The Chateau on Sunset (Natasha Lester, Hachette)

The Chateau on Sunset is the latest historical fiction novel from bestselling author Natasha Lester, set against both the glamour and the darkness of 1950s Hollywood. Told through split perspectives 7 years apart, the story follows Aria Jones, an orphaned and naïve 14-year-old who grows into a young woman determined to challenge the power dynamics that keep the starlets of LA, including her best friends, under the control of powerful men. Alongside this, she navigates a romance of her own that initially threatens to undermine her journey of self-discovery. While the romance can feel superfluous to the broader narrative, its presence is justified by the novel’s clear debt to Jane Eyre. There is limited critical engagement with key political and cultural issues of the 1950s, such as racism, with the focus remaining firmly on the gendered power dynamics of the entertainment industry. The novel draws significant parallels to the #MeToo movement that upset Hollywood in the 2010s, and while prior knowledge of this context is not essential, readers should be aware of the book’s treatment of sexual assault, murder and suicide. At times, these themes feel handled too lightly; however, The Chateau on Sunset is not positioned as a novel seeking to break new ground on these issues. Marketed as light – even holiday – reading, it largely succeeds on those terms through vivid description and a generous use of cliffhangers.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Eleanor Jackson is a reader with years of experience in children's bookselling. She is passionate about books with a strong, important message and excellent writing. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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