Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen

February 1, 2020
Child actor Darleen's reality begins to resemble her weekly silent-film adventures. The once-beloved young "Darling Darleen" is now, in 1914, grown up at 12 and rebranded as "Daring Darleen," starring in weekly adventurous serial silent films. Despite an absent mother, Darleen's life has become routine at Matchless, her family's struggling film studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey, the early hub of American filmmaking. When her family learns of the upcoming debut of the Strand Theatre in Manhattan, they contrive a fake kidnapping of Darleen on opening night to draw publicity to her film series. When the stunt turns into not only a real kidnapping, but the abduction of Victorine Berryman, "the Poor Little Rich Girl herself, orphaned scion of the Berryman railroad empire," real adventures begin. In fittingly episodic chapters packed with smart dialogue, plucky characters, and dastardly villains, the girls must continuously save themselves from kidnappers out to steal Victorine's fortune at any cost. As Darleen continues to uphold her acting duties throughout the shenanigans, readers learn early tricks of the trade, with an appearance by groundbreaking filmmaker Alice Guy Blaché adding to the fun; the apparently all-white cast underscores the deep roots of #OscarsSoWhite. True to Darleen's work, the story leaves an open ending for a sequel. The concluding author's note offers even more facts about the silent-film age. Just like Darleen--a spunky blend of darling and daring. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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Starred review from February 17, 2020
In 1914 New Jersey, Daring Darleen, 12-year-old star of silent film adventure serials, makes the same promise to her dear Papa each day before going to work at the family’s Fort Lee film studios: “Feet on the ground.” It’s become a family motto since Darleen’s tightrope walker mother died, but following a dangerous moment of high-altitude filming in the Palisades, Darleen feels full of life, a development that alternately thrills and horrifies her. She doesn’t have much time to ponder that dichotomy, however; to capitalize on a Manhattan theater’s opening night and wipe out the filmmaking family’s debts, Darleen becomes embroiled in a publicity stunt. But the scheme—a phony kidnapping—goes somewhat awry when she is actually taken alongside Victorine Berryman, a newly orphaned heiress. The two very different girls work together to stay one step ahead of their kidnappers as real life begins to resemble a photoplay, complete with a runaway hot air balloon and dastardly villains. Film studies professor Nesbet writes her intrepid heroine with swashbuckling verve and sweet familial affection, incorporating extensive knowledge of early-20th-century filmmaking into a well-paced, gripping tale of staying true to oneself while stretching limitations. An author’s note offers further historical context. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary.

Starred review from April 1, 2020

Gr 4-6-Nesbet's new novel has all of the elements of classic old-fashioned adventure tales. Set in 1914, the fast-paced story centers on a motherless 12-year-old star of a silent weekly photoplay and includes a case of mistaken identity, dastardly villains, and shady characters. Darleen, who as a young child was known as Darling Darleen, is now Daring Darleen, a role that allows her to dangle from cliffs and jump between trains. But when Aunt Shirley, the manager of Matchless, the struggling film company behind Darleen's show, comes up with a fake kidnapping scheme to attract attention to the series, things get complicated. The kidnapping plot goes spectacularly wrong, and what was supposed to be a publicity stunt becomes all too real. Thanks to the bumbling kidnappers, Darleen finds herself sharing the backseat of the getaway car with Victorine Berryman, the orphaned young heiress to a railroad empire. The two girls, who become fast friends, escape together and go through a series of escapades that begin to resemble episodes of Darleen's photoplays. Darleen is resourceful and smart. It's her quick thinking, and the support of her new friends, that help save Matchless and Victorine's fortune. Bonuses include learning some behind-the-scenes tricks of the silent film days, the importance of Fort Lee, NJ, in early filmmaking, and a cameo by Alice Guy Manche, the pioneering French filmmaker. VERDICT A rollicking vintage adventure. Recommend to movie fans and readers who enjoy escapades of the past, with lots of twists and tangles.-Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA

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Starred review from May 15, 2020
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Darleen Darling's beloved papa has always told her to keep her feet on the ground. It's a task that's easier said than done, as 12-year-old Darleen spends most of her time dangling off cliffs, escaping villains, and performing other daring stunts that befit a 1914 silent-movie star. But she's determined to do as her father asks so she doesn't break his heart, like her adventurous movie-star mother did when she died of a lung disease. So Darleen's a little uncertain when her manager-uncles plan a fake kidnapping to drum up some publicity . . . and even more uncertain when their plans go awry and she ends up being actually kidnapped, alongside heiress Victorine Berryman. But though her stunts in the movies may be all smoke and mirrors, Darleen is far from helpless, and she soon learns that Victorine is a steadfast and able companion. As the two plan their escape, they find themselves caught up in dastardly plots, embarking on incredible adventures, and consorting with some truly remarkable people, including pioneer filmmaker Madame Alice Guy Blach�. Nesbet's (The Orphan Band of Springdale, 2018) deftly researched historical novel, set against a seldom-featured backdrop, has a comforting, old-fashioned feel. Spunky Darleen's story is buoyed by lively prose and crisp characterizations, and readers will be thrilled to join the adventure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)