Now, Voyager, by Olive Higgins Prout
Now, Voyager is the novel that inspired one of Betty Davis’ most memorable films (1942) , and changed the way Americans smoked cigarettes.
Many cinema fans know that the 1940s were a box office heyday for Hollywood actresses. But many of us today don't realize that these great femme film vehicles were written by gifted women novelists, whose words brought these great characters to life.
Now, Voyager, the movie, was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by Library of Congress and concludes with one of the most famous romance quotes of cinema, "Don't let's ask for the moon! We have the stars!"
The book gives a deeper, more nuanced look into the psychological lives of women in 1930s America.
Charlotte Vale, an unattractive, overweight, repressed spinster whose life is dominated by her dictatorial mother.
The verbal and emotional abuse is so great, it brings Charlotte to the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her sister-in-law introduces her to a psychiatrist who recommends that she spend time in his sanatorium.
As soon as Charlotte is away from her mother, she blossoms. She opts to take a sea cruise instead of returning home-- smart move. On board the ship, she meets a married man, "Jerry" Jeremiah Durrance. Cue swelling violins!
This is one of the best tales of falling in love, ever. Charlotte's experience of her first kiss, of being called "darling" for the first time, is the pinnacle of romantic storytelling. Sigh...
Narrated by Coleen Marlo.
-AB and SB