Beguiled is a historical coming of age novel about Miriam Levine, born in 1900 in the immigrant enclave of Boston's old West End. From childhood, she dreamed of going on stage, fueled by her Pop's love of theater and adoration of her beauty and talents. An almost fatal mis-step forced her to postpone her plans until a serendipitous offer to accept an acting gig in New York compelled her to confront her inner demons and society's expectations. It didn't take long to find that her childhood fantasies "beguiled" her to seek "fool's gold."
The historical context of the decades before the Great Depression, the so-called Spanish flu, the Roaring Twenties, the role of immigrant families trying to create a good life, and suffrage —all these themes parallel contemporary concerns. The story is inspirational for young people and their parents who dearly wish to achieve the American Dream.
Will Miriam have the gumption to follow her dreams? Will those dreams yield her the happiness she seeks?
