Biographer Mayukh Sen...uses a compassionate lens....It could be tempting to dismiss Oberon as a self-absorbed, money-driven diva who acquired and shed lovers and husbands like outgrown fashions. But Sen elegantly and thoroughly performs a work of historical recovery for a subject whose uniqueness has never been fully understood or appreciated.--Kendra Nordin Beato "Christian Science Monitor"
Throughout every up and down of Oberon's career, Sen pays her--and his readers--the implicit compliment of not turning his subject into a saint....Love, Queenie is earnestly affectionate but pulls none of these punches, which makes it both bracing and refreshing reading, the year's first genuinely worthwhile movie star biography. All previous studies of this troubled, fascinating figure can be readily retired.--Steve Donoghue "Open Letters Review"
'What does America want from its stars when they come from the margins?' Sen asks in this extraordinary account of the hardship and rampant racism Oberon, a movie star who spent her entire career hiding her South Asian roots, faced during Hollywood's golden age.-- "New York Times Book Review"
In Love, Queenie, writer Mayukh Sen cheerfully reclaims her story, narrating it with sensitivity and verve....[T]he book is written as if living alongside Oberon during her lifetime, giving emotional heft to her sometimes difficult choices.--Carolyn Kellogg "Los Angeles Times"
Merle Oberon, one of Hollywood's first South Asian movie stars, gets her due in this engrossing biography, which masterfully explores Oberon's painful upbringing, complicated racial identity, and much more.--Sophia M. Stewart "The Millions"
The chroniclers of classic-era Hollywood have never quite known what to do with Merle Oberon....So it takes chutzpah and sympathy to write a biography about Oberon, but Mayukh Sen has both.--Ty Burr "Wall Street Journal"
With fluid pacing, Sen traces the 'culture of exclusion' of the times that hobbled and channeled Oberon's life and career....Sen's story shines throughout. The narrative is woven with surgical precision, never flaunting the obvious depth of its research.--Akanksha Singh "Los Angeles Review of Books"
Sen anchors Oberon's complicated story and spotty filmography within the racism and classism of the early twentieth century, crediting her as a pioneer for the growing cadre of South Asian actors only now breaking through filmdom's capricious prejudices. Sen finally gives this oft-overlooked actor her due.-- "Booklist (starred review)"
Sen's thorough research, graceful prose, and nuanced analyses of the systems of oppression framing Oberon's life offer a layered and engrossing portrait of a woman who skyrocketed to well-earned stardom while enduring the trauma of hiding her race. An extraordinary biography of an extraordinary South Asian woman.-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
Film critic Sen delivers a moving biography of Merle Oberon....[H]e emphasizes the stirring determination she showed in scrapping her way to the film industry's upper echelon. It's a poignant account of the sacrifices that enabled an extraordinary career.-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"
A deeply drawn portrait of the fascinating screen star Merle Oberon. Told with empathy and rigor, it's also a grand tour of Hollywood's opulence and racism through the decades. A compelling story of one woman's struggle to make a life for herself against the odds. I could not put this book down.--Padma Lakshmi, author of Love, Loss, and What We Ate
A deeply sympathetic portrait of one of Hollywood's most misunderstood figures. Love, Queenie is not only a love letter to Merle Oberon's underappreciated filmography, but also an unflinching examination of how the era's racial codes constricted her life--on and off the screen.--Katie Gee Salisbury, author of Not Your China Doll
The saga of Merle Oberon is one of Hollywood's most extraordinary tales--one that has, at long last, found the right teller in Mayukh Sen, whose wonderful book is written with compassion, clear eyes, and panache.--Michael Schulman, author of Oscar Wars
This entrancing book left me reflecting on the society that compelled such a star to hide who she was all her life. An invaluable biography rich with surprises, heartbreak, and the complicated fulfillment of dreams.--Megha Majumdar, author of A Burning
Through Mayukh Sen's remarkable book, I discovered a brilliant, ambitious actress who could achieve visibility only by making her past invisible. After reading Love, Queenie, I hold two opposing thoughts in my mind: 'Look how far we've come, ' and 'Not much has changed.'--Poorna Jagannathan, actress, Never Have I Ever
Merle Oberon never got to tell the true story of her life. Mayukh Sen finally has, and it rivals that of any character she played on the screen. I couldn't put this book down.--Carla Valderrama, author of This Was Hollywood