A review by charlotte_owl
American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee by Karen Abbott

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. While, as some people commented, it didn't go in chronological order like a normal biography would, I still liked it. The book focuses on three different main perspectives. Gypsy before she becomes famous, Gypsy after her popularity has waned a bit, and the history of burlesque in general. These three threads eventually intertwine. I thought separating the story into three threads was actually a bit clever. By switching from when Gypsy was a child, to after her popularity has waned, you find yourself on the seat of your chair, wondering how Gypsy managed to get so popular to begin with. Or, at least, that was my reaction.

In the end, this is the story of a girl who desperately wanted to be famous, and how she managed to do that, despite the odds against her. She lost a bit of herself along the way, and in the end you have to wonder, who is Gypsy Rose Lee? She herself did not know.