Tag Archive for: fiona davis

Historical Fiction Reviews: THE PARIS DAUGHTER & THE SPECTACULAR

July 6, 2023/12 Comments/by Suzanne

The Paris Daughter Goodreads

Author: Kristin Harmel

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Publisher: Gallery Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Every time I think Kristin Harmel can’t possibly top her last book, she proves me wrong and she has done it yet again with her latest WWII historical fiction novel, The Paris Daughter.

The story follows Juliette and Elise, two American women who are living on the outskirts of Paris in the late 1930s. Elise and Juliette are both pregnant at the same time, and when they meet, they immediately bond as expectant mothers and become great friends, each woman giving birth to a little girl. Juliette and her husband own a quiet but popular bookshop, while Elise is a sculptor and her husband is a famous painter. While they know war is lurking just beyond their country’s borders, neither Elise nor Juliette can fathom that their lives will soon be irrevocably changed, until the unthinkable happens and the Germans invade. When the Germans suspect that Elise’s husband is part of the French resistance, Elise knows she must flee or be captured as well and she leaves her young daughter in Juliette’s care, thinking she’ll be safer there than on the run with her. After Elise flees, however, tragedy strikes the little bookshop and when Elise finally returns at the end of the war, all she returns to find is a pile of rubble.

The Paris Daughter is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of each mother. We follow them both through the war, get inside their heads as they both have to make seemingly impossible choices, and how they find a way to move forward after unfathomable loss. Both of their journeys are often heartbreaking, but I admired the strength and resilience each displayed. As a mom myself, I kept trying to put myself in their shoes and wondered if I would have the strength to make the hard choices they made.

The Paris Daughter is of course a well researched WWII historical fiction novel, but at its heart, it’s also a beautifully written, heartwrenching yet inspirational story about love and friendship, resilience and strength, and ultimately about the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her children. This is the fifth novel of Kristin Harmel’s I’ve read and it might be my favorite yet, although I also very highly recommend The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars. 5 STARS

The Spectacular Goodreads

Author: Fiona Davis

Publication Date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Dutton

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m a huge fan of Fiona Davis’ historical fiction. I love how she always centers her stories around New York City iconic buildings. Davis’ latest novel, The Spectacular, was especially appealing to me since this time, her iconic landmark of choice was Radio City Music Hall, the home of the world famous Rockettes.

Set in 1956, The Spectacular follows Marion, a young woman who wants nothing more than to become a Rockette. When Marion is invited to join the troupe, she is the only one in her family who considers it an honor. Her father is so appalled by her decision to dance instead of settling down to get married and start a family that he actually kicks her out of the house and ends all contact with her. We follow Marion as she sets out, determined to follow her own dream. Like many others, I’ve always been fascinated by this elite precision dance troupe. It’s truly mesmerizing to watch them perform, so I was very excited to get a behind the scenes look into the world of being a Rockette. It was very eye opening to witness their grueling rehearsals as well as all of the little details that go into creating that illusion of precision, such as the way they sew costumes for taller dancers vs. what they do for the shorter ones.

Marion loves what she does, but occasionally wonders if the cost of losing her family was too high of a price to pay. That cost grows even higher when the “Big Apple Bomber”, who has been terrorizing New York for over 15 years bombs Radio City Musical Hall. One of the victims of the bombing is Marion’s sister, who against their father’s wishes, had snuck out to see Marion perform. Fueled by her grief and the frustration that the police are no closer to catching the bomber after 15 years, Marion goes rogue and enlists the help of Peter, a psychological profiler, to try to find and catch the killer.

What I really loved about The Spectacular was that in addition to having a well researched strong historical fiction narrative, it also features this riveting murder mystery/thriller, a pretty substantial element of family drama, and even the slightest hint of a potential romance. All of these elements combine effortlessly into a riveting read that I could not put down. It’s a story that definitely has a little something for everyone. I highly recommend The Spectacular to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, New York iconic landmarks, suspenseful thrillers, domestic dramas, and especially to anyone who, like me, has always been fascinated by the Rockettes. 4.5 STARS

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis

November 23, 2022/10 Comments/by Suzanne

“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 since I first started blogging, 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.

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My selection for this week is THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis. I was so excited when I saw Davis on social media talking about this upcoming release because 1) I’ve been working my way through her backlist and only have one book left so I’ll need new reading material from her soon, and 2) this means that all of my favorite historical fiction authors have new books coming out in 2023! Davis’ new one sounds great too. I always enjoy how her books center on iconic buildings in NYC and there aren’t many that are more iconic than Radio City Music Hall!

THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis

Publication Date: June 13, 2023 by Dutton

From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis transports us back to 1950s Manhattan and the glamorous Radio City Music Hall. . . .

New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion is over the moon to have been selected to be one of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall’s glamorous precision-dancing troupe. It’s an honor to perform in the world’s most spectacular theater, an art deco masterpiece. But with four shows a day as well as grueling rehearsals, not to mention exacting standards of perfection to live up to, Marion quickly realizes that the life of a Rockette has both extraordinary highs and devastating lows.

Then one night a bomb explodes in the theater. It’s only the latest in a string of explosions around the city orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber.” They have been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police, at Marion’s urging, turn in desperation to a radical new technique: psychological profiling.

As Marion finds herself pulled deeper into the investigation, she realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. But she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.

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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. 🙂

Reviews: THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET & THE MAGNOLIA PALACE

January 21, 2022/24 Comments/by Suzanne

Happy Friday fellow bookworms! I don’t know about you but I’m so ready for the weekend. Today I’m sharing reviews for new book releases for two of my favorite authors, Diane Chamberlain and Fiona Davis. Both books feature rich history, compelling characters, and intriguing mysteries that kept me fully captivated as I was reading.

Reviews: THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET & THE MAGNOLIA PALACE

The Last House on the Street Goodreads

Author: Diane Chamberlain

Publication Date: January 11, 2022

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

My first 5 star read of the year is The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain, a beautifully written work of historical fiction with such a compelling element of mystery that it kept me turning the pages long into the night.

The story follows a young woman named Kayla who is about to move into her new home in Round Hill, North Carolina. She is unexpectedly confronted by a strange woman who tells her she shouldn’t move into the house, that the house should never have been built there in the first place. Kayla is rattled by this and when strange things start happening on the property, she is downright spooked.

It’s obvious someone is trying to scare her into leaving. Something terrible clearly happened on her property and Kayla is determined to find out what. Ellie, a neighbor down the street seems like she may know more than she’s telling. Kayla stops by Ellie’s house, hoping to befriend her since hers is the only other house on the street. But every time Kayla tries to talk to her, particularly if it’s anything about the history of Round Hill and in particular the property Kayla’s house now sits on, Ellie clams up and gets extremely defensive.

The story is told in dual timelines, Kayla’s which is present day, and Ellie’s, which takes us back to the 1960’s and the Civil Rights Movement. What we get as the threads from the two timelines come together is a powerful and heartbreaking story filled with secrets, lies, shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, as well as a quest for justice.

Wow, what a book! Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I was just dying to know what the heck happened at Kayla’s house all those years ago and I cried when the truth came out and the full scope of the tragedy was revealed. It was so heartbreaking and made all the more poignant by Chamberlain’s exquisite writing. 5 STARS

The Magnolia Palace Goodreads

Author: Fiona Davis

Publication Date: January 25, 2022

Publisher: Dutton

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

New York City is my favorite city and I love learning the history of its many landmarks so Fiona Davis’ historical fiction novels are always such a treat for me. In her latest novel, The Magnolia Palace, Davis gives us an inside look at the history behind the iconic Gilded Age mansion that we now know of as The Frick Collection. Not only do we get to explore the rich history behind the mansion and the wealthy Frick family who lived there, but Davis also gives us an engrossing mystery or two to sink our teeth into as well.

Davis explores all things Frick using two very compelling timelines, one set just after World War I and the other set during the 1960s. The early timeline follows Lillian Carter, a famous artists’ model who has found herself embroiled in a scandal and wanted for questioning by the police in connection with a murder. Lillian needs a place to hide until she can get out of town and follow her dreams to Hollywood. She somehow manages to luck her way into a job as the private secretary of Miss Helen Frick. Lillian thinks she’ll be able to hide in plain sight while earning money to pay for her trip west, but she has no idea what she has signed on for. She soon finds herself hired by Helen’s father to secretly play matchmaker for her, and even gets caught up in a web of lies involving stolen family jewels and yet another murder. Lillian is an intriguing and resourceful heroine and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her navigate the endless minefield of drama that seems to surround the Fricks.

The second timeline features an equally resourceful and intriguing heroine that is easy to root for. Veronica, like Lillian, is a model, and also like Lillian, finds herself unexpectedly at the Frick House. Veronica is there for a big modelling job and is trying to earn enough money to help support her family after the death of her father. Veronica gets fired from the job after butting heads with the arrogant photographer and then somehow ends up locked in the building overnight. While looking for a way out, she stumbles upon a dusty old packet of what appears to be clues for a scavenger hunt and decides to try to follow them since she has nothing else to do. Following those clues leads her on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica’s financial troubles but it also leads her to the truth about the now decades-old murder that we see in Lillian’s timeline.

