The New York Times bestselling author of the blockbuster epic The Shoemaker’s Wife returns with her biggest and boldest novel yet—a spellbinding tale based on a true story and filled with her signature elements: family ties, artistry, romance, and adventure

“Rich, sumptuous…. Her ability to breathe life into the luminous cast of characters, which includes Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, David Niven, and Carole Lombard, will captivate readers, then have them scouring Netflix for film classics of the 1930s. A tinsel-trimmed treat for movie buffs and Trigiani fans alike.” —Library Journal

The movie business is booming in 1935 when twenty-one-year-old Loretta Young meets thirty-four-year-old Clark Gable on the set of The Call of the Wild. Though he’s already married, Gable falls for the stunning and vivacious young actress, and she returns his feelings.

Far from the glittering lights of Hollywood, Sister Alda Ducci has been forced to leave her convent and begin a new journey that leads her to Loretta. Becoming Miss Young’s secretary, the innocent and pious young Alda must navigate the wild terrain of Hollywood with fierce determination and a moral code that derives from her Italian roots. Over the course of decades, Alda and Loretta encounter scandal and adventure, choose love and passion, and forge an enduring bond of love and loyalty that will be put to the test when they face the greatest obstacle of their lives.