Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.
* * * * *
My selection for this week is THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis. After loving Davis’ last novel, The Chelsea Girls, I have been eager to read more of her books. As someone who loves all things New York, I love that she writes historical fiction that spotlights various New York icons and with her newest, her focus is the iconic New York Public Library.
THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
From Goodreads:
Time changes things.
In Fiona Davis’s latest historical novel, a series of book thefts roils the iconic New York Public Library, leaving two generations of strong-willed women to pick up the pieces.
It’s 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn’t ask for more out of life—her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she finds herself drawn to Greenwich Village’s new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club—a radical, all-female group, in which women are encouraged to loudly share their opinions on suffrage, birth control, and women’s rights. Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. But when valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she’s forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process.
Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons, especially after she’s wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie’s running begin disappearing from the library’s famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-adverse Sadie teams up with the library’s private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage—truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library’s history.
* * * * *
I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂
Davis’ books just keep getting better and better, and I’m so excited for this location!
I am too. I still need to go back and read some of her earlier books, but I’m most excited for this one because of the library.
Really looking forward to this one – I have enjoyed all her other books!
I still need to go back and read some of her earlier books but I definitely plan to read them all.
Ooh, a dual timeline story set in the New York Public Library? What a cool idea!
Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy recently posted…Future Fiction #59: Cover Reveals & Newly Discovered SFF Books
Right? I can’t wait to read this one.
This sounds fascinating. I love the dual timeline. And the fact that it’s centered around the library is awesome!
Tanya @ Girl Plus Books recently posted…WWW Wednesday #76 | February 12, 2020
Yeah, I’m so excited for that library setting.
I haven’t seen this one before but I think it sounds like it will such a good read!
My CWW
Jenea’s Book Obsession recently posted…Can’t Wait Wednesday #22: Hidden (The Texas Murder Files #1) by Laura Griffin
I really hope it will be!
That’s very interesting, I didn’t know that this author wrote about New York Icons. I’m from NY and love to read about it myself. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention.
I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.
Muah 💋 Helena
Thanks, you too!
I am still stuck on the idea that people got to live in the library. That is fantastic! The mix of history and mystery sounds like a winning combination to me
Sam@wlabb recently posted…Can’t Wait Wednesday
I really hope it will be. Everything about it appeals to me.
A dual timeline is one of the most successful storytelling structures, if it’s done well, I think. This premise sounds awesome… I’ll keep an eye out for this one:))
I agree with you. I love a good dual timeline story. Davis usually does them well so I have high hopes for this one. 🙂
I love this blurb mostly because of the setting at the library. i need to check out more of her books and remind myself what she’s written — until you mentioned it, I didn’t realise she was specifically writing about NYC landmarks.
verushka recently posted…The Last Smile at Sunder City: a human PI searches for a vampire in a formerly magic city
Right? The setting is a huge draw for me.