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Scripting the Truth
At loose end in post World War II London, Lady Margaret Leighton chances upon a movie poster showcasing the young soldier she gave her heart to while serving as a military nurse. Desperate to reconnect with him, she uses her wits and newly discovered writing muse to scheme her way into the movie studio where he is an actor. Molly is certain they will live happily ever after. And they just might... But first Molly has to figure out who she is and what she wants. Can she make this unexpected career work with the expectations of her elite family? She'll try to do it all while trying to keep the seams on her stockings straight.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 9, 2015
2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
T.A. Henry
5 books5 followersTransplanted from the monochromatic weather of the Silicon Valley with her hubby and kiddo, T.A. Henry now thrives in the rain and thunder of the Pacific Northwest. While a degree in History did not provide a lucrative career, it did teach this author how to research with the best of them. She reads non-fiction constantly and likes to use everything she absorbs as fodder for another novel.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 26, 2020
Although I'm American, I find myself drawn to lots of British literature with 20th century settings and plots. Scripting the Truth showed up on someone's blog as a recently added book, so I had to look up more about it. That's when I discovered the author, T.A. Henry, is also a blogger. I began following her blog and learning more about her, then decided to add a few of her books to my collection last month. I'm so glad I did... this one I started with is a wonderful novel that carried along with great ease and interest. And it came about at the right time given the topics covered in the story about the film business which is where I find myself focusing the last few weeks. But first a quick overview of the story:
Lady Margaret Leighton served in World War II administering to injured soldiers coming back for rest and treatment. She fell in love with one of the patients, but lost the opportunity to stay connected with him. After Margaret arrived home, her mother wanted to find a suitable husband while her father wanted her to work for his company. Margaret wanted nothing to do with that! She learned that the soldier she had met became an actor, which pushed her to try to become an actress (to meet him). When that didn't work, she decided to become a scriptwriter. It all began to come together, but then it soon all fell apart. Throw in a few side stories with her best friend, Lila, her two brothers and their wives, and a couple of other characters she meets in the film business, and you've got a nice romantic historical drama with levity and charm.
Henry's writing style is witty and seamless. I wouldn't call it a classic 'page-turner' (as I think that's more for suspense and thriller books), but there's something about the story and characters that push you to read just a bit more than you planned each day -- in that respect, it's a new kind of page-turner! I read the book over two days, sitting for about an hour each time, finding myself wanting to read more but also wanting to let some of the actions and themes settle in for analysis and thought. Margaret is probably a very typical woman of her time, but she's also got an energy and a drive that you don't often see in people. She's persistent and will make her re-connection to the soldier happen no matter what. But it's the surprises life has in store for her that make this extra special.
Henry's characters are charming. The mother is definitely not a character we're supposed to like. She's not awful, but there's enough of a wall and attitude that we have good conflict for Margaret to face. The relationship with her father is charming and has both ups-and-downs, which is very typical of someone in her situation -- that's what makes the book so readable. You care just as much about her family life as you do her professional life. It's in her professional life where we see her shine, but when her heart is broken, you feel the sadness over the loss just as much as she does.
Much of the detail in the book is very well-thought out and intricate. Given the time frames are ~70 years ago, the film business is way more complicated than an average reader probably knows, and the specifics of the war are frequently referred to, it's obvious how much energy and effort went into researching this novel -- it's also what makes it all the more appealing for a reader when there's something to learn but also truly transport you to the historical place and time.
Kudos to Henry for gaining a new fan. Too bad there aren't half-stars here... cause it's a solid 4.5 stars from this reader. I'll split it and go with 5 on Amazon. I'm looking forward to picking up more of her work later this year. She's even nominated for a RONE award on one of her latest pieces. Nice!
