Lee Wyndham (1912–1978)

"Beth Hilton, Model" is the first book I ever read in the "Career Romance for Young Moderns" series. This series was published by Julian Messner Inc. in the 1950s and 60s, and included dozens of titles, each focusing on a particular career path that might interest young women of the time.

"Beth Hilton, Model" is about a young girl, about to finish high school, who is dismayed by her perceived lack of grace and beauty. She enrolls in a "beauty finishing" course, or charm school, where such show more things as posture, diction, walking, fashion, and make-up are taught. She is so successful in this course that she begins to wonder whether she could have a career as a model, as her cousin Lisa has done for years.
Modeling is not overly glamorized here; the long hours are stressed, as is the discouraging practice of trudging around to photographers' studios, essentially "selling yourself" so that the photographers will begin calling your agency. The most charming thing about this book, in retrospect, is the innocence of the modeling industry at the time. This was a time when models wouldn't dream of posing in swimsuit or underwear ads, when any work-related trips they went on were fully chaperoned, when they essentially provided their own clothes for their photo shoots.

It's fun to look at this world, and the last page of the book consists of a page of advice to aspiring young girls titled "If You Want to Be a Model." Today's fashion models, who all seem to call themselves supermodels these days, would surely be amused by this!

(NOTE: I am the original author of this review which I first put on Amazon in 2001; it is therefore not copyright infringement to repeat it here.) show less

Lovely book from my childhood. Dark, haunting and all true. Will write a review ro follow soon.

As enchanting, beautiful and filled with hope as a beautiful night-sky full of stars. This is a book I read as a child, where I'd sit, dreaming starry-eyed dreams in my school's library.

I'd read about all the greats. And she was one of them.

It was stark and horrifiying in some ways. Even though it's a child's book, there are hospital scenes and scenes if death and illness. It's dark - but so show more beautiful. And remains in my mind ever so vividly. show less

Average girl Beth Hilton envies her glamorous model cousin until a chance meeting draws her into the exciting world of high-fashion modeling. The main character, Beth Hilton, is a believable girl-next-door who's sweet disposition and naiveté are tempered by ambition, resourcefulness and a strong sense of self. The plot line sweeps the reader along a logical path from obscurity to supermodel, adding exciting plot twists that keep the story fresh. Despite fading toward historical fiction show more genre due to the publish date and vintage clothing styles, the story remains very up-to-date with little historical slang or references while still capturing the flavor of the period well. Although Beth enjoys a tempestuous romance with a fashion photographer, the theme centers squarely on her coming-of-age with the help of her supportive family. I would definitely recommend this book for any middle school, high school or public library. It loses half a star, however, for vintage sexism. show less

I have been in another reading slump lately, and decided to try and read smaller books. The Lady with the Lamp is a super small book and I really enjoyed it.

I have no idea where this book came from. It has been sitting on my To Be Read shelf for years. I think my dad might have brought it home from work for me. I guess it really doesn’t matter where it came from.

I’ve been interested in learning more about Florence Nightingale for years but never got around to reading anything about her show more until now. This biography is so interesting and easy to read. Even if it was longer, I think you would still fly right through it.

If you are interested in Florence Nightingale, this would be a good place to start. show less