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My Thoughts:

Side by Side: A Novel of Bonnie and ClydeSide by Side: A Novel of Bonnie and Clyde by Jenni L. Walsh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 hopelessly devoted stars to Side by Side: A Novel of Bonnie and Clyde! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I have long been fascinated by Bonnie and Clyde and have always wanted to learn more about them. I bought Becoming Bonnie when it was released, but have not read it yet. That fact did not affect my enjoyment of Side by Side. It can definitely stand on its own and is a fulfilling story as is, though I intend to read Becoming Bonnie so I can learn more about her early life and to understand her better.

It’s Texas in 1931, during the Great Depression, and Bonnie is waiting for Clyde to come home. He is languishing in prison, and she is pining for him and the life together they had once imagined. She writes a letter to the government begging for less jail time for him.

Clyde eventually returns, but he’s not the same…Are their big dreams forever shattered? How will they survive when Clyde cannot get or keep a job, and money is hard to come by? Clyde decides he is never returning to jail, but at what cost?

Side by Side felt as real as Bonnie and Clyde once were. Bonnie’s love and devotion for Clyde were palpable, and even though we all know the ending they succumbed to, the ride that led them there was thrilling and dramatic. Overall, Side by Side was an honest and tragic tale of this infamous, larger-than-life pair.

Thank you to Jenni L. Walsh, Forge Books, and Netgalley for the ARC. Side by Side will be released on June 5, 2018.

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Synopsis:

“A deftly researched, compassionate rendering of Bonnie Parker, one of the most fascinating women in recent history. With great empathy and skill Walsh portrays Bonnie’s collision course with disaster, allowing us to ride shotgun all the way. And what a compelling ride it is!” – Ariel Lawhon, author of I Was Anastasia

Texas: 1931. It’s the height of the Great Depression, and Bonnie is miles from Clyde. He’s locked up, and she’s left waiting, their dreams of a life together dwindling every day.

When Clyde returns from prison damaged and distant, unable to keep a job, and dogged by the cops, Bonnie knows the law will soon come for him. But there’s only one road forward for her.

If the world won’t give them their American Dream, they’ll just have to take it.

“Compulsively readable, Walsh’s prose hooks you from the beginning as Bonnie and Clyde come alive for the reader, their exploits leaping off the page. Atmospheric, action-packed, and richly detailed, Side by Side will delight historical fiction fans.” – Chanel Cleeton, author of Next Year in Havana

Have you read this book, or do you plan to read it? Happy Reading! Jennifer THR