BookBrowse Reviews Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor

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Jillian Cantor reimagines F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby through the eyes of three women under suspicion for the murder of the titular millionaire.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby tells the story of Nick Carraway and his friendship with the enigmatic and grandiose millionaire Jay Gatsby in 1922. The book ends with Gatsby dead in his swimming pool, murdered at the hands of a jealous husband who then killed himself. But what if his death wasn't quite so straightforward and someone got away with murder? Beautiful Little Fools, Jillian Cantor's feminist reimagining of the American classic, explores the lives of Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker and Catherine McCoy, three women pulled into Gatsby's orbit and then suspected of his murder.

The story alternates between the points of view of these three very different women, spanning their lives between 1917 and 1923. Daisy comes from money, and although she falls for the young, poor soldier Jay Gatsby, she chooses to marry Tom Buchanan after a family tragedy threatens her with financial ruin. Despite initial happiness, Daisy soon discovers Tom's philandering and wonders what might have been if she had chosen to marry Gatsby instead. Jordan is a golf star, a rare woman in a man's sport, and although she and Daisy are good friends, Jordan's top priority is becoming a professional athlete rather than a wife and mother. But an unexpected and forbidden romance tangles Jordan in a web of lies which Gatsby uses to blackmail her, forcing Jordan to help him win back Daisy. Catherine — a character mentioned only in passing in the original novel — also chooses freedom instead of marriage, but her fling with Gatsby places her and her sister, Myrtle, in mortal danger.

The choices these women make — and especially their choices in relation to Jay Gatsby — change their lives in ways they could never predict. Although it may seem that Daisy, Jordan and Catherine are defined only by their relationships with the millionaire, the truth is much more complex, with each woman playing her own cunning game to find true happiness despite the expectations and restrictions of her circumstances. Such subtle methods ring true for the times: in the 1920s, traditional roles for women were changing, and women of all classes were seeking freedom from the rules of society. For the novel's three main characters, these expectations vary significantly, but each discovers her own way to achieve her goals, even if that way involves murder.

Cantor uses a fourth point of view to focus on Gatsby's murder and the ensuing investigation. New York detective Frank Charles has been offered a substantial reward if he can determine whether Gatsby's killer has truly been caught. Charles serves as a reader surrogate as he works to solve the case, asking questions and gathering information that allows Cantor to further explore the lives of the women as their paths lead them to the fateful afternoon at Gatsby's mansion. Additionally, he stands out as the lone uncorrupted character. The detective seeks truth rather than personal gain, making him an important foil for the novel's other male characters, all of whom are motivated by greed, envy or lust. As such, it's easy to root for Charles, even if that means that one of the women will find themselves accused of murder.

This is a tale of powerful women who aren't afraid to take matters into their own hands. Daisy, Jordan and Catherine are drastically different characters, but their interactions with Gatsby and the resulting secrets bind them together in unforgettable ways. Their flaws and their desires make them relatable, while their cleverness and flair make them likable. Cantor's work enriches The Great Gatsby by providing new points of view and adding an interesting twist to the narrative. Fans of historical fiction, women's fiction and murder mysteries will thoroughly enjoy Beautiful Little Fools and find themselves eager to discover who pulled the trigger.

Simultaneous release in all text formats: hardcover, paperback and ebook.

This review first ran in the February 2, 2022 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.