The Roaring Days of Zora Lily

In this dazzling new novel, a museum curator finds a hidden label on a famous gown, unearthing the forgotten story of a talented young seamstress and her journey from the smoke-filled speakeasies of Jazz Age Seattle to the glittering costume houses of Hollywood.

2023, The Smithsonian National Museum of American History: Costume conservator Sylvia Early is preparing The Hollywood Glamour Exhibition at the Smithsonian, featuring costumes from famous movies from the 1920s to present day. As she gingerly places the gown that is to be the centerpiece of the show on a mannequin, she discovers another name beneath the label, leaving her to wonder - who is Zora Lily? 1924, Seattle: Poverty stricken twenty-one-year-old Zora Hough sits beside her mother every day in their candle-lit ramshackle house, looking after her younger siblings and sewing up holes and fixing hems for clients to bring in extra money. By day Zora works her fingers to the bone just to survive, but at night, as she lies in the bed she shares with one of her three sisters, she imagines what it would be like to have the freedom of choice. She secretly dreams of becoming a designer like Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin and finding a place for herself in the world. When her best friend Rose gets a job as a dance girl in a club downtown, Zora is lured in by stories of the music, glittering dresses and boys - and follows her friend to the underground speakeasies that are at once exciting and frightening, with smoke hanging in the air, alcohol flowing despite prohibition, couples dancing in a way that makes Zora blush, and a handsome businessman named Harley. It’s a world she has only ever imagined, and one with connections that could lead her to the life she's always dreamed of. But as Zora's ambition is challenged by tragedy and duty to her family, she'll learn that dreams come with a cost.

About the Author

Noelle Salazar was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, where she’s been a Navy recruit, a medical assistant, an NFL cheerleader, and always a storyteller. When she’s not writing, she can be found dodging raindrops and daydreaming of her next book. Her first novel, The Flight Girls, was an instant bestseller, a Forbes, Woman's World & Hypable book of the month and a BookBub Top Recommended book from readers. Noelle lives in Bothell, Washington, with her husband and two children.