Friday, April 27, 2018

The Fifth Avenue Artists Society by Joy Callaway

Title: The Fifth Avenue Artists Society
Author: Joy Callaway
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: Joy Callaway's debut novel tells a fictionalized version of a family story passed down through generations. The Loftins are a family of artists struggling to keep their Bronx home in the 1890s. Virginia Loftin wants nothing more than to be taken seriously as a writer and to marry her childhood friend Charlie. When Charlie proposes to another woman because of her wealth, Virginia (Ginny) is crushed and puts everything into writing a novel based on their love. To help her move on and share her work, Ginny's brother, Franklin, takes her to the home of a friend who hosts an Artists Society that actually allows women to attend and share their ideas. The friendships they make at The Society lead the Loftin's into a world unlike their own, and when tragedy strikes it threatens to tear their family apart.


My Thoughts
This book was nothing like I expected it to be, in the best way possible. I thought it was going to be a coming of age story for a young woman who realizes there is more to life than the man who proposed to someone else, but it was that and much more. It really reached into the complexity of family life of the upper middle class in the late 19th century; the epic battle between unconditional love and doing what is best for the family.
This novel also explores the art scene emerging in New York at the time as well as questionable medical practice that was then considered “state the art.” 
This story has twists and turns and the shock factor that can only be found in a story that has bits of truth and has been embellished over time as it was passed from generation to generation. It is so cool to read a story that has been in the author's family for so many years.
I really enjoyed reading this novel, I think it is unique in a way that allows it to resonate with many different readers.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above

Monday, April 9, 2018

The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory

Title: The Last Tudor
Author: Philippa Gregory
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: The late King Henry VIII's teenaged son, Edward VI, has died and left the inheritance of the crown in uncertainty with many possible heirs, all women. Many think it should pass to one of Henry's daughters, Mary or Elizabeth, but both of them had gone in and out of favor during his tumultuous reign. But the Dudley and Grey families had another idea. They wanted to pass over Henry's daughters in favor of the teenaged granddaughters of his youngest sister, Jane, Katherine, and Mary Grey. Putting the eldest, Jane, on the throne with her equally young husband changes everything for the Grey family, and not for the better. Henry's daughters will not be overlooked and they will never let the Grey girls forget it.


My Thoughts
I have never disliked a novel that I have read by Philippa Gregory, and this is no exception. The novel is broken into three 'books' each one written in the first person present-tense perspective of one of the Grey sisters. We hear from them in the order of their birth, the first book from Jane, the second from Katherine, and the third from Mary.
If you are looking for something light and uplifting, this novel is not a good choice for you. If you are interested in war over succession, the difficulties of inheriting and ruling as a woman in the 16th century, or the passive aggression of Queen Elizabeth I's jealousy, then you will be pleased. Don't get me wrong, there are scenes that depict joy and fun, but ultimately the Grey family does not prosper after they attempt to take the throne.
Gregory does an impeccable job, as usual, gathering information about lesser-known women of the time and giving them a voice. Jane Grey is well known and studied because of her stint as the "9 days queen" and her Protestant writings. Her sisters both have much less written about them and Gregory gives them equal, if not more, space in the novel. Interestingly, Mary Grey is documented as being a Little Person, standing at less than 4'4" and was so little is known about her that she doesn't even appear in the specialist histories of little people. 
Gregory also writes that The Last Tudor may be her last novel about the Tudors as she moves on to new projects. While I find that disappointing, she has written about so many of the important women of the time that she may have exhausted many historical resources and important female figures that there is nothing left to write.

If you are intrigued by the Tudors, British Royal history, or untold stories of women in history, then this book is for you!

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

White Collar Girl by Renee Rosen

Title: White Collar Girl
Author: Renee Rosen
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: Jordan Walsh wants to be a reporter, but as a woman in 1950's Chicago she is going to have to write some fluff pieces and really fight to work her way up. With her family falling apart after the death of her brother Jordan wants to prove to everyone that she is just as good a reporter as her late brother and her retired father. When she gets information from a confidential source she will let nothing, not even personal relationships, get in the way of her first big break.


My Thoughts

What I like most about this novel is that it is not just about Jordan at the newspaper and the prejudice against women reporters that keep her writing the "White Collar Girl" column. While that is the main focus of the novel it also delves into what loss can do to a small, close family unit and the desperation that causes each of its members. There are also multiple romantic relationships depicted in this novel, but they are flawed like the people in them. There is also an element of mystery that goes along with several of the stories Jordan works to report, which keeps the reader engaged and provides an element of suspense.

If you are looking for a fast and interesting read focused on the many types of relationships in the human experience, newspapers in the 1950s, and women breaking free of traditional roles, then this book is for you!



Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!


To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above