By Karen McCarraher
The Life You Had Imagined is an in-depth look by author Nelly Alard of the lives of Empress Elizabeth of Austria, her daughter, Karoline, raised in secret away from the Austrian court, and Karoline’s daughter, Elissa Lande, a young actress in 1930s Hollywood. In her work, Alard compared the lives of these three strong women with her own ventures into acting.
Alard traces Elissa’s relationship with a Hollywood director she met when she was living in Paris. They became romantically involved and when he returned to Hollywood, he sent Elissa a ticket to come to California and he promised he would make her a star. Unfortunately, this did not work out and Elissa returned to Paris. Elissa continued to research her grandmother’s life and read anything that was written about her. She realized that her grandmother had many colorful liaisons during her marriage and found that she was often cruel to those who were most loyal to her.
She continued acting, first in a play produced in Paris for two years and then in a a number of provincial products, but stardom eluded her. Two years later, Elissa filmed a documentary with her old mentor, Henry. When it was finally released, her talent was being recognized and she was invited back to Hollywood to audition for the movies. She was very successful and starred in a number of films in the 1930s.
Her mother, Karoline, came to live with her for a time. Eventually, they received a message from the Austrian court recognizing Karoline as the daughter of Empress Elizabeth. After this time, Karoline returned to Europe to live out the rest of her life.
The author also compares Elissa’s search for stardom to her own early acting career. When this did not develop, Nelly Alard found her voice in writing.
The book was meticulously researched and a very interesting read. Sometimes it was difficult to determine who was “speaking” in that there were three lives (and the fourth of the author) being described. Historically, it was correct and it certainly was worth reading.
Before becoming a writer, Nelly Alard trained as an actress in France. She acted in numerous plays and TV programs in France and a few American movies filmed in France. Alard, who lives in Paris, is also a screenwriter and works regularly for French television.
The Life You Had Imagined is published by Box Out in the World Press and available from barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.com.