Synopsis (from Goodreads):

In her first novel inspired by a true story, Jane Green re-imagines the life of troubled icon Talitha Getty in this transporting story from a forgotten chapter of the Swinging '60s
 
From afar Talitha's life seemed perfect. In her twenties, and already a famous model and actress, she moved from London to a palace in Marrakesh, with her husband Paul Getty, the famous oil heir. There she presided over a swirling ex-pat scene filled with music, art, free love and a counterculture taking root across the world.
 
When Claire arrives in London from her small town, she never expects to cross paths with a woman as magnetic as Talitha Getty. Yearning for the adventure and independence, she's swept off to Marrakesh, where the two become kindred spirits. But beneath Talitha's glamorous facade lurks a darkness few can understand. As their friendship blossoms and the two grow closer, the realities of Talitha's precarious existence set off a chain of dangerous events that could alter Claire's life forever.

Review:

When I think of the 1960's, what comes to mind are hippies, drugs, and rock & roll.  It was the rise of the young adult as the most sought after consumer.  In Sister Stardust, we see the 1960's through the eyes of  nineteen year-old Claire.  She's a young, innocent teen trying to make it in swinging London, when she gets caught up in the lifestyle of the most famous rock stars and jet setters of the era.  It's an intoxicating world of hedonism, rock music, sex, and lots and lots of drugs.   This book was really fun.  It was easy to see how Claire could be swept away to exotic Morocco where the party never stops.  I loved how Claire was figuring out who she was, but still remained herself throughout some pretty wild times.  This book would make a wonderful summer beach read, or listen.  With pitch-perfect narration by the talented Fiona Hardingham, I thoroughly loved every moment of it. 

What I Liked:

Setting:

Who wouldn't be drawn into the glamorous scene of rock stars and free love, especially when one has grown up in a repressive bland small village in Dorset, England.  At first, Claire is just excited to be an independent young woman in London.  While she started to have small moments of freedom, she was still subjected to the scrutiny of older adults.  From her employer who dehumanized her by only calling her by a number, to the matrons who ran the boarding house for young women, Claire was judged harshly if she ever stepped out of line.

When she meets a young man who has ties to the music business, she meets some of England's biggest rock stars who whisk her off to Morocco.  Marrakesh has become a haven for European expats who love the exotic city, and make it their personal playground.  Anything goes in the palace taken over by Paul and Talitha Getty, a real-life glamorous couple of the time.  There are parties, drugs, and orgies.  But many of the people are there to escape responsibility, and  the expectations of others.

Characters:

Claire is a wide-eyed innocent, but she is hardly a prude.  She is escaping the confinements of her life in England by saying yes to everything.  But she is also an astute observer of the other people in the Getty palace.  She quickly goes from being in awe of these famous rockstars to seeing them as regular people with flaws.  But she maintains her caring nature, always aware that this moment will be fleeting, so she better make the most of it.

The hostess of this non-stop party is Talitha Getty.  She is the stunningly glamorous Dutch wife of Paul Getty (son of the richest man in the world, at the time).  Claire immediately falls under Talitha's spell, and they soon become close friends (and maybe something more).  

One of the things that Claire and Talitha have in common is that both of their mothers died when each was a young girl.  Claire's mom was hit by a car, and Talitha's mother never got over being a prisoner in Java during WWII.  She, and her mother, faced starvation, beatings, and worse, in a Japanese prisoner camp.  And her mother never recovered.  

Maybe that is why Talitha medicates herself nightly with alcohol and drugs.   Claire is so mesmerized by Talitha that she starts to do (and take) anything Talitha tells her to.  This soon becomes a friendship with dangerous undertones.

Story:

This is a classic cautionary tale of the excesses of rock stars, and the jet-set.  Parties become orgies, people get precariously close to overdosing on drugs, and relationships are put to the test.  Claire never wants the party to stop.  But as things get more and more out of control, can will Claire be able to step away?

Narration:

I think Fiona Hardingham is my favorite audiobook narrator of all time!  Her crisp British accent is perfect for the young Claire.  But she can also do a credible cockney accent, or a laid back Dutch socialite.  Hardingham's performance brings so much to the enjoyment of the audiobook, that it is a treat to listen to. 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  April 22nd, 2022

Author:  Jane Green

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Print Publisher:  Hanover Square Press

Page Length:  304 Pages

Audiobook Publisher:  Harlequin Audio

Narrator:  Fiona Hardingham

Audiobook Length: 8 Hours, 51 Minutes

Format:  Audiobook

Source:  Public Library

Recommendation:  This is an amazing book!  What everyone thinks the 60's were all about: Sex, Drug, and Rock-n-Roll.  This would make a fantastic summer read.