Alternating between present-day
and 1950’s New York City, this novel shows readers the world of the famed
Barbizon Hotel for Women, where a generation of aspiring modern women lived
side-by-side in the 1950’s. Journalist
Rose Lewin, in her beautiful apartment in the modern-day Barbizon, doesn’t have
any idea of the rich history of the building or its residents. However, when her personal life takes a
swerve and she encounters some of her neighbors who were original residents of
the Barbizon, she decides to learn more about them. In the process, she starts to unravel a
secret that has been smoldering since 1952.
Is her elderly neighbor Darby who she says she is? Once Rose begins her investigation into the
past, it becomes clear that there’s more to the story than she originally
thought.
This is a story that clearly paints the world of 1950s New
York City without skipping over some of the seamier details. It would have been easy to have a story where
all of the girls at the Barbizon were beautiful and happy, and New York City
was a glitter-filled place. However, the
reality was that life wasn’t easy for these girls, and there was a seedier side
to the city. For example, jazz was
intoxicating, but heroin was part of that reality. I appreciated that the story was realistic,
and it was easy to become pulled in to the book. The characters are interesting and relatable
(and at times, very frustrating), and combined with the steadily increasing
pace, this was a pageturner that left me wanting to know more about 1950s New
York City. This is one of the appeals of
well-written historical fiction, in that it leaves you wanting to learn more once
you start reading.
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