A Map to Paradise [Large Print]

By Susan Meissner

Book Overview

1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle. With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Large Print: Yes
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1420532774
• ISBN13: 9781420532777
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Large Print Press
• Length: 494 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Poignant

“Living in truth, even if it is difficult, had to be better than living in fear.” This is my first Susan Meissner book and it was quite enjoyable. The author's writing style plays out like a movie and the three women - Melanie, Eva, and June - were unique and memorable. I didn't know much about the fire of 1956 that swept through southern California and The Cold War era in Hollywood so it was interesting to be immersed in this time period. I didn't love Melanie; she was too self-absorbed until about halfway through the book. She did a lot of growing up and maturing from that point on and proved herself to be loyal and steadfast. Eva had a lot of hurt and grief which came out in bits and pieces throughout the book; her history was a bit dark and complex, which was a given for a displaced person during WWII. June had some surprising twists and turns in her part of the tale and I enjoyed the friendship that she and Eva formed relatively quickly. One after another, their secrets were revealed but these tragic secrets ended up bringing the women together. All three women had to face their fears and overcome them to move forward, past the things that held them stagnant at a standstill. It is a general fiction book without any faith thread and did contain a tiny bit of swearing. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Berkley Publishing via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.