THE ADORED ONE: A Novel of Lillian Lorraine and Florenz Ziegfeld by Susanne Dunlap – Biographical Historical Fiction, Historical Theater Life, Biographies of Women

Step into the glittering world of fame and betrayal in Susanne Dunlap’s The Adored One. At just four years old, Leleanne de Jacques, aka Lillian Lorraine, began her acting career. After fleeing an abusive husband in San Francisco, Mary Anne, Lillian’s mother, moves to Philadelphia, seeing her daughter’s talent as their potential meal ticket.

Soon after arriving in Philadelphia and changing her daughter’s name, Mary Anne relocates them both again to New York, where she puts Lillian in front of artists who see her potential for print ads. Lillian soon meets Fred McKay, her first talent agent, and she begins performing in Lee Shubert productions.

When Florenz Ziegfeld sees Lillian onstage, he knows he must have her, both in his productions and his bed. At only sixteen, Lillian signs with Broadway’s biggest producer. She begins to spiral soon after. Drinking and partying become a staple in Lillian’s life, and she is soon keeping more secrets than her young heart can handle. Florenz’s obsession, Mary Anne’s domineering, and Lillian’s own need for approval lead her down a dangerous and lonely path. Losing every friend she ever makes as well as a part of herself, Lillian wonders if the prize of fame is really worth the cost.

Susanne Dunlap lays out in stark detail the tight threads that bind Lillian to her mother, Mary Anne.

Mary Anne exploits Lillian rather than giving her the love she needs as her Mother-Manager. Her cruelty begins even before fleeing San Francisco. She constantly assures Lillian of her own stupidity, leaving her daughter thinking she has no choice but to make her fortune on stage, only smart enough to capitalize on her looks. Mary Anne turns every potential friend into a rival, sabotaging Lillian’s ability to make friends.

Struggling against her mother’s insistence that she should only get to know people who she could use, Lillian spends years trying to find and keep genuine friends. She learns that not everyone is a stepping stone. Sometimes, in fact, some people are just kind for kindness’s sake. As she learns these lessons of humanity, she must also disguise her tiny pursuits for power, creating a rebellion that keeps mother and daughter from being anything more than distrustful roommates.

Lillian works behind Mary Anne’s back to gain a place on Broadway, denying her mother the “triumph” of being the one to launch her career.

At just fifteen, she begins signing her own contracts and pretending Mary Anne is her cousin–a live-in maid–putting up a wall that lets her seize control of her life. But with Mary Anne out of the picture, Lillian is forced to rely on Florenz as a pseudo father/lover to guide her through the intricacies of life. Lillian becomes once again dependent, rather than an adult on her own.

After a lifetime of criticism, Lillian searches for approval in the arms of the men admiring her beauty or paying for her time. Her toxic mother-daughter relationship serves as the root from which Lillian’s troubles grow, from her drinking to her low self-esteem.

A torrid tale of conditional relationships and ruined dreams, The Adored One shows how Lillian’s friendships are always tenuous.

Most of the “bonds” Lillian makes throughout her life are dangerous from the beginning or become poisoned over time. Her first true friendship with Rosie Reilly, a fellow chorine–chorus girl–should have been a lifelong connection, a mutual give-and-take. However, Lillian’s notoriety stokes Rosie’s jealousy until it tears them apart.

Isabelle Springer, a much older, wealthy socialite, visits New York away from her husband and takes Lillian out on the town. Lillian must often be the responsible adult of the duo, and when Isabelle begins using cocaine, then heroin, Lillian is mature enough to see their good times are over. Her outlet for freedom becomes a stain on her reputation, as their friendship haunts Lillian for the rest of her life.

The most destructive bond she forms is her relationship with Florenz Ziegfeld.

When Lillian met Florenz, she was only fifteen years old, and he forty-one. Even at her young age, Lillian had already begun using her body and sex appeal to get what she wanted. She knew Florenz was attracted to her and that he could launch her struggling career.

Long before the Me Too movement, the Broadway scene was full of older men seducing and/or forcing younger women into a position where they felt they had no choice but to do as they were told. However, Lillian understands she, in turn, holds power over this influential man. Obsessed with her beauty and body, Florenz is willing to do just about anything–including offering to divorce his wife and marry Lillian–to possess the ingenue. The teenager feels both powerful and powerless in Florenz’s arms.

Lilian’s identity is at stake with the relentless pursuit of fame and Florenz’s push to the top.

When she fights against his total-body control, she loses her reputation and herself. Even when Florenz is out of the country, she still belongs to him, and her choice–free herself and lose her career or remain miserable and in the spotlight–is more than any young woman, much less a teenager, should have to face. And yet, through it all, Lillian’s desire for independence shows the character of this struggling, resilient teenager.

With a rich historical backdrop paired with complex characters, The Adored One shines a light on the price of fame.