Red Letter Days

November 25, 2019
In this crisp novel, Stratford (Radio Girls) follows two woman writers who flee to London to escape McCarthy-era repression in the United States. The political drama is based on the true-life creator of the ’50s TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, Hannah Weinstein, who headed her own production company in London in 1950. Here she’s Hannah Wolfson, and her Sapphire Films becomes a shelter for blacklisted American writers. The heart of the story, however, belongs to fictional Phoebe Adler, whose support for unions as a factory worker
during WWII were ratted out to the House of Un-American Activities Committee, forcing her to leave a burgeoning career in radio, and her adored older sister, Mona, whose medical care depends on Phoebe’s paycheck. Though Phoebe finds work and friendship overseas, there’s no safety. An FBI “hound” follows her, and Hollywood gossip queen—and infamous commie-hater—Hedda Hopper stalks the studio in a hiss-worthy cameo. The romantic landscape is no less fraught: Phoebe is wary of the attention of British teacher Reg Bassill, who is smitten with her wisecracking New York wit. Phoebe’s hair-raising escape from HUAC’s condemnation offers a James Bond–like finish to Stratford’s bracing adventure that effortlessly melds politics, romance, and history. This delivers on every level. Agent: Margaret O’Connor, Innisfree Literary Agency.

January 24, 2020

Phoebe Adler has always dreamed of making it as a screenwriter, but as the Red Scare sweeps 1950s America she gets unexpectedly caught up in its net. Not knowing who has accused her of communist leanings or on what grounds, Phoebe flees to London rather than answer the subpoena that could mean prison and the inability to care for her ailing sister. In London, she meets Hannah Wolfson, a television producer secretly employing blacklisted writers on her newest series, a subtly subversive take on the Robin Hood legend. Stratford returns to the London setting of her first historical novel, Radio Girls, for another story of pioneering women wielding the power of media to stand up for what they believe is right. The parts of the story that carry the most emotional heft--Phoebe's relationship with her sister, a budding romance--unfortunately get short shrift in the rushed conclusion, but Stratford's well-researched tale is full of intriguing historical tidbits and cameos by figures of the era (gossip columnist Hedda Hopper's big scene is particularly well done).

VERDICT Recommended for fans of Fiona Davis and Renee Rosen and stories of young women fighting for professional success and personal happiness in a big-city setting.--Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign P.L., IL

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 15, 2019
Stratford moves forward in time from Radio Girls (2016) but sticks to the theme of trailblazing women in British broadcasting. Along with the jump from the 1920s to the '50s, and from radio to television, Stratford adds a new element: blacklisted women during the Red Scare. Phoebe Adler is thrilled to be working as a TV screenwriter in New York, but then HUAC comes calling with a subpoena. Phoebe is no Communist, but she won't name names, so, rather than face jail, she leaves the U.S. for London, where she meets fellow American TV producer Hannah Wolfson (based on the real-life Hannah Weinstein). Financed by her wealthy husband, Wolfson is not only producing TV shows for British television, but also employing blacklisted writers, including Phoebe, to create the scripts under pseudonyms. Wolfson hits it big with The Adventures of Robin Hood, which is picked up by American TV (again, based on fact). The show's success draws unwanted attention to the writers and brings rabid anti-Communist Hedda Hopper to London, hoping to sniff out Reds on Hannah's staff. There is a bit too much melodrama as the narrative unwinds?especially in the story of the FBI agent on Phoebe's trail?but that is only a quibble alongside the thoroughly fascinating and too-little-known story of Hannah Weinstein and her role in supporting blacklisted Americans, regardless of gender or race.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)