Fleur De Leigh's Life of Crime: A Novel

Fleur De Leigh?s Life of Crime is a comic and poignant novel about the tenaciousness with which a child ignored by her parents reaches out to the other adults who come and go in her life. Though her father Maurice is cold and distant and her mother Charmian is self-absorbed and superficial, Fleur de (the ?de? is silent she says) finds instruction and warmth from nannies, their boyfriends, the gardener and the occasional contestant in the game show produced by her father. Fleur is everything a reader looks for in a character: brave, resourceful, honest, and as other-focused as her parents are self-focused.A first novel for Hollywood-raised writer Diane Leslie, Fleur De Leigh?s Life of crime is an absorbing and memorable read. Set in the 1950?s McCarthy-era Hollywood, it offers an illuminating perspective on our own present-day culture and the roots thereof. Truly a wonderful reading experience.

What a magnifique story! Quelle fun! C'est tres bien! It's all about a pretentious Hollywood family, and - would you believe it? - the mother is from Pittsburgh yet spouts FRENCH! Porquoi would anyone in their right mind want to do THAT? The heroine is the woman's daughter, Fleur - and she's just incroyable! I highly recommend this entertaining, hilarious, true-to-life book.

Not only is Fleur delightful company one on one, she also provides great material for a lively group discussion. This is a fun and lighthearted read because of the author's artistry, but scratch softly on that lovely surface and things are boiling underneath.

Rarely do I find a novel that evokes so successfully both joyous laughter and tearful empathy- the main character, an endearing young girl, narrates a shockingly accurate, yet thoroughly entertaining portrayal of a 1950's Hollywood household. The many unforgettable characters she encounters throughout the story ensure a rewarding experience for the reader. My teenage daughter loved it as well. We both highly recommend it!

My buyer's remorse (having impulsively paid full price for an autographed first edition) soon dissolved into relief and delight as I was drawn into the 1950's Beverly Hills life and times of poor-little-rich-girl Fleur, who candidly but naively narrates her wistful story of growing up in the vacuous world of her show business parents. Her tale is peopled with a revolving cast of characters who are quirky but nonetheless well-drawn and engaging, even if many of them make only a brief cameo appearance. The pace is quick, the language fresh, and the scenes captivating. A thoroughly enjoyable, well-written first novel by a gifted author who, I hope, won't stop here.