Greta and Cecil

Greta Garbo first met society photographer Cecil Beaton in Hollywood in 1932. Both were caught in turbulent same-sex affairs. Yet Garbo flirted and danced with Beaton, told him he was pretty, presented him with 'a rose that lives and dies and never again returns' and at dawn drove away in her black Packard. Cecil took the rose home to England, framed it in silver and hung it above his bed.

Fifteen years later Greta and Cecil met again. For her it was an idle flirtation. For him it fuelled his ambition to photograph her, to be like her and to marry her - an obsession that became a betrayal. Souhami draws on diaries, memoirs, letters, photographs and films to reveal the truth behind this fascinating and narcissistic relationship.

“'Souhami sculpts the narrative to reflect her elegant ideas on the worship of images, the blurring of boundaries in love and art, and the riddle that is androgyny' Observer.”

'Compelling reading' Literary Review. Literary Review
'Diana Souhami has conveyed an almost palpable impression in this book of the enchantment of Garbo's beauty' Mail on Sunday. Mail on Sunday
Observer

Diana Souhami is the author of Selkirk's Island (winner of the Whitbread Biography award), The Trials of Radclyffe Hall (shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Biography and winner of the US Lambda Literary Award), the bestselling Mrs Keppel and Her Daughter (also winner of the Lambda Literary Award and a New York Times 'Notable Book of the Year'). Her latest book is Murder at Wrotham Hill. She lives in London and Devon.

Greta Garbo first met Cecil Beaton in Hollywood in 1932. Both were involved in turbulent same-sex affairs. Garbo flirted and danced with Beaton, told him he was pretty, gave him 'a rose that lives and dies and never again returns', then at dawn drove away in her black Packard. Cecil took the rose home to England, framed it in silver and hung it above his bed. Fifteen years later they met again. For Greta it was an idle flirtation. For Cecil it fuelled his obsession to photograph her, be like her and marry her - an obsession that turned to betrayal. Souhami draws on diaries, memoirs, letters, photographs and films to reveal the truth behind this compelling, strange and narcissistic relationship.

Greta Garbo first met society photographer Cecil Beaton in Hollywood in 1932. Both were caught in turbulent same-sex affairs. Yet Garbo flirted and danced with Beaton, told him he was pretty, presented him with 'a rose that lives and dies and never again returns' and at dawn drove away in her black Packard. Cecil took the rose home to England, framed it in silver and hung it above his bed. Fifteen years later Greta and Cecil met again. For her it was an idle flirtation. For him it fuelled his ambition to photograph her, to be like her and to marry her - an obsession that became a betrayal. Souhami draws on diaries, memoirs, letters, photographs and films to reveal the truth behind this fascinating and narcissistic relationship.

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