Strange that there’s never been a film or novel about the true life of Boston-born, Chicago raised, Irish Society Queen, Lady Hazel Lavery, because it’s the kind of story that almost writes itself…
Hazel’s life spanned the Victorian Era through the roaring 20s, infused with both escapism and modern-day sensibilities. She is the ‘stuff’ of legends except it’s all true. Her life starts out very bratty Bridgerton before playing like a cross between The Gilded Age and Outlander.
Hazel lived a love triangle with the Royal’s Knighted portrait artist, her husband, Sir John
Lavery, and her renegade Irish soldier, the charismatic Sinn Fein hero, Michael Collins.
Hazel longed to be part of Collins’s heart, his ambushes and even his assassination, if necessary.
Hazel is said to be the reason the Anglo-Irish Peace Treaty was sealed. Unbeknown to most,
Hazel was also the face on Irish currency for decades. Her circle of friends included Evelyn Waugh, Cecil Beaton, George Bernard Shaw, and Winston Churchill, whom she taught to paint.
Lois Cahall’s first novel, PLAN C: JUST IN CASE (Bloomsbury) was #1 in the UK in 2012 and remained in the top three fiction book sales for that year. Her 2nd novel THE COURT OF THE MYRTLES (Bloomsbury) followed in 2014. Lois began her career as a columnist for the Cape Cod newspapers before spending a decade writing women’s, men’s and food articles for Hearst and Conde Nast publications. Lois is the former Creative Director of Development for James Patterson Entertainment and the Founder of both Cape Cod Book Festival www.capecodbookfestival.com and Palm Beach Book Festival, www.palmbeachbookfestival.com Both festivals bring in NYT best-selling/celebrity authors.
Praise for Lois Cahall’s earlier novels:
“Racy, insouciant, uproarious, plugged-in and turned-on, Lois Cahall’s Plan C is a breathless romp that knows all the best places to go, the worst people to avoid, and the perfect wisecrack to top off every occasion…kick back, raise a glass, and enjoy the ride.” – James Wolcott, author; columnist Air Mail, Vanity Fair (on PLAN C: JUST IN CASE)
“This is that rare and delicious thing, a satire with a heart. Lois Cahall has written a ‘Thelma and Louise’ for a credit-crunched world…Cahall skewers the ridiculous follies of modern life with a perfect six-inch heel. She also forgives all our vanities. Which is what makes this, finally, a surprisingly moving read.” – Simon Beaufoy, Screenwriter: Slumdog Millionaire, The Full Monty, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (on PLAN C: JUST IN CASE)
“This book [Court of the Myrtles] is Tuesdays with Morrie – on estrogen, with a touch of romance. Sometimes you do get a second chance. A heartwarming and inspiring tale, it’ll make you want to hug your mother. Or your daughter. Or both.”
- Ladies Home Journal (on Court of the Myrtles)
