Mallory O'Meara has written another engaging biography of a forgotten female pioneer in Hollywood history. She has done plenty of research to support her story. I think other readers will appreciate her chatty, contemporary style.

I’m really conflicted of how to review “Daughter of Daring” by Mallory O’Meara. I love old movies - the older the better (yes, including silents). I love the history of that time - how nearly everything was new, exciting, changing, and developing. How the hub of movies moved from the East out to the West (better weather and more diverse landscapes nearby). How silents weren’t always silent and the development of “movie theaters” from their start (rather sketchy) to their golden day heydays. When you could, for a dime, be entertained by a three year old with curls (Shirley Temple) and forget your troubles. I actually had heard of Helen Gibson before reading this book - but I mainly knew her as a trick rider and wife of Hoot Gibson. So, I was eager to learn more about her stunt adventures. Stunts back in the early days of film were rather daring - and quite often the star of the film stood in for his/her own stunts (Gloria Swanson and Buster Keaton immediately come to mind). So, phone in hand, I started reading … and realized a few things. First - there’s a lot of history that went into researching this book. That’s pretty obvious. Ms. O’Meara peppers her story with names that should not be forgotten as early movie pioneers. Ms. O’Meara also does a great job explaining the history of Hollywood itself - growing from a small enclave to becoming part of the larger LA area. She does a good job balancing the dull boring facts with colorful stories. Second - As Ms. O’Meara, herself, is involved in the movie industry, she can make a personal connection with stories in this book - and she often does. The history of movies - not on the screen but actually how movies evolved - can be fascinating from a historical viewpoint. That a movie about a kiss (available to view online) was amazingly popular today is mind boggling (they kiss, that’s it). “The Great Train Robbery,” which gets a mention, is still pretty dang entertaining (also available online). But - and this is huge - I couldn’t make it through all of this book without a lot of skimming. Why? Because Ms. O’Meara’s lens is that of a modern day woman with a message. There’s a lot of #MeToo and white male bashing. Unfortunately when you take a modern lens and apply it to a previous time, the interpretation is not always accurate. While I found the story of Helen Gibson an interesting one, I really had issues with Ms. O’Meara’s lens and commentary through that lens. I’m obviously not the audience for this book - as it has a number of five star reviews - but I applaud Ms. O’Meara for bring the story of Helen Gibson to modern audiences. This wasn't the book for me, sadly.

I was a huge fan of Mallory O'Meara's debut novel surrounding her search to discover who Millicent Patrick was as a woman and as an artist so hearing that she was coming back with a novel all about cinema's first female stuntwoman, I was sat. That said, this book didn't disappoint. O'Meara's voice is clear cut in telling Helen Gibson's story which makes for a captivating read. I had no clue how much women ruled the industry and was sadden to realize I, a woman who went to film school, was never taught about how prevalent female filmmakers were in the initial creation of what the film industry became. Even though that saddens me, I was glad to hear it from O'Meara's perspective and glad to know Helen's incredible story. She deserves all the recognition for such a varied and amazing career. 5⭐️

O'Meara blends the story of Hollywood's first stuntwoman, Helen Gibson, with the early development of the film industry, focusing on Los Angeles. I found myself fascinated by the history of early serials and their dynamic female leads (where Helen came to fame) and the widespread and powerful roles women played throughout the industry's early decades. O'Meara's writing made reading the book felt like attending an engrossing, chatty history presentation that you don't want to end.