{"product_id":"an-iron-girl-in-a-triona-holden-9780750996792","title":"An Iron Girl in a Velvet Glove: The Life of Joan Rhodes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe first-ever biography of a trailblazing star of yesteryear, a colorful tale, full of grit and glamour\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith her hourglass figure and Marilyn Monroe looks, Joan Rhodes would leave audiences speechless as she bent steel bars with her teeth, ripped large phone books into quarters, and lifted two men at a time. But what she did was real. Joan had a superstrength, forged out of desperation to survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn into poverty in 1920s London and abandoned by her parents, Joan endured a spell in the workhouse and earned scraps busking on the streets. Despite the worst possible start, she made it to the top of her profession to rub sequined shoulders with the likes of Fred Astaire, Bob Hope and Sammy Davis Jnr. Joan's crowning glory was to perform for the Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, and along the way she made lifelong friendships with Marlene Dietrich, Quentin Crisp and Dame Laura Knight, kindred spirits who lived as fearlessly as she did.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBiographer Triona Holden met Joan in her later years. When Joan passed away, Triona set out to secure her beloved friend's place in history. She appeared on the BBC TV show \u003ci\u003eThe Repair Shop\u003c\/i\u003e to tell the strongwoman's story, and sifted through archives to retrace her journey to stardom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJoan saw herself as a freak, but in truth she was a champion for the so-called fairer sex. \u003cb\u003eAt a time when women were still groomed for marriage and motherhood, \u003ci\u003eAn Iron Girl in a Velvet Glove\u003c\/i\u003e tells the fascinating and tumultuous story of a woman who followed her own unique path\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Triona Holden\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 075099679X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780750996792\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e History Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/13\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.05lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.83h x 5.85w x 1.04d","brand":"Triona Holden","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44079184707839,"sku":"9780750996792","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a5781088-38a4-4c12-a733-2b3f5739b756.jpg?v=1685479719","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/an-iron-girl-in-a-triona-holden-9780750996792","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}