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'A cracker' Patrick McCabe
'An irresistible comedy' Luke Kennard
Laura Cassidy is going all the way. Hollywood. Starry lights. The Walk of Fame. It's her destiny. At least, that's what her movie-obsessed father used to tell her. That was always the plan.
Sure, it's been a bit slow-going, but the stars have finally aligned. The long-awaited new theatre is about to open, and their first production calls for a particularly fiery female lead. This part has Laura's name on it.
There's her meddlesome older sister to get past - freshly returned from saving the world. Her occasional lover and stand-in leading man seems to think it's all a waste of time. And probably best not to mention the audition to her mother, especially after what happened last time . . . Laura just has to stay one step ahead of them all.
Channelling the era of Hollywood's silver screen and told in a voice that blends devil humour, quiet mayhem, and a singled-minded optimism that might just lead to disaster, Laura Cassidy's Walk of Fame tells the story of a troubled soul desperate to find her place in life.
About the author
Alan McMonagle has written for radio, published two collections of short stories: Liar, Liar and Psychotic Episodes – both of which were nominated for the Frank O’Connor Award – and contributed stories to many journals in Ireland and North America. He lives in Galway. His debut novel, Ithaca, was published in 2017.
Summary
The darkly comic story of one woman’s determination to make it from her small home town to fame on the silver screen: a story of ambition, tragedy, and the lies we tell ourselves in pursuit of our dreams.
Foreword
The darkly comic story of one woman’s determination to make it from her small home town to fame on the silver screen: a story of ambition, tragedy, and the lies we tell ourselves in pursuit of our dreams.
Additional text
My heart was broken for Laura, yet I felt hope, that her facility for fantasy, which is no doubt delusional, is also for her, a haven of starry optimism, a world where dreams remain in tact in spite of reality adamantly saying otherwise. Heartbreaking, warm, funny, relevant and insightful.
Report
A witty and engaging heroine with a Holden Caulfield sensitivity to both phoniness and vulnerability . . . We can't help but admire her heroic imperviousness to reality. After all, few people in this story aren't deluded to some extent. But then, who isn't? Daily Mail