Lady Margaret Leighton served in World War II administering to injured soldiers coming back for rest and treatment. She fell in love with one of the patients, but lost the opportunity to stay connected with him. After Margaret arrived home, her mother wanted to find a suitable husband while her father wanted her to work for his company. Margaret wanted nothing to do with that! She learned that the soldier she had met became an actor, which pushed her to try to become an actress (to meet him). When that didn't work, she decided to become a scriptwriter. It all began to come together, but then it soon all fell apart. Throw in a few side stories with her best friend, Lila, her two brothers and their wives, and a couple of other characters she meets in the film business, and you've got a nice romantic historical drama with levity and charm.
Henry's writing style is witty and seamless. I wouldn't call it a classic 'page-turner' (as I think that's more for suspense and thriller books), but there's something about the story and characters that push you to read just a bit more than you planned each day -- in that respect, it's a new kind of page-turner! I read the book over two days, sitting for about an hour each time, finding myself wanting to read more but also wanting to let some of the actions and themes settle in for analysis and thought. Margaret is probably a very typical woman of her time, but she's also got an energy and a drive that you don't often see in people. She's persistent and will make her re-connection to the soldier happen no matter what. But it's the surprises life has in store for her that make this extra special.
Henry's characters are charming. The mother is definitely not a character we're supposed to like. She's not awful, but there's enough of a wall and attitude that we have good conflict for Margaret to face. The relationship with her father is charming and has both ups-and-downs, which is very typical of someone in her situation -- that's what makes the book so readable. You care just as much about her family life as you do her professional life. It's in her professional life where we see her shine, but when her heart is broken, you feel the sadness over the loss just as much as she does.
Much of the detail in the book is very well-thought out and intricate. Given the time frames are ~70 years ago, the film business is way more complicated than an average reader probably knows, and the specifics of the war are frequently referred to, it's obvious how much energy and effort went into researching this novel -- it's also what makes it all the more appealing for a reader when there's something to learn but also truly transport you to the historical place and time.
Kudos to Henry for gaining a new fan. Too bad there aren't half-stars here... cause it's a solid 4.5 stars from this reader. I'll split it and go with 5 on Amazon. I'm looking forward to picking up more of her work later this year. She's even nominated for a RONE award on one of her latest pieces. Nice!
May 4, 2016
Fun and fast read
April 17, 2017
4 STARS - Kellybookblog.com
Historical Fiction
Copy provided for an honest review.
What a fun read! This book is very different from my usual romances. It is exciting and refreshing! The way T. A. Henry tells the story of Lady Margaret Leighton, aka Molly, and her adventure to reconnect with a past love interest is so unique. She uses the main story, the screenplay written by the main character and the witty and hilarious chapter titles to create very entertaining read. Seriously. I loved the chapter titles and looked forward to each one as I progressed!
Mixing up the story with the screenplay kept the story “fresh” and moving forward in a steady pace. Although this story lacked the romance/chemistry that I am used to, I wasn’t disappointed because it was so refreshing and new to me! I really enjoyed Molly as the main character. I enjoyed reading her thoughts and seeing her reactions to all the obstacles that were thrown at her. She was serious yet funny... she packed a lot of comedic relief. I definitely laughed/snickered to myself multiple times.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. Like I said before, it’s not the typical romance book I would have picked out for myself, so that made the experience even better! I do like to mix things up and trying new genres/types of book.
Check this book out! Available NOW on Amazon!
Historical Fiction
Copy provided for an honest review.
What a fun read! This book is very different from my usual romances. It is exciting and refreshing! The way T. A. Henry tells the story of Lady Margaret Leighton, aka Molly, and her adventure to reconnect with a past love interest is so unique. She uses the main story, the screenplay written by the main character and the witty and hilarious chapter titles to create very entertaining read. Seriously. I loved the chapter titles and looked forward to each one as I progressed!
Mixing up the story with the screenplay kept the story “fresh” and moving forward in a steady pace. Although this story lacked the romance/chemistry that I am used to, I wasn’t disappointed because it was so refreshing and new to me! I really enjoyed Molly as the main character. I enjoyed reading her thoughts and seeing her reactions to all the obstacles that were thrown at her. She was serious yet funny... she packed a lot of comedic relief. I definitely laughed/snickered to myself multiple times.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. Like I said before, it’s not the typical romance book I would have picked out for myself, so that made the experience even better! I do like to mix things up and trying new genres/types of book.
