?
It's 1913 and vaudeville is America's most popular form of entertainment. Thousands of theaters across the country host vaudeville troupes. In Brattleboro, Vermont, fifteen-year-old Teresa LeClair --- who has a "voice like a nightingale" --- remembers the thrill of singing onstage as a child. But her parents have given up life on the road, and her father has decided that Teresa, blessed with perfect pitch, should drop out of school and work in the tuning rooms of the organ factory.
Determined to escape the life her father wants for her, Teresa wins an amateur singing contest in Brattleboro's opera house and steals away on the night train to New York. She hopes to become a star on Broadway's "Great White Way," but has no idea of the challenges that lie ahead. There she runs into Pietro Jones and his father, talented African American dancers. Teresa and Pietro become competitors as well as unlikely friends.
At a time when young black men could be lynched for simply looking at a white girl, Pietro understands, better than Teresa, the danger of their relationship. Teresa's quest to find her voice onstage and in her life, far from the support of her family, takes place against a complex racial backdrop of American history.
