First published 1991
Ingrid Bergman stands before the mirror in her dressing room, preparing for another performance that will captivate audiences worldwide. Leamer creates a fictional portrait of the Swedish actress whose beauty and talent made her a Hollywood legend. The novel follows Bergman as she navigates the golden age of cinema, from her early films to her scandalous affair with Roberto Rossellini that temporarily destroyed her American career. She struggles between her public image as a wholesome star and her private desires for artistic freedom and passionate love. The story explores her relationships with directors like Alfred Hitchcock, her three marriages, and her determination to choose roles that challenge her as an artist rather than simply showcase her beauty. Bergman faces the harsh judgment of a society that expects its female stars to remain pure while male actors enjoy unlimited freedom. Through intimate scenes of her professional triumphs and personal costs, the novel reveals a woman who refuses to be confined by others' expectations, even when defiance threatens everything she has built.
Genres: biography, drama, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: artistic-freedom, defiance, public-image-vs-private-desires
Setting: Hollywood
Period: Golden Age of Cinema
Paperback · Perrin