I loved the way Davis wove the threads of these two timelines together. I was a little more captivated by the old Hollywood glamorous feel of Lillian’s timeline, but honestly, both made for great reading because I was invested in both Lillian and Veronica’s stories and completely fascinated by the Fricks.

If you’re interested in learning more about one of New York’s most iconic buildings and families, and in being entertained by an engaging mystery while you learn, be sure to check out The Magnolia Palace. 4 STARS

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE MAGNOLIA PALACE by Fiona Davis

October 27, 2021/20 Comments/by Suzanne

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My selection for this week is THE MAGNOLIA PALACE by Fiona Davis. Davis writes historical fiction novels that are set in iconic buildings in New York City, including the New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, The Chelsea Hotel, the Barbizon Hotel for Women, and the Dakota apartment building. As someone who loves historical fiction and New York City, Davis’ books are a perfect fit for me and I’ve enjoyed all that I’ve read so far.

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE by Fiona Davis

Publication Date: January 25, 2022 by Dutton

From Goodreads:

Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue, returns with a tantalizing novel about the secrets, betrayal, and murder within one of New York City’s most impressive Gilded Age mansions.

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter’s life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists’ models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate—the work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion—a building that, ironically, bears her own visage—Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family—pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, mod English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career—and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home—within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City’s most impressive museums. But when she—along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua—is dismissed from the Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum: messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica’s financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder in the infamous Frick family.

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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. 🙂

Reviews: August Book Releases That Should Be on Your Reading List

August 10, 2020/25 Comments/by Suzanne

I’ve been quiet on the blog for a few days because I found myself lost in some pretty amazing reads. If these three novels are anything to go by, August is going to be a fabulous month for new releases. I’m also a big mood reader and my mood was all over the place this week so there’s a little something here for everyone – a heartwarming contemporary, a suspenseful mystery/thriller, and a compelling work of historical fiction.

Reviews: August Book Releases That Should Be on Your Reading List

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop Goodreads

Author: Roselle Lim

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Roselle Lim’s new novel, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop is a heartwarming story about love, family, second chances, and most importantly, about finding one’s self. Vanessa Yu, the protagonist, is a fortune teller but wishes she wasn’t. For most of her life, Vanessa has been unable to control her “gift,” blurting out fortunes at random and driving away friends and potential boyfriends. Because the gift has been nothing but a curse her entire life, Vanessa longs to just be rid of it so she can live a normal life. That doesn’t appear to be an option so when her aunt Evelyn, the only other family member who can tell fortunes, offers to train her, Vanessa jumps at the chance, especially once she realizes it means she’ll be traveling with Evelyn to Paris where Evelyn is opening up a new branch of her popular tea shop.

One of my absolute favorite parts about this book were the author’s lush descriptions of the sights, sounds, and especially the FOOD of Paris. My mouth was watering with each turn of the page as I read about decadent French pastries and the like. Vanessa is also a very likeable character, so it was easy to root for her. I felt so much sympathy for her as she began to fear she would live her entire life alone if she didn’t get control over her abilities. I can’t even imagine that kind of pressure.

The story isn’t just about Vanessa though. There’s also a fabulous subplot involving Aunt Evelyn. She’s actually leaving the Yu family permanently and relocating to Paris. When it becomes clear to Vanessa that Evelyn’s trip to Paris isn’t a temporary one, she is dying to know why, and since Evelyn isn’t talking, she enlists the wonderful Yu Aunties, who are more than willing to go undercover and find out what Evelyn is up to. I adored the closeness of the Yu family overall and those Yu Aunties are a hilarious addition to what is already an entertaining story.

I don’t want to say much more but I will say that I think this is a story that romance fans are going to love. Love is in the air for several characters as Vanessa discovers that while she may hate fortune telling, she thoroughly enjoys playing matchmaker and bringing lovers together. If you’re in the mood for a charming and romantic story that will tug at your heartstrings and leave a smile on your face, be sure to pick up a copy of Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop. 4 STARS

The Night Swim Goodreads

Author: Megan Goldin

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

With her latest thriller, The Night Swim, Megan Goldin explores the connections between two criminal cases that took place in the same small town 25 years apart. Rachel Krall, the protagonist of the novel, is a successful crime podcaster. For the first two seasons of her podcast, “Guilty or Not Guilty, the Podcast that Puts You in the Jury Box”, Rachel looked back at cold cases with a fresh set of eyes. Now that her show has become immensely popular, Rachel wants to up her game by going to court and sitting in on a live, ongoing trial to present and interpret the evidence to her listeners as it becomes available. The trial she has chosen in set in a small town and the accused is the town’s golden boy, a talented swimmer who hopes to make the Olympic team someday. He is accused of brutally raping a high school student who also happens to be the granddaughter of the sheriff. Tensions are high and opinions are very divided as to whether or not the young man is guilty.

