October 2025

Florida Girls

By L.L. Kirchner

DISCUSSION DATE: 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 14, 2025
LOCATION: The Elusive Grape, 129 N. Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32720

About the Book

A war bond tour full of eager young women. A sunny town with a seedy underbelly. When the Florida Girls start shooting back, will anyone survive?

St. Petersburg, Florida, 1944. Thelma Miles can’t stomach injustice. Broke and orphaned near the close of WWII, the 18-year-old joins a troupe of touring swimsuit models hoping for a fresh start, only to discover she’s stepped into the mafia’s lair.

Kathleen Young, desperate to save her business and ailing husband, organizes the tour. But her single-minded focus blinds her to the dangers lurking beneath the surface.

L.L. Kirchner’s twisty debut novel Florida Girls weaves a rich tapestry of:

  • Real-life characters and meticulous historical detail
  • Resilient women fighting to reclaim their place in post-war America
  • A gripping blend of glamor, crime, and unexpected alliances

NYT-bestselling author Jane Heller raves: “Florida Girls is a rollicking debut novel brimming with colorful characters, twists and turns and, at its heart, women who overcome different backgrounds to form an unbreakable bond.”

With its strong female characters, suspenseful plot, and meticulously researched historical setting, Florida Girls will appeal to fans of Beatriz Williams’s immersive historical worlds, Kate Quinn’s complex heroines, and Elizabeth Gilbert’s vivid narratives. Perfect for fans of:

  • Complex, multi-layered narratives
  • Coming-of-age stories set against historical backdrops
  • Vivid period details that transport you to 1940s Florida

Florida Girls is the first explosive entry in The Queenpin Chronicles series. Follow Thelma and Kathleen as they navigate a rapidly changing world, discovering untapped reserves of strength, brutality, and love.

Click here to buy the book on Amazon.com.

This Month’s Icebreaker

What’s your favorite season and why?

Discussion Questions

  • How does Thelma evolve throughout the novel? What strengths or qualities help her survive in the face of hardship?
  • The story highlights the limited options available to women after WWII. In what ways does Thelma push against societal expectations, and how do other female characters handle these pressures?
  • Thelma makes some difficult choices to survive. Do you think she had any real alternatives, or was she trapped by her circumstances?
  • How does the setting of 1940s St. Petersburg contribute to the story’s atmosphere? Could this story have taken place anywhere else, or is Florida essential to the plot?
  • Trust is a recurring issue for Thelma. Which relationships in the book did you find most meaningful or surprising? Were there any betrayals you didn’t see coming?