An interesting, albeit fictionalized, look at the life of Merle Oberon. I suspect many who pick this up will not be familiar with her and while I was, I didn't know the details of her life. This sent me off to Wikipedia for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

"Whisper of the Moon Moth" started out strong and I really liked learning about Merle Oberon's start in life and her move to London and the difficulties she initially had to face.

Unfortunately, the story started feeling rushed once she got her first film role. None of the minor characters got any character development, the love interests were interchangeable and the story went on rather unnecessary tangents that detracted from the main story.

Overall, Oberon's life was interesting but the novel just placed the wrong emphasis.

I've never heard of this actress before, so that was interesting, but the story was pretty boring to me. I am interested to read more about this actress, though, and I really love that about historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during that 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I’d rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.

Whisper of the Moon Moth is a strange book.
Inspiration for this book is Merle Oberon, actress and mystery. Before reading the book I made a mistake and read about her from Wikipedia, so I had some expectations for the book. But this book is still fiction that just has borrowed some aspects from her life, it’s not romanticized biography.

The story is built on the mystery of Merle Oberon’s origin. Ashford gives it her spin, connects her with persons she might have known, might have been friends with. She also tries to explain some most mysterious aspects of her life, at the same time using the few known facts about her.

It’s a good story. There where some contradictions, some improbable things and Merle has portrayed to be too clingy, but if you read the book without knowing who Merle was, it’s a good historical romance about an strong woman.

I have never heard of Merle Oberon before. However, after reading this ARC makes me want to learn more about her. Whispers of the Moon Moth paints a fascinating picture of this starlet. The only thing I did not like about it was that it paints a negative picture of Vivian Leigh. This made it a little bit uncomfortable for me because I love Vivian Leigh. Still, I recommend this novel for fans of Mrs. Poe.

An OK book for me. I wasn't aware who she was so gave me some details. A Well written read, with accurate details from what I understand.

“Be careful…it’s an industry of users you’re going into. Don’t trust any man who offers you the moon.”


Lindsay Jane Ashford’s Whisper of the Moon Moth tells the story of Merle Oberon – born Estelle Merle O’Brien Thompson – who became a Hollywood legend. Growing up in Calcutta, India, she set off to London with a one-way ticket to pursue her dream of being on the silver-screen after a chance encounter with a rich American heir with connections in the movie industry. To hide her Indian heritage, Estelle Thompson became Merle Oberon and quickly rose the ranks of the industry, starring opposite Leslie Howard in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) and Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights (1939).

My main problem with this book was the fact that it was so historically inaccurate. I know the author took poetic license in telling Merle’s story – she made that clear from the first page – but I didn’t know how different it was.

I am not too familiar with Merle Oberon’s life, but I feel that the author did a great disservice to her character’s portrayal by making her seem more flakey and flimsy rather than the strong woman I’m sure she was. Her voice came across as a whisper – as the title suggests – rather than a confident shout that would be imperative to get ahead in the movie industry. I also felt that she was portrayed as being more dependent on others than she probably was in real life, though again, that’s speculation on my part. Granted, maybe I’m wrong, but her character felt wrong. I just wasn’t able to reconcile my idea of what Merle’s character should have been with what it actually was in this book.

Merle’s success also felt too easy with a definitive lack of adversity that was sure to have been present. I’m not saying she didn’t come across adversity – she was ¼ Indian who had to hide her heritage; she was jilted by a man who she saw a future with; she got a blatant rejection in her first open audition; she “feuded” with another actress who threatened to expose her; etc. – but they were either too easily resolved (her first rejection was swiftly followed by a chance encounter with a director, a spot as an extra, etc.) or entirely fabricated (as with the “feud” with Vivien Leigh).

I did read and like Ashford’s previous book The Woman on the Orient Express . Similar to her style in Whisper of the Moon Moth, the author fictionalized part of Agatha Christie’s life, loosely basing Christie’s interactions with similarly historical people and weaving them into a fictional narrative. However, in my opinion, these novels are distinct in two ways, which makes the former stronger and more captivating than the latter. Firstly, The Woman on the Orient Express depicted a story of Agatha Christie after she was Agatha Christie. It’s one thing to show a fictional event or snapshot into someone’s life when they are already established as who they are remembered for (as with Agatha Christie), but it is quite another to fabricate such a large part of someone’s formative years as they are growing into who they will become (as with Merle Oberon). Secondly, the author could get away with adding fictional characters, altering timelines, and fabricating Agatha Christie’s interactions with the characters depicted in The Women on the Orient Express because, not only did they feel more minor, but the story behind this was strong enough to stand on its own and the characters portrayed were believable. However, Whisper of the Moon Moth had no such strength. Yes, there was an undercurrent of family deception as well as Merle’s struggle to conceal her Indian heritage that helped to move the plot along, yet it was not compelling.