Things take an odd turn, however, when she starts receiving mysterious handwritten letters imploring her to take a look at an old case from 25 years ago. The case was ruled a drowning because there were no witnesses aside from the victim’s nine-year-old sister who couldn’t really provide any information. The incident received little press at the time, but the letter writer, who turns out to be the younger sister of the drowning victim, swears her sister’s death was not an accident. Rachel is laser focused on the current case but the pleading tone of the letters get to her and so she starts to casually ask some of the townsfolk about what happened 25 years ago. When it becomes clear that no one wants to talk to her about it, Rachel starts to dig deeper and soon discovers some disturbing connections between the old case and the new case. Will Rachel discover the truth about both of the crimes and thus justice for the victims or will someone try to stop her from exposing long hidden secrets in this small town?

The Night Swim is a riveting mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The podcast aspect of the novel was also very well done. As Rachel produces each episode, we then get to listen to it before returning to the courthouse to hear more. I was completely invested in both mysteries and dying to learn the truth as the clues were slowly revealed. Be forewarned that because this story does deal with rape, there are some violent and heartbreaking scenes as we get closer and closer to the truth. I found myself near tears a couple of times as the truth came to light.

I enjoyed Megan Goldin’s last thriller, The Escape Room, but I have to say that with her latest effort, The Night Swim, she really knocks it out of the park. 4 STARS.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue Goodreads

Author: Fiona Davis

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Publisher: Dutton Books

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I love historical fiction and I love New York City, so I’m always drawn to the novels of Fiona Davis because she sets each one in an iconic NYC location. This time around, Davis has selected the beloved New York Public Library as her setting.

In 1913, Laura Lyons is living in the library with her two young children and her husband, who is the Superintendent of the library. She aspires to be a journalist and enrolls at Columbia University’s Journalism School. Her journalism classes take her to the doorstep of an all-women’s club called the Heterodoxy Club. While attending club meetings and listening to “radical” women discuss women’s issues like suffrage and birth control, Laura begins to question her own existence as little more than wife and mother. There’s a whole world out there she wants to experience. Her thoughts of taking an alternative path in life are cut short, however, when rare books start disappearing from the library and it’s thought to be an inside job, which places her husband squarely on the suspect list.

In 1993, we meet Sadie Donovan, who also works at the New York Public Library. Everyone at the library knows Sadie loves her job and is passionate about books, so it’s a given that she’s the best choice to curate the library’s next big exhibit featuring rare books. What everyone doesn’t know about Sadie is that she’s actually the granddaughter of Laura Lyons. With her family’s muddled history regarding the library and missing books, Sadie figures the little said about that the better, especially when, to her shock and dismay, rare books she plans to use in her exhibit start to disappear from the library. As only a small handful of people have keys to the rare books room, it’s considered an inside job and Sadie finds herself on the suspect list. Sadie becomes determined to find out how the books are being stolen and who is responsible and also hopes deep down that she can somehow redeem the Lyon name and legacy with respect to the library.

What intrigued me the most about this story is that we learn early on in Sadie’s timeline that Laura Lyons, although now deceased, had become a famous feminist essayist at some point in her life. In addition to being eager to find out how the book thefts were being pulled off in each timeline, I was also even more eager to find out what had transpired in Laura’s life to transform her from wife and mother on the verge of tragedy to world renowned author. I loved how the author wove these two timelines together to gradually reveal the answers to both questions.

It actually surprised me how emotional I found myself getting as I was reading this book. I actually gasped a few times when certain beloved rare books went missing and in one case, where a page was torn out of a beloved treasure. If you are passionate about books, libraries, New York, and historical fiction, The Lions of Fifth Avenue is the perfect book for you. 4.5 STARS

Can’t Wait Wednesday – THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis

February 12, 2020/18 Comments/by Suzanne

“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.

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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.

