Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Becoming Bonnie by Jenni L. Walsh

The untold story of how wholesome Bonnelyn Parker became half of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde Duo

BECOMING BONNIE

Jenni L. Walsh

“Walsh’s debut historical novel brings the Prohibition era, the Great Depression, and American gangsters to life …  supporting characters provide further perspectives on the magnetic pull of jazz, illegal booze, and a (short) life on the lam. … Look forward

to the sequel for later exploits of these notorious bandits.”
—Booklist

“A compelling account of a nation and a life in disarray—

readers will feel for Bonnelyn as she finds herself scrabbling

 for survival in a world turned upside down. How do you

get from good girl to gangster's moll? Jenni Walsh takes

you along for the ride with Bonnelyn Parker in an account

so vivid you would think you were there with her.”
—New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig

Before Bonnelyn took to a life of crime as one half of the infamous Bonnie & Clyde duo she was teenager with ambitions. Travel back to the height of the Roaring Twenties and meet the sweet, wholesome Bonnelyn Parker in Jenni L. Walsh’s debut novel BECOMING BONNIE (Forge Hardcover; $25.99; On-sale: May 9, 2017).

Bonnie and Clyde are two of the most famous outlaws in American history. They have captured people’s imaginations for decades, and now BECOMING BONNIE will continue their story on the small screen: it has been optioned for television by Edyson Entertainment, headed by Ed Gernon, a veteran producer whose credits include Nuremberg, Joan of Arc, and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister among many historical TV specials.

Jenni L. Walsh has spent the past decade enticing readers as an award-winning advertising copywriter. BECOMING BONNIE marks her turn to the lives of heroic women: Walsh also has a new middle grade series with Scholastic, Brave Like Me, that tells true stories of young women who accomplished great feats of perseverance and bravery.

Pick up BECOMING BONNIE and step back to the summer of 1927 to meet Bonnelyn, a sharp girl with plans to overcome her family's poverty, provide for herself, and maybe someday marry her boyfriend, Roy Thornton. What she doesn't know is that her life—like her country—is headed for a crash. She’s about to meet Clyde Barrow.

In an era like our own, with a sharp divide between rich and poor and debt mounting as fast as hope fades, Bonnie is a relatable young woman looking for a way out of her life. Trace how a young woman who was promised the American dream and given the Great Depression fell so hard for a convicted felon. Fans of history and romance novels will find BECOMING BONNIE a rich exploration of a young woman’s journey.

"In BECOMING BONNIE Jenni Walsh delivers an intriguing insight into the life of one half of the infamous duo, Bonnie and Clyde. I look forward to reading more from this new author."

—New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor

“A dazzling and compulsively-readable adventure of self-discovery, with a voice both singular and irresistible.  I dare you not to fall in love with Bonnie, and her intoxicating, wholly immersive world.”

—Lee Kelly, author of City of Savages

“Booze-soaked, southern-fried, and fully immersive, BECOMING BONNIE is a rocking good read.”

—Tall Poppy

 

JENNI L. WALSH has spent the past decade enticing readers as an award-winning advertising copywriter. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philly 'burbs with her husband, daughter, son, and goldendoodle. You can visit her online at http://www.jennilwalsh.com/ or on Twitter under the handle @jennilwalsh.