I Want to Be Doris Day

By Josephine Wesley

It's 1958, the fabulous fifties are in full force, and the Middletons have just moved from London to Watford. Eleven-year-old Alice Middleton soon becomes best friends with twelve-year-old Nigel, who reveals to her that he has always believed he's actually a girl. Affectionately dubbing him "Doris" after their favorite actress, Doris Day, Alice swears to keep his secret safe. Meanwhile, as she watches Nigel struggle through the confusion of his sexuality-at a time when homosexuality is a criminal offence-Alice begins to realize that her friend isn't the only one burdened with a secret tragedy. A candid coming-of-age novel, "I Want to Be Doris Day" is a story of family and friendship that follows the residents of Belmont Place, an old Victorian boarding house. A vibrant cast of middle- and working-class characters, they navigate England from the 1950s through the 1960s, bravely living out the famous lyrics Doris Day sang-"Que sera, sera, / Whatever will be, will be"-as they learn to choose compassion over bigotry and strive to hold onto hope even amid the bleakest of tragedies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1500941573
• ISBN13: 9781500941574
• Release Date: October 2014
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.7" x 5.5"