All the Beautiful Girls

Church’s second novel (following The Atomic Weight of Love) is a stirring bildungsroman that follows a girl from trauma in 1957 Kansas to self-discovery in 1960s Las Vegas. Lily Decker is eight when her parents and sister are killed in a car crash. Her childless aunt and uncle, stern Tate and cruel Miles, take her in. For the next 10 years, Miles sexually abuses her. During that time, Lily forms a bond with the man who drove the car that killed her family, Air Force pilot Stirling Sloan, and, with his support, discovers a passion for dance. After graduating high school, Lily changes her name to Ruby Wilde and sets her sights on the glitter and neon of Las Vegas. Her beauty and talent land her a spot as a showgirl in the Folies Bergère at the Tropicana, and Ruby finds a supportive group of friends. Money and success quickly follow, but Ruby desperately seeks love and meaning. Her deeply dysfunctional relationship with a young Spanish photographer soon proves transformative. Writing elegant prose, Church avoids excessive sentimentality and too-neat resolutions, paving the way to the satisfying, bittersweet finale. Church paints an unflinching, frequently heartbreaking portrait of a resilient young woman’s coming-of-age set against an exciting, glamorous backdrop. (Mar.)