Sister Stardust

Jane Green: HarperCollins, $30

Green has used the life of troubled, swinging ’60s cultural icon Talitha Getty, the model, actress and socialite married to oil heir Paul Getty, as the basis for her novel. Rich, beautiful, vivacious, Talitha gathers people to her like moths to a flame, including Mick Jagger and Yves Saint Laurent, hosting wild retreats at her Marrakesh palace. To naive country girl Claire, freshly arrived in London searching for adventure, Talitha seems to have the perfect life. The two become fast friends. Surrounded by opulence, sex, drugs and freedom, Claire soon learns not everything is as wonderful as it appears. This is a good read, punctuated somewhat unnecessarily by recipes, with some characters and plot lines not entirely convincing.

★★½☆☆