SOLA: Hollywood, McCarthyism, and a Motherless Childhood Abroad
In the midst of a successful Hollywood career, Julietta Appleton’s father is “crushed like a bug” by McCarthyism and the Red Scare during the early years of the Cold War.
Coupled with her mother’s sudden death, young Julietta exists in a world where she doesn’t ever quite fit.
Un-American. Unmothered. Untethered.
While living in ex-pat communities of artists and writers across Europe — from Italy to Ibiza to the Canary Islands — and upon returning to the US, Julietta searches for a place to belong, a place where she can be heard, and a place to call home.
A story of love, loss, and a woman’s search for herself.
Praise for SOLA
“A riveting voyage of self-discovery. Daughter of a Hollywood writer and publicist whose life was forever changed by McCarthyism, motherless by age nine, Appleton spent her preteen years traveling the Continent with her father—Italy, Ibiza, the Canary Islands—as he scouted for gigs and writing havens, then her college days in hippie-era California. Her prose, at once rich and precise, brings everywhere and everyone to life. There are moments when you’ll hold your breath. You will want to make this journey with her.”
Wendy Salinger, author of Folly River and Listen: A Memoir
“Appleton reminds us our childhood experiences can be the prequel to our adult lives, unless we intentionally flip the script. Moving, witty, wicked, and at times wrenching, I can’t wait to see the movie!”
Aviva Romm MD, New York Times-bestselling author of Hormone Intelligence
