The One and Only Dolly Jamieson in Aussie Readers

Feb 10, 2023 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aussie-authors, sent-by-publisher, 3500-2023, reviewing-by-request, contemporary-fiction, 2023-release, arc, own-read

We first meet seventy eight year old Dolly as she shelters in the library, where she spends most of her days, moving back and forth with her trusty suitcase trailing behind her. When a younger woman, a stranger, showed up near Dolly, her first interaction with the woman caused her to burst into tears. As Dolly tried to comfort her, something happened and a tentative, gradual friendship formed. Jane Leveson was a woman suffering - of what, Dolly didn't know. But she could see the sadness in Jane' ...more

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Dec 27, 2022 Helen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: review-copy-from-publisher

What a gorgeous story this one is, a beautifully written story filled with emotion, heartache, it is heart-warming and shows the courage and strength that one woman needs to get her through a life that is filled with many ups and downs, come along and meet Dolly Jamieson, she really is the one and only.

Margie Ferguson grew up determined to be a hit star of the stage, she loved singing and dancing and put everything into her dreams, life wasn’t easy growing up in Geelong Victoria it was tough in What a gorgeous story this one is, a beautifully written story filled with emotion, heartache, it is heart-warming and shows the courage and strength that one woman needs to get her through a life that is filled with many ups and downs, come along and meet Dolly Jamieson, she really is the one and only.

Margie Ferguson grew up determined to be a hit star of the stage, she loved singing and dancing and put everything into her dreams, life wasn’t easy growing up in Geelong Victoria it was tough in the 1950’s and 1960’s but she never gave up and finally got her chance when there was a fundraising talent show, this took her to Melbourne and firstly the chorus line in the musical The Rose of France, in Melbourne then the lead, she becomes Dolly Jamieson and becomes a star on the West End then on Broadway, so why now is she living on the streets of London in the cold and damp, how did this happen to the famed Dolly Jamieson?

In her seventy’s now Dolly is really struggling but is determined to work things out, she spends her days in the library where it is warm and often there are author talks where she gets a cup of tea, this is where her life will change again when she meets Jane Leveson they hit is off instantly and before long Jane and Dolly are writing her memoirs, Dolly is good for Jane as well, she also is going through a tough time, together can they overcome their pasts and make life good again?

I loved this story so much, it digs deep into the life of Dolly and how things happened as they did there is much heartbreak but there is also so much joy and happiness along the way, you can feel the love that Dolly has for life and people, I felt so connected to Dolly there were many tears from me both happy and sad, a thoroughly entertaining read that was hard to put down, Lisa Ireland is a fabulous story teller and this is one that I would highly recommend, make sure you have nothing else planned when you pick it up. Thank you Lisa for another keeper, Dolly will stay with me for a long time to come.

My thanks to Penguin AU for my copy to read and review. ...more

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Jan 12, 2023 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: provided-by-publisher, aussie-author, arc-are

The One and Only Dolly Jamieson is a charming and uplifting novel from Australian author Lisa Ireland.

Once a sought after Broadway/West End performer and television star, seventy-eight year old Dolly Jamieson spends her days in a London library, and her nights in a stranger’s rarely used shed. There’s little danger of her being recognised as no one wishes to look too closely at the homeless, in fact most people choose to ignore her. Dolly tries not to take offence, she knows she doesn’t look, or ...more

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Jan 26, 2023 Bree T rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian, hist-contemp-blend

I adored this book.

Lisa Ireland introduces us to Dolly Jamieson, a former actress who has performed on some incredibly prestigious stages as well as having a long running role in a television show. She’s no longer acting, and Dolly is what you’d call a bit down on her luck. She doesn’t think of herself as homeless, just between permanent abodes. She makes use of her local library as much as she can, for its comfort and warmth (much to the judgement sometimes, of one of the librarians). But Dolly I adored this book.

Lisa Ireland introduces us to Dolly Jamieson, a former actress who has performed on some incredibly prestigious stages as well as having a long running role in a television show. She’s no longer acting, and Dolly is what you’d call a bit down on her luck. She doesn’t think of herself as homeless, just between permanent abodes. She makes use of her local library as much as she can, for its comfort and warmth (much to the judgement sometimes, of one of the librarians). But Dolly is the sort of person who is unperturbed and also she’s just desperate enough not to be put off.

Women over 55 are the fastest growing demographic for homelessness in Australia (the present day is set mostly in England but I wouldn’t be surprised if the same statistic is replicated over there as well). Between 2011 and 2016, the rate of women over 55 experiencing homelessness increased by 31% to almost 7000. This can be for multiple reasons but a lot of them revolve around women being more likely to have worked part time, to have taken significant time out of the workforce to have and raise a family, to not have adequate superannuation or through losing assets such as a home in a separation. The rising cost of living will no doubt continue to exacerbate this situation, especially the rental market. Women in this age bracket often also face discrimination in both employment opportunities and also housing. I think for a long time, the view of what people saw as homeless were generally those with addictions or who had reason to not be easily located. Whether that’s ever been accurate I don’t know but the reality of homelessness is that anyone can be impacted – but there are certain demographics where the risk is much greater and main character Dolly definitely falls into those risk categories.