Check this book out! Available NOW on Amazon!
December 27, 2015
Very lovely story
This was an adorable story that really kept my interest. It was fun and the characters very nicely fleshed out. Definitely recommend it.
This was an adorable story that really kept my interest. It was fun and the characters very nicely fleshed out. Definitely recommend it.
January 19, 2016
“Sometimes I wonder why you put yourself through all this when clearly you knew nothing about the business.” (p. 152).
Lady Margaret Leighton aka Molly doesn’t want to marry whomever her mother approves because she already had her heart broken when the soldier she nursed during World War II vanished. Then she spots his face on a movie poster and she decides right then and there that she’ll do whatever it takes to find him and reconnect. But he’s a famous actor and she can’t even get into the studio without a reason. After failing at pretending to be an actress she finds out that the director’s looking for scripts. Margaret spends a feverish few days learning how to write a script and writing up the proceedings of her time as a QA in World War II. When this gets her in the door, no problems will stop her from finding the missed soldier and her happily ever after, or so she thinks.
How far would you go to see your crush again? She wrote a script about QA’s in the war that went unrewarded and then wrote a new script all about a love story without the war. After rewrites and negotiations she gets herself on set and her crush as leading man. What could go wrong?
Molly is determined, witty, clever, knows when to forge ahead and when you admit defeat. She’s amazingly stubborn when an idea grabs hold of her. She’s set herself up for a rude awakening of a failure.
Great balance between the actual script and the real story so I felt I knew what the script was about and how it paralleled Molly’s real experience without getting too much into the story-within-the-story. It was fun getting some real world and excellent script writing pointers for people who’ve never done it before, like Molly.
The dialogue was amazing, clever, and funny.
Overall this was a delightful novel and I can’t wait to read what T. A. Henry comes up with next
Lady Margaret Leighton aka Molly doesn’t want to marry whomever her mother approves because she already had her heart broken when the soldier she nursed during World War II vanished. Then she spots his face on a movie poster and she decides right then and there that she’ll do whatever it takes to find him and reconnect. But he’s a famous actor and she can’t even get into the studio without a reason. After failing at pretending to be an actress she finds out that the director’s looking for scripts. Margaret spends a feverish few days learning how to write a script and writing up the proceedings of her time as a QA in World War II. When this gets her in the door, no problems will stop her from finding the missed soldier and her happily ever after, or so she thinks.
How far would you go to see your crush again? She wrote a script about QA’s in the war that went unrewarded and then wrote a new script all about a love story without the war. After rewrites and negotiations she gets herself on set and her crush as leading man. What could go wrong?
Molly is determined, witty, clever, knows when to forge ahead and when you admit defeat. She’s amazingly stubborn when an idea grabs hold of her. She’s set herself up for a rude awakening of a failure.
Great balance between the actual script and the real story so I felt I knew what the script was about and how it paralleled Molly’s real experience without getting too much into the story-within-the-story. It was fun getting some real world and excellent script writing pointers for people who’ve never done it before, like Molly.
The dialogue was amazing, clever, and funny.
Overall this was a delightful novel and I can’t wait to read what T. A. Henry comes up with next
April 6, 2016
Set in post war 1940’s Britain this is an engaging and often humorous story of Molly a military nurse returning to her titled life and expectations of the English aristocracy. This though not simply another take on Downton Abbey. The author cleverly takes us through Molly’s eventful transition to script writer, the sole purpose of which to enter the world of film to find a lost love. The story is written with a light yet energetic touch, handling country house and film set scenes equally well with informed wit and skill. All characters are well drawn and memorable, the key players especially so, it makes me smile while writing this review to see them flit across my mind as if a film, indeed this story could make the transition to the screen. This a début novel and a very good one.
December 28, 2021
This novel had forward momentum, and I genuinely wanted to finish the novel to see how the story turned out.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews