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

2.0

I loved the subject of this book and the writing was decent. I HATED the structure of the book. HATED IT. By 3/4 of the way through I was so frustrated with the structure I almost gave up. The two timelines gimmick didn't work. It was awkward and confusing and annoying. I learned a lot about Gypsy Rose Lee and the stories about her were entertaining. I just would have enjoyed it more if it were told linearly. In her acknowledgements Ms. Abbott thanks Laura Jacobs for sharing her research for a Vanity Fair article she wrote about Gypsy Rose Lee in 2002. I read that article and now wish I had simply read it instead of bothering with this book. Here's a link to the article. Save yourself the trouble.
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2003/03/inspiration-story-gypsy-musical