---
product_id: 229075922
title: "Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985"
price: "€ 200.58"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 12
url: https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/229075922-queenie-by-michael-korda-hardback-1985
store_origin: CY
region: Cyprus
---

# Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985

**Price:** € 200.58
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- **What is this?** Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985
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## Description

Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985 [Michael Korda] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985

Review: Excellent condition, and it's by Michael Korda so it's spectacular! - If you've never read anything by Michael Korda, you've missed a lot of hours of joyful reading! He is a gifted writer who has led an extraordinary life. His aunt may not have approved, but from speaking about her with my mother, I think he did well in telling a fictionalized version of her life. Look for his other books as well. "Charmed Lives" is my favorite.
Review: Queenie: Merle Oberon’s Finest Role? - Michael Korda, while writing this 1985 book, was not only a book author; he was the Editor-in-Chief (now Emeritus) at Simon & Schuster and also a columnist, so he knew about writing and crafting a good read. He has a history degree from Magdalen College at Oxford, UK and was also an intelligence officer in the Royal Air Force. At one time, he was also a nephew to actress Merle Oberon, by marriage to his uncle, producer-director, Sir Alexander Korda. In short, Korda had a lot of experiences and references that he could use in his writing. Although this book Queenie is fiction, it is loosely-modeled on the life of his aunt Merle, so some information is changed just enough for Korda not to be involved in a lawsuit. Both Merle and Queenie were born in India: while Merle was born in a poor area of Bombay, Queenie was born in a beach shack in Calcutta. Both were born to Indian mothers and British fathers, who were in India working as managers and overseers to build railways, water treatment plants, and infrastructure for the British Empire. Both had fathers who had ‘permanent’ first wives and children back in Merry-Old England and who may or may not have been aware of the 2nd families back in India, with biracial children that would never see their fathers again. Many received no money from their fathers after they returned back to the UK. These children were caught between 2 worlds in those times, unlike today, in which diversity is celebrated, single parenting is accepted, and fathers pay child support. The name Queenie was also a nickname of Merle’s when she was younger. Korda is very adept at painting words on the page to conjure up sensory images. His description of Calcutta makes the reader feel, smell, visualize, etc. what Korda puts on the page. For example, when he describes Calcutta, the reader can see, feel, and smell a rotting, humid and fetid coastline both during the day and at night. The safe neighborhoods and the unsafe ones, especially at night, created fear – especially for a teen who needed to provide money for her family in the nightclub areas. I couldn’t put this book down when I was reading it! How could Queenie develop the grit and resilience for working her way up from travelling from Calcutta nightclubs to going to England to lose her Indian identity in the dark, dank, cave-like London nightclubs, while pushing a ‘white’ identity? How could she navigate the world of men, especially her first real ‘encounter’ with a man? Was she able to blend in in London to disguise who she really was? Who did she befriend to help her? In England, where did she tell people that she was originally from? Why? How long did she go along with this ruse? How many husbands did Queenie have? Did any of them help her career? After some time, the world was her oyster; she felt at home almost anywhere. As Queenie became famous, how did she treat her mother? Who was she with at the end of her life? What is her legacy? To find the answers to these questions, you’ll have to read the book. But be careful, you won’t want to stop reading until you finish it. In so doing, you’ll also be able to appreciate Michael Korda’s writing style and know that he is truly a wordsmith. You may also want to read more of his other books –both fiction and non-fiction.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | B0082RWNTE |
| Best Sellers Rank | #2,305,942 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (55) |
| Dimensions  | 9.61 x 6.54 x 1.73 inches |
| Item Weight  | 2.17 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Publication date  | January 1, 1985 |
| Publisher  | New York: Linden Press,/ Simon & Shuster |

## Images

![Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51DPpsW5cgL.jpg)
![Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985 - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Lbj5VGblL.jpg)
![Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985 - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51edENAk-yL.jpg)
![Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985 - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jzpj6BNsL.jpg)
![Queenie by Michael Korda Hardback 1985 - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71JPDGmF2AL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent condition, and it's by Michael Korda so it's spectacular!
*by L***E on September 6, 2023*

If you've never read anything by Michael Korda, you've missed a lot of hours of joyful reading! He is a gifted writer who has led an extraordinary life. His aunt may not have approved, but from speaking about her with my mother, I think he did well in telling a fictionalized version of her life. Look for his other books as well. "Charmed Lives" is my favorite.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Queenie: Merle Oberon’s Finest Role?
*by S***I on January 27, 2018*

Michael Korda, while writing this 1985 book, was not only a book author; he was the Editor-in-Chief (now Emeritus) at Simon & Schuster and also a columnist, so he knew about writing and crafting a good read. He has a history degree from Magdalen College at Oxford, UK and was also an intelligence officer in the Royal Air Force. At one time, he was also a nephew to actress Merle Oberon, by marriage to his uncle, producer-director, Sir Alexander Korda. In short, Korda had a lot of experiences and references that he could use in his writing. Although this book Queenie is fiction, it is loosely-modeled on the life of his aunt Merle, so some information is changed just enough for Korda not to be involved in a lawsuit. Both Merle and Queenie were born in India: while Merle was born in a poor area of Bombay, Queenie was born in a beach shack in Calcutta. Both were born to Indian mothers and British fathers, who were in India working as managers and overseers to build railways, water treatment plants, and infrastructure for the British Empire. Both had fathers who had ‘permanent’ first wives and children back in Merry-Old England and who may or may not have been aware of the 2nd families back in India, with biracial children that would never see their fathers again. Many received no money from their fathers after they returned back to the UK. These children were caught between 2 worlds in those times, unlike today, in which diversity is celebrated, single parenting is accepted, and fathers pay child support. The name Queenie was also a nickname of Merle’s when she was younger. Korda is very adept at painting words on the page to conjure up sensory images. His description of Calcutta makes the reader feel, smell, visualize, etc. what Korda puts on the page. For example, when he describes Calcutta, the reader can see, feel, and smell a rotting, humid and fetid coastline both during the day and at night. The safe neighborhoods and the unsafe ones, especially at night, created fear – especially for a teen who needed to provide money for her family in the nightclub areas. I couldn’t put this book down when I was reading it! How could Queenie develop the grit and resilience for working her way up from travelling from Calcutta nightclubs to going to England to lose her Indian identity in the dark, dank, cave-like London nightclubs, while pushing a ‘white’ identity? How could she navigate the world of men, especially her first real ‘encounter’ with a man? Was she able to blend in in London to disguise who she really was? Who did she befriend to help her? In England, where did she tell people that she was originally from? Why? How long did she go along with this ruse? How many husbands did Queenie have? Did any of them help her career? After some time, the world was her oyster; she felt at home almost anywhere. As Queenie became famous, how did she treat her mother? Who was she with at the end of her life? What is her legacy? To find the answers to these questions, you’ll have to read the book. But be careful, you won’t want to stop reading until you finish it. In so doing, you’ll also be able to appreciate Michael Korda’s writing style and know that he is truly a wordsmith. You may also want to read more of his other books –both fiction and non-fiction.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Queenie
*by N***S on September 29, 2023*

You have to read this book it is not an audio and it is my favorite I got rid of my hard copy thinking I would replace with audio wrong !! This book is a paper back old and worn well read and loved by many. Thank you for sending my favorite book

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*Product available on Desertcart Cyprus*
*Store origin: CY*
*Last updated: 2026-02-10*