The Life She Wanted
The Life She Wanted transports readers to glittering Jazz Age New York as Pandora Carmichael seeks to have it all—a wealthy husband, children, and a career as a fashion designer. It is 1926, and Pandora is simmering with dreams of her future. Despite being raised alongside the wealthy Van Luyen siblings, Pandora is the daughter of the family’s tennis instructor. She may go to glamorous house parties, but her lack of fortune could spell an end to her aspirations. When Pandora makes the acquaintance of Harley Enright, her hopes are renewed. But marriage to the wealthy scion comes with strings attached, and Pandora soon finds herself in a gilded cage.
The premise of the novel promises an indomitable heroine prepared to do anything to achieve her dreams. Pandora is plucky and determined, but often misguided. She is eighteen when the novel opens but has the emotional intelligence of a child. She stumbles through the story, making nonsensical decisions, rarely learning anything from the situations facing her. Somehow, Pandora manages to achieve her goals by the novel’s end.
There are other problems with the novel, specifically a fundamental misunderstanding of historical social norms. Early in the narrative, Pandora withdraws funds from a bank account when most banks did not allow women this privilege in the 1920s. Later, a major character is arrested for indecency (being homosexual); while the character is imprisoned, a protester sets the jail on fire. This is a highly unlikely scenario, as the backlash against the flourishing gay culture of this period did not begin until the 1930s.
Ultimately, The Life She Wanted fails to deliver on its exciting premise, but may appeal to those looking for a frothy read by the poolside this summer.
