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.