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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. 🙂

Review: THE CHELSEA GIRLS by Fiona Davis

November 8, 2019/18 Comments/by Suzanne

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis

Published by Dutton Books on July 30, 2019
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 368
Source: Netgalley
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

THE CHELSEA GIRLS Review

As a fan of historical fiction and a lover of all things New York City, I have had Fiona Davis’ novels on my must-read list for a while now. I had a feeling she would be a great fit for me, and I’m happy to say that my instinct was correct. Her latest novel, The Chelsea Girls, was everything I hoped it would be and more. The story begins in Naples Italy during WWII and follows two young women, Hazel Ripley and Maxine Mead, who meet and become fast friends while serving on a USO tour together. Once the war is over, Hazel and Maxine return to the states, specifically to New York City and the iconic Chelsea Hotel, where they are each looking to jumpstart their careers, Maxine as an actress and Hazel as a playwright. The Chelsea Girls follows both Hazel and Maxine and focuses on how their lives and their friendship are impacted by the 1950s and specifically the McCarthy Era and the threat of Communism.

The historical aspect of The Chelsea Girls was a huge draw for me. The 1950s is a period I’ve not encountered in many historical novels so, in many ways, it was a unique and refreshing read. Davis also does an incredible job of portraying just how destructive this period in history was for the entertainment industry. Joseph McCarthy, the House Unamerican Activities Committee, and everyone else who bought into the hysteria and fear that Communists were infiltrating the U.S. were just relentless and ruthless in their pursuit and takedown of anyone they suspected of having Communist ties. I was riveted by Davis’ exploration of the way they targeted the entertainment industry, and especially the way they got so many in the theater world blacklisted, destroying careers and lives, often without a shred of real evidence against their targets.

It wasn’t just the historical aspect of the novel that appealed to me though. I was also drawn to The Chelsea Girls because I knew a female friendship was at the heart of the story. And the friendship between Hazel and Maxine does not disappoint. Both characters are multi-layered and just oh so complex and their relationship follows suit. I became completely invested in their friendship as soon as they met on the USO tour in Naples during WWII and continued to care very deeply for them as they experienced the inevitable ups and downs that come with a 20+ year friendship. Their relationship is filled not only with love, friendship, support and successes, but also with failures, hurt, and betrayal. Davis does a beautiful job of weaving together all those elements in such an organic way that it felt like I knew these women and was there watching their relationship evolve over the years. I didn’t always love both characters, but I was still invested in them just the same.

A final element of Davis’ storytelling that I loved is that she makes the iconic Chelsea Hotel into a character of sorts. This fascinated me, especially given the host of illustrious artistic types the landmark hotel housed in its day. If the Chelsea were actually a person, he or she would certainly have seen a lot!

As a side note, I also loved that as we follow Hazel’s career as a playwright, we get to follow the steps involved in staging a play on Broadway. We see it from writing the actual script all the way through to opening night. I found it all so interesting and loved the extra layer that it added to an already multi-layered story.

The Chelsea Girls is an engaging and powerful historical read. In addition to shedding a light on what a witch hunt the McCarthy Era really was, it’s also a moving story about female friendship and all its highs and lows. These characters and their experiences are going to stick with me for a while and so I’d highly recommend it to any fan of historical fiction, theater, and female friendships.

Fiona Davis has me hooked now with her special brand of storytelling. The Chelsea Girls was my first read from her, but it definitely will not be my last!

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

From Fiona Davis, the nationally bestselling author of The Dollhouse and The Address, the bright lights of the theater district, the glamour and danger of 1950s New York, and the wild scene at the iconic Chelsea Hotel come together in a dazzling new novel about the twenty-year friendship that will irrevocably change two women’s lives.

From the dramatic redbrick facade to the sweeping staircase dripping with art, the Chelsea Hotel has long been New York City’s creative oasis for the many artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, and poets who have called it home—a scene playwright Hazel Riley and actress Maxine Mead are determined to use to their advantage. Yet they soon discover that the greatest obstacle to putting up a show on Broadway has nothing to do with their art, and everything to do with politics. A Red scare is sweeping across America, and Senator Joseph McCarthy has started a witch hunt for Communists, with those in the entertainment industry in the crosshairs. As the pressure builds to name names, it is more than Hazel and Maxine’s Broadway dreams that may suffer as they grapple with the terrible consequences, but also their livelihood, their friendship, and even their freedom.

Spanning from the 1940s to the 1960s, The Chelsea Girls deftly pulls back the curtain on the desperate political pressures of McCarthyism, the complicated bonds of female friendship, and the siren call of the uninhibited Chelsea Hotel.

About Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis is the nationally bestselling author of THE MASTERPIECE, THE DOLLHOUSE and THE ADDRESS. She began her career in New York City as an actress, where she worked on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in regional theater. After getting a master’s degree at Columbia Journalism School, she fell in love with writing, leapfrogging from editor to freelance journalist before finally settling down as an author of historical fiction. Visit her at www.fionadavis.net, facebook.com/FionaDavisAuthor/ and on Instagram and Twitter @fionajdavis.

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