I wavered on whether to round up or down from 3.5 stars for a majority of this book. Because I didn’t know much of Merle Oberon’s history, I admit I didn’t recognize how differently her life was while I was reading, and so I enjoyed the overall story (though I still wasn’t overly thrilled). However, the Epilogue left me feeling both duped and disappointed. I would have liked a “grittier” Merle rather than the watered-down version portrayed; for example, in the book she scorned the idea of having an affair with a married Leslie Howard, when, in actuality, they had an affair that almost ended in Leslie divorcing his wife for Merle.

In the end, it was just okay: 3 stars rather than the initial 3.5. Even though the content might have been interesting, the author took too many liberties that left me feeling dissatisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

An extremely interesting imagined history of one of the true legends of the golden age of Hollywood, Merle Oberon. Partially based on fact, this novel explores Merle's Anglo-Indian heritage and what that meant in the 1930's and 40's, in India, England and America.
Born Estelle Thompson to an Indian mother and an English father, Estelle hides her heritage to gain entry into the highest echelons of society. While outwardly enjoying success and working with some of Hollywood's greatest, she fights an inward battle against prejudice and bigotry.
This story is very well-told, and all the more interesting because the mystery of Merle Oberon's background only came to light a few years ago.
I found the writing particularly insightful about the challenges people of colour faced in our very recent past.
A great read.

nsidering that I enjoyed "The Woman on the Orient Express", there was no question that I wanted to read the latest from Lindsay Jayne Ashford. Of course, I had to wait until I was in the mood to read it. Last evening turned out to be the right time and it didn't take me too long to become immersed in the world of Hollywood movies and the silver screen lifestyle.

The central character for the book happens to be Anglo-Indian Estelle Thompson, who will become the actress known as Merle Oberon. Estelle and her mother, Charlotte are living life in Bombay. Before too long, Estelle captures the eye of a Virginian man that breaks her heart, but does make sure Estelle is on her way to London and the motion picture industry. Sure enough, Estelle soon captures the attention of director Samuel Korda and her film career as Merle Oberon is launched. However, Hollywood comes with a price and Merle must ensure that no one ever discovers her true parentage and so she promised herself that she will commit to the white world and bury her Indian heritage. But even in Hollywood no secret can go unpunished.

I must say that this was a quick read, the characters are standard, and the epilogue reveals many elements that hook the reader are completely fictionalized. Defintely take this book on vacation because it is a pretty familiar story of the Hollywood starlet. If you love Hitchcock, Leslie Howard, Douglas Fairbanks, Vivien Leigh, William Wyler, and Clark Gable- well they all make an appearance. On the other hand, I felt the characters all seemed to fit into some type of stereotype, especially Estelle/Merle. I am still unsure after finishing the story if she really came to any type of self -realization. Like the children in "The Chronicles of Narnia," Merle always appears to need someone to figure out her problems. I felt her hard to relate to because I wanted to shake her and scream "Get some common sense." Lastly, I really loved the relationship between Merle and Flora, but it was completely fictionalized. As was the feud between Merle and Vivien Leigh. I know that this is a book of fiction, but when the fictional parts are more believable than the real parts of the story, it has an effect on my leanings as a reader.

I enjoyed reading Whisper of the Moon Moth, by Lindsay Jayne Ashford who also wrote, "The Women on the Orient Express”, but I fear that this book may have been categorized incorrectly by the publisher’s Marketing Department. I don’t think that this is really a historical fiction biography (fictionalized biography) about Merle Oberon. By the end of the book I viewed it more as historical fiction of an era rather than a book that stuck close to the factual outlines of a specific person’s life. The author states at the beginning of the book that she used the outline of Oberon’s life as a starting place for the story. She says, "What follows is my interpretation of the facts, interwoven with some sequences that are purely imaginary." There did appear to be a lot of imaginary sequences in this book.

I’m giving the book 3 stars because of the good writing, and the general information that I learned about Merle’s life in India; and the historic era that she lived in while in India, England and Hollywood. But I am deducting some review points because of my disappointment about the large swaths of the book that seem to be misleading about whom Merle Oberon did or did not have romantic relationships with, and the supposed feud with Vivien Leigh. Those storylines made for good dramatic tension, and if the book hadn’t been written about a specific person in history, I would have been more accepting of it. Instead it felt the stories were passed off as being historically accurate when they weren’t.

