Cover Art: Leta Nolan Childers
Now available in paperback at CafePress
Women wept, yearned and fantasized about him. Men coveted and
copied his mysterious style. And both lined the railroad tracks when his body
was transported back to the Tinsel Town that made him famous. Based on over one
hundred rare sources, this biography of actor Rudolph Valentino will thrill
romantics and fans of silent film. Encased in a shroud of mystery is a
fascinating individual concealed too long behind his persona.
Charpentier sees in Valentino's appeal a precursor to the rise and
enduring popularity of romance novels. Her introduction draws parallels between
Valentino's oft-criticized persona and the perplexity expressed by romance
novelists who sell millions of books but who are sneered at by critics. The
common thread…is the mystery and mysticism of romance, which defies analysis. -Gregory
Harris, The Book Page-