Becoming Bonnie: A Novel
Winner of 
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"a stellar story" - AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award
"rollicking narrative" - Shelf Awareness "compulsively readable" - Lee Kelly, author of A Criminal Magic From debut historical novelist Jenni L. Walsh comes the untold story of how wholesome Bonnelyn Parker became half of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde duo.
The summer of 1927 might be the height of the Roaring Twenties, but Bonnelyn Parker is more likely to belt out a church hymn than sling drinks at an illicit juice joint. She’s a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. But when Roy springs a proposal on her and financial woes jeopardize her ambitions, Bonnelyn finds salvation in an unlikely place: Dallas's newest speakeasy, Doc's. Living the life of a moll at night, Bonnie remains a wholesome girl by day, engaged to Roy, attending school and working toward a steady future. When Roy discovers her secret life, and embraces it—perhaps too much, especially when it comes to booze and gambling—Bonnie tries to make the pieces fit. Maybe she can have it all: the American Dream, the husband, and the intoxicating allure of jazz music. What she doesn't know is that her life—like her country—is headed for a crash. She’s about to meet Clyde Barrow. Few details are known about Bonnie's life prior to meeting her infamous partner. In Becoming Bonnie, Jenni L. Walsh shows a young woman promised the American dream and given the Great Depression, and offers a compelling account of why she fell so hard for a convicted felon—and turned to crime herself (Add on Goodreads). |
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Order an Autographed Book: Newtown Bookshop | Commonplace Reader
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Praise for Becoming Bonnie
"When the perfect narrator is matched with a stellar story, the result is an even greater pleasure." - AudioFile, Earphones Award (audiobook)
"A compelling account of a nation and a life in disarray--readers will feel for Bonnelyn as she finds herself scrabbling for survival in a world turned upside down." - Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author
"Jenni L. Walsh delivers an intriguing insight into the life of one half of the infamous duo, Bonnie and Clyde." - Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author
"Debut author Jenni L. Walsh deftly pulls the reader into Bonnie’s world, and then deeper into her mind, so we see exactly how and when she made her choices—and her bed. Booze-soaked, southern-fried, and fully immersive, BECOMING BONNIE is a rocking good read." - Heather Webb, author of Rodin's Lover and Last Christmas in Paris
"A dazzling and compulsively-readable adventure of self-discovery, with a voice both singular and irresistible. I dare you not to fall in love with Bonnie, and her intoxicating, wholly immersive world." - Lee Kelly, author of A Criminal Magic
"As [Bonnelyn's] new life (complete with an appealing new boy, Clyde) barrels toward her old one on a collision course, Bonnelyn must decide what name she wants to make for herself. Walsh's rollicking narrative will have readers rooting for Bonnelyn-turned-Bonnie every (dance) step of the way." - Shelf Awareness
"A biographical sketch of the early life of a legendary woman... Walsh’s debut historical novel brings the Prohibition era, the Great Depression, and American gangsters to life through the personality and circumstances of a notorious moll who starts out as a good girl... Look forward to the sequel for later exploits of these notorious bandits." - Booklist
"Jenni L. Walsh’s debut historical novel will make you wait for Clyde Champion Barrow, but you’ll have fun along the ride, complete with an era that people just can’t stop raving about: the Roaring Twenties." - Bookreporter
"A compelling account of a nation and a life in disarray--readers will feel for Bonnelyn as she finds herself scrabbling for survival in a world turned upside down." - Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author
"Jenni L. Walsh delivers an intriguing insight into the life of one half of the infamous duo, Bonnie and Clyde." - Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author
"Debut author Jenni L. Walsh deftly pulls the reader into Bonnie’s world, and then deeper into her mind, so we see exactly how and when she made her choices—and her bed. Booze-soaked, southern-fried, and fully immersive, BECOMING BONNIE is a rocking good read." - Heather Webb, author of Rodin's Lover and Last Christmas in Paris
"A dazzling and compulsively-readable adventure of self-discovery, with a voice both singular and irresistible. I dare you not to fall in love with Bonnie, and her intoxicating, wholly immersive world." - Lee Kelly, author of A Criminal Magic
"As [Bonnelyn's] new life (complete with an appealing new boy, Clyde) barrels toward her old one on a collision course, Bonnelyn must decide what name she wants to make for herself. Walsh's rollicking narrative will have readers rooting for Bonnelyn-turned-Bonnie every (dance) step of the way." - Shelf Awareness
"A biographical sketch of the early life of a legendary woman... Walsh’s debut historical novel brings the Prohibition era, the Great Depression, and American gangsters to life through the personality and circumstances of a notorious moll who starts out as a good girl... Look forward to the sequel for later exploits of these notorious bandits." - Booklist
"Jenni L. Walsh’s debut historical novel will make you wait for Clyde Champion Barrow, but you’ll have fun along the ride, complete with an era that people just can’t stop raving about: the Roaring Twenties." - Bookreporter