Before reading this book, I didn’t really understand the plight of the ‘Anglo-Indians’ culturally, both in India where they were in a kind of no-man’s land, and in England and Hollywood where Oberon was compelled to pass herself off as 100% Anglo in order to work in the film industry in the 1930’s. I felt Merle’s pain at being unable to acknowledge who her mother was when they came to England, but instead having to keep up the charade that she was the ‘housekeeper’ in order to sustain the myth that Merle was 100% Caucasian. I appreciated the book for broadening my knowledge in those areas. The story was a good story, I just wish that it hadn’t been billed as a historical fiction about Oberon’s life.

"Thank-you" to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An absorbing fictional and biographical account about Merle Oberon (formerly Estelle Thompson) who had to hide her Anglo-Indian ancestry in order to break into the narrow-minded and bigoted film industry in England and then later in Hollywood. Not a completely accurate account, the author describes the fictional liberties she took with both Merle and the other characters in the book.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the book was entertaining and had me constantly googling the characters and places that were mentioned in the book and I was able to sort out fiction from fact.

A fun read for anyone who loves Hollywood stories with a bit of fantasy and intrigue thrown in.

Interesting fictionalized version of the life of Merle Oberon, as she entered into movie making. A pleasant read, made touching by the secrets she kept. Surprisingly timely, considering the current spate of news around the prejudices and harassment in the movie industry.

Inspired by the life of movie legend Merle Oberon, this book is richly written and accurate. The writer almost paints pictures with her words. Excellent!

I didn’t know about Merle Oberon before I started reading this. So, I can’t attest for the validity of any of the incidents described in this book. I only read this as any other historical fiction novel. The book follows Estelle Thompson, an Anglo-Indian young woman aspiring to become an actress. After some unforeseen heartbreak, she lands up in London hoping to find any acting job. She luckily finds a small part in a production, impresses the director so much that she gets the part to play the famous literary heroine Cathy in Wuthering Heights. She also finally finds the love that she has always been looking for even though the reveal of her family secrets are devastating. And then – the book was over. I was surprised when I reached the last line because I didn’t expect it be over so soon. Not because I was engrossed in it but because the book just didn’t feel complete yet. The writing is good and I was not bored. The story was a little simplistic but still enjoyable. The aspect I really found interesting was the plight of Anglo-Indians in India before our independence. I wasn’t aware that they were treated with such apathy by both the communities and it was fascinating to get to know something different about India’s history. Finally, this is a good book that can be enjoyed if you go in without many expectations.

Truth really can be stranger and more enticing than fiction, as this story of Merle Oberon tells us. It is a well written and thoroughly interesting glimpse at the life of a woman whose name was familiar but about who I knew very little. I highly recommend it.

Merle Oberon's life before (and after) fame is one that is so fascinating that I was thrilled to learn that a book was going to be published. However, my expectations of the book turned out to be too high. As a close friend of my (who is also reading this book, will link to her review when it's done) wrote about the book "categorizing this one as a freely adapted biographic fiction that is significantly heavy on the fiction." I personally called it fantasy since the author decided to take leaps in the story that had no anchoring in real life. But, that's me...

Anyway, the writing isn't bad. I enjoyed reading The Woman on the Orient Express by the author and if this had been a historical fiction with made-up characters would I have enjoyed the book more. But, alas there are so many omissions and added events that I felt that this is like taking a real person's life, erasing parts that don't fit with the story and adding events to make it more thrilling. For instance, the whole Vivien Leigh feud is just laughable. And, the ending is saccharine and definitely felt like the author decided to change the truth to a suitable lie instead. And, the part I was looking forward to, the love affair with a fellow actor was totally omitted. Glossed over. But, he was married so of course that is taboo and we can't have Merle having an affair with a married man. Instead, make it believe that she had a fling with David Niven before finding true love...

Would I recommend this book? Not if you are looking for a biographical fiction, this is so far away from Merle's life that you will probably enjoy it if you know nothing about her and/or don't mind the author taking liberation with Merle's life.

This is the fictionalized biography of golden age actress Merle Oberon. Born Estelle Thompson, she grows up in early 20th century Calcutta. As a young woman of mixed race, Estelle is not accepted by whites or Indians, so she finds solace in the local movie theater. But her fortunes are about to change, the beautiful young woman catches the eye of a Hollywood scout and is soon on her way to screen test for a role in the movies. Hollywood is no more kind to a mixed race woman than Indian was, so Estelle, now Merle, must keep her heritage under tight wraps. If you, like me, love old movies (I have seen a number of Merle Oberon’s pictures), you’ll enjoy this book. Hollywood shows its true colors and the ugly tarnish under the gold in this fascinating rags to riches story