Inspired by true events, Claudette on the Keys is the story of Ida Fernley, whose stage name is Claudette, and her husband Harry, a Toronto-based duo piano team called the Black and White Spotters. At the height of the Great Depression, the pair are hanging onto their livelihoods by their fingernails. It is the winter of 1936, with the unemployment rate at 17 percent, when they find out that they are being laid off from their live weekly radio program on CKCL due to a pullout by the sponsor, Shirriff’s Marmalade. After their home is re-possessed, they and their two young sons move into Harry’s parents’ home where they try to figure out their next steps. When Ida plays free of charge for a charity concert at Shea’s Hippodrome, she happens to meet a British talent agent who is impressed by her virtuosic rendition of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” He invites her and Harry to come to London to work, where Ida experiences firsthand the rise of fascism and becomes embroiled in pre-war intrigue. Whenever she finds herself in a tough spot, she draws inspiration from her movie-star hero Claudette Colbert. A gripping read for fans of The Gown by Jennifer Robson and The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff.
The world of Depression-era musicians – and especially the musical world of Ida, or Claudette – is superbly rendered. The highs and lows of a performer’s life, from anxious insecurity to concert euphoria, feels wonderfully authentic. And the book’s many details about the era’s popular songs and performers give the novel great authenticity and bring the story to sparkling life.
- Barbara Kyle, author of The Man from Spirit Creek
Tina Crossfield –
“Great job… I loved it. I was sorry when I turned the last page and realized that was it!” – Faye P.
Tina Crossfield –
Well written and a story of historical value. I loved it – it had all my favourite topics: travel, piano, WWII, and women. “ – Claire S.
Tina Crossfield –
“I couldn’t put the book down but I did not want it to end.” – Alice M.
Tina Crossfield –
“I could hardly put the book down for the next chapter.” – Ida N.
Tina Crossfield –
“The book is so well-written, full of authentic characters, and needs to be on your to-be-read list.” Cathy L.
Tina Crossfield –
“Joanne Culley has a lovely way of telling the story with detail and perspective. I loved the evolution of Claudette’s consciousness and confidence in such difficult years generally and for women especially.’ Joan M.
Tina Crossfield –
https://49thshelf.com/Blog/2021/07/12/Most-Anticipated-Our-2021-Fall-Fiction-Preview
“With a mixture of real and imagined characters, Joanne Culley provides a glimpse into the show business world of pre-war Europe through the eyes of a spunky heroine in her debut novel Claudette on the Keys.”
Tina Crossfield –
Kerry Clare of 49th Shelf posted this article: “Music and hope navigate the treacherous waters of the pre-war period in this detailed, well-researched novel about perseverance and the power of self-discovery,” writes bestseller @gengrahamauthor about Claudette on the Keys, the debut novel by Joanne Culley (@joanne.c.culley)
In her recommended reading list (read it at the link in our profile!), Culley recommends her own favourites by Genevieve Graham, along with other historical fiction gems.
Tina Crossfield –
About CLAUDETTE ON THE KEYS: Claudette on the Keys is about a female pianist who follows fortune but instead finds fascism on the rise in this tale of intrigue in pre-war times. Inspired by true events, it’s the story of Ida, whose stage name is Claudette, and her husband Harry, a Toronto-based duo-piano team, who are struggling to find employment in 1936 after being laid off from their radio show. Following a solo performance at Shea’s Theatre, where Ida performs a stellar rendition of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” she is invited by a British talent agent to work overseas where she becomes embroiled in a scheme to get Jewish musicians out of Germany, passport problems and imprisonment. With a mixture of real and imagined characters, Culley provides a glimpse into the show business world of pre-war Europe through the eyes of a spunky heroine. A must-read for fans of Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham and The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff.
Tina Crossfield –
Article in Business Advantage magazine, p. 44:
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/65992502/ba-nov2021
Tina Crossfield –
Article from Authors Publish:
https://authorspublish.com/case-study-how-claudette-on-the-keys-got-published/?fbclid=IwAR0QXagXobYSblKcIrSDTRa-Vc1gsDCaIbVktvWsq6knjRkJKF5FD53FyPk
Tina Crossfield –
Review from Miramichi Reader by James Fisher:
https://miramichireader.ca/2021/09/claudette-on-the-keys-by-joanne-culley/?fbclid=IwAR1WjjzSg1as1jx1b-9AJYjPY87uIobjY3VqrbcvZrYDyxMVZKI0mrMT26o
Tina Crossfield –
Interview by Miramichi Reader by James Fisher:
https://miramichireader.ca/2021/08/the-joanne-culley-interview/?fbclid=IwAR22AoME3sXBrngV0WYfm2AJkdQmAd7FBUol83yO00DaYsMmRhJPI1F-F0g
Tina Crossfield –
CBC Toronto News interview:
https://www.facebook.com/CBCToronto/posts/4092044834233373