The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis

When Hazel and Maxine meet during an USO tour in Italy, it takes a bit of time for them to warm to each other. But soon they form a bond that continues stateside when Hazel's play Wartime Sonata is produced on Broadway with Maxine in the lead role. They also love the camaraderie of living at the Chelsea Hotel with a lot of creative people in the city. The arts of the 1950's are being battered, however, by those who believe that most artists are communists sympathizers. Hazel finds herself in danger of having to name people who are close to the cause and having to defend herself. It's a frightening time for her, because it could cost Hazel her career. The Chelsea Girls recounts the red scare of the time through the eyes of both Hazel and Maxine. The book will be published in July.