PROGRAMME TODAY TALKING FRANK SINATRA AND SANDRA HOWARD. REVIEWING HER NEW BOOK

Frank Sinatra and Sandra Howard in 1961

Big pile of books to read. Have now finished Sandra Howard's new book TELL THE GIRL. Will be talking about it on radio next Wednesday, 10 September. Our presenter is the lovely Michelle Ward and our guest writer in the studio is Mary Kenyon.  Mary's life has been fascinating and she will tell us about the books she has written and her work with her one time employer, Graham Greene - now there's someone I would have enjoyed meeting (let alone working alongside).

The author of the month is Sandra Howard who just happens to be our fabulous patron at the Society of Writers & Journalists. TELL THE GIRL is  Sandra's fifth novel and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Sandra was a famous model in the 1960s and she has used her life experiences as the basis for her story. 

We learn much about '60s London and the protagonist, Susannah Forbes, a sought-after model whose face is regularly on the cover of Vogue and the glossies of the time. However, the girl is struggling with her crumbling marriage and when her baby is born, she becomes a single mother. There's a fast, pacy feel to this book and it is very much a page-turner.

This book obviously  mirrors Sandra Howard's own life,as she is a contemporary of mine and I certainly remember seeing her in the many glamorous ads of the time. She, too, has led a fascinating life and has indeed met the great names, such as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and a couple of US presidents along the way, which, incidentally, she mentions in her book. 

Our team at the SWWJ were thrilled when Sandra joined our society as a Patron and we appreciate the say she invariably takes an active part in our celebrations and events.