The story moves seamlessly between the present, Dolly in London, without a fixed address, trying to get by and also her past. Growing up in Australia, how she ended up in theatre, the heights in which she rose to and those she met along the way. This is facilitated in part by a chance meeting Dolly has with a woman called Jane in the library. The two strike up a friendship after Dolly is kind to an obviously distressed Jane and after a couple of conversations, Jane offers to help Dolly with writing her memoirs, having realised that Dolly would have an interesting story to tell and being in a position to help. Jane is hiding her own secrets and tragedy and despite the skepticism from her husband in the beginning, Dolly and Jane strike up a beautiful friendship.

Dolly is an incredible character, she’s very sassy – she actually reminds me a lot of my Nan in some ways, who is 93 this year and despite having nothing in common with Dolly really in terms of life led, they are both very forthright. Despite everything that has happened and the position she is in, Dolly attempts to retain her dignity, even when she faces terrible actions by people who see her sleeping rough one night or looking less than groomed in the library. It showcases how people can see without really seeing and that people who see Dolly every day don’t say to her ‘oh are you okay? do you need anything?’ This idea is something that is further reiterated in the story when the judgemental librarian sees Dolly after she has had a chance to ready herself in the way she prefers, and doesn’t recognise her as being the same person. The difference in the attitude was incredible. Jane is different. She sees Dolly and can immediately ascertain that Dolly is not living anywhere and when she helps Dolly, she takes care to do it in ways that don’t make it seem like a big deal, that she’s drawing attention to anything or highlighting what Dolly doesn’t have anymore or making her feel as though it’s pity.

Dolly’s story drew me in and kept me there, it had some really unexpected twists and turns along the way. I really enjoyed the historical component of Dolly’s childhood, her relationship with her mother and siblings and her complex dealings with her grandmother. I’ve actually never been to the theatre (I keep meaning to go but kids + a husband that works nights, it hasn’t happened) but I loved hearing about her envelopment in that world, the ups and the downs as well. Dolly had such resilience, she just kept on going even after things happened to her and that is continued into the present day story as well. Reading about the realities of her life made me definitely think – is this something that could happen to me? And I think that yes, given the right set of circumstances, it could.

Lisa Ireland is a beautiful writer who manages to weave warmth and humour with cold reality in a way that feels effortless and creates this wonderful story of two women who are both struggling in different ways who find each other. Dolly and Jane end up equally helping each other – not only does Jane provide Dolly with help for her memoir and a refuge of sorts, but Dolly gives Jane something to focus on, a purpose I suppose, after something terrible happened to her and her husband. They sort of create this family unit that is a blend of that and friendship and the support they each provide the other is heartwarming to read.

Definitely going to be a 2023 favourite. ...more

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Mar 07, 2023 Natalie Manuel rated it it was ok

If this hadn't been a bookclub book, I would have DNF'd.

It just did not work for me.

It's not offensive or badly written, it just feels so inconsequential and isn't feel good or impactful enough for me to enjoy it.

It felt like YA for adults. ...more

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Nov 24, 2023 Catsalive rated it really liked it

Shelves: aww, 2023

4.5*
I do love a tale about older women, & this is no exception. Dolly is almost 80 years old when she finds herself alone and homeless. She spends as much times as possible in the library where it's warm & there's the possibility of a cup of tea occasionally. A chance meeting with Jane Leveson, whom Dolly can see is suffering deeply from un-uttered pain, leads to a great & true friendship between them, & the writing of Dolly's memoir.

We look back on Dolly's life from 1941 to the 70s, her life & ...more

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Sep 21, 2023 Janine rated it it was amazing

Another wonderful book from Lisa Ireland, this time exploring the topic of homelessness amongst older women. Such a well developed story and I loved every page of it. I’ve read everything that Lisa has written and I swear every book gets better and better if you can believe that!

Perfect for readers of Women’s Fiction! 5 stars from me.

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Feb 27, 2023 Rina rated it really liked it

Ahh this book really tucked at my heartstrings. It was a great reminder to be a kinder person in general.

Dolly Jamieson wasn’t homeless, she was just between permanent abodes. She kept warm at the local library and relied on the kindness of people around her. But this life was a far cry from her Broadway success in the 1960s, where she left her Geelong hometown to be a lead actress in a big production. Sometimes one small thing could trigger a completely different life path - what happened to Do ...more

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