Piece of my Heart is unlike the books I normally read, as I usually favour murder mysteries and self-help, but I was interested in the high fashion aspect of the story and the semi-autobiographical element, so I thought I would read something different for a change, and I am so glad that I did.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish, as Ari moves from boarding school and the rural family estate, to 1960s London and then to spending time abroad. Ari goes through lots of highs and lows, but it remains a light-hearted, enjoyable read, the bleaker times are not dwelt on, and Ari is sensible enough to eventually get herself out of the scrapes that she has got herself into. The backdrop to the novel of 1960s fashion, photography, media, celebrity, music, culture and emancipation are so unmistakably of their time that you feel as if you have been a fly on the wall in what must have been an incredibly exciting decade.
A really strong, well-written debut from Penelope Tree that would make a great holiday read this summer.
Elizabeth Wickenden
Director Grapevine Media Group
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL FROM THE ICONIC 1960s SUPERMODEL
JOHN LENNON ON PENELOPE TREE
“HOT, HOT, HOT! SMART, SMART, SMART!”
Vogue cover model, face of the Swinging Sixties, and David Bailey’s muse, Penelope Tree was discovered aged 16 at Truman Capote’s legendary 1966 Black and White Ball and became one of the style icons of the decade, inspiring a generation of future models including Kate Moss.
Now 74, Penelope has written her first novel, Piece Of My Heart, an honest and strikingly moving exploration of what it takes to make it in the fashion industry, and a coming-of-age story peopled with larger than life characters from high society, fashion, music, and film.
This year’s Hideous Kinky, Penelope Tree’s autobiographical debut novel looks with brutal honesty at issues around eating disorders, drug addiction and unhealthy relationships, as well as the damaging and dizzying impact of sudden fame, and shares the inside scoop on ‘60s fashion and high society for the first time, including an intimate portrait inspired by her relationship with the photographer David Bailey, with whom she remains close to this day.
Fame. Money. Sex. Ari wants them all. And as the face of the 1960s they are hers for the taking. But how much is she willing to sacrifice to get them?
Trapped between the suffocation of English boarding school and a chaotic home dominated by her eccentric, wealthy, and politically powerful mother, Ari longs for a different kind of life – one lived in the glamour of London, with the pop stars and fashion icons she adores. It seems impossible, until she is discovered by Bill Ramsey – the notorious bad boy photographer of the Swinging Sixties.
Suddenly, Ari’s life is transformed into a dizzying whirlwind of drugs, photoshoots, sex, and parties and with Ramsey by her side, the hot young couple are the darlings of the media. But in the fickle world of fashion, nothing lasts forever – and Ari’s addictions, her eating disorder, and her increasingly dysfunctional relationship with Ramsey send her life spinning out of control.
A Vogue cover shoot in Nepal offers Ari a make-or-break chance, not just to revive her ailing career, but to win back Ramsey’s love, – the only thing that matters to her. But in the “land of the gods”, Ari finds herself wondering how much more of herself she must sacrifice to hold onto the things she thought she always wanted.
Daisy Jones and the Six meets Hideous Kinky, Penelope Tree’s debut is an honest and strikingly moving exploration of what we sacrifice for fame and love. It is based on Penelope’s own experiences as part of the swinging 60s set, alongside everyone from the Rolling Stones and The Beatles to Cecil Beaton and Truman Capote.
Penelope Tree says: “Piece of My Heart is a novel about the trouble with appearances. Born into a world of great privilege, my protagonist Ari becomes a top model in the 1960’s and the lover of a well-known photographer. Several years later, extreme circumstances compel her to look for a life that doesn’t depend on wealth, image or the man she loves.”
MOONFLOWER BOOKS | HARDBACK | 23rd MAY |£18.99
