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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I kept reading this one was unputdownable, but put it down often I, in fact, did. Normally I love historical fiction with alternating timelines, but the most interesting character in this one wasn't Laura, nor her grand-daughter Sadie, but rather the New York Public Library that served as the backdrop for both protagonists.
As a regular Goodreads user it should come as no surprise I love books, I especially love libraries. 'The Lions of Fifth Avenue" is a fabulous read for book & library lovers. I grew up in NYC, and have many fond memories of time spent in the branch libraries. When returning to NYC I make a point of stopping by the Fifth Avenue branch. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more of its history. How amazing it would have been to grow up there!
Davis did a wonderful job with the mystery aspect of the book. While I loved learning the history of the library, some of the story line seemed extraneous. Still a great & fun read!
Davis did a wonderful job with the mystery aspect of the book. While I loved learning the history of the library, some of the story line seemed extraneous. Still a great & fun read!
While the premise was interesting, the execution was simplistic. The book did way too much telling and not enough showing with regard to character, plot and history. There is lots of fertile ground in talking about the emerging feminist movement in that part of nyc… but this version of it really lacked nuance.
I'd had this book on my shelf for awhile, having recognized from The Magnolia Palace that Fiona Davis might be a potential go-to author for HF. As in TMP, Davis set her story in NY City and does a fairly seamless job blending fact and fiction through dual story lines--this time 1913 and 1993. The pace was engaging, and I always love a strong female protagonist who bucks convention and has an impressive drive for autonomy.
Most of all, Davis does an excellent job portraying the rampant sexism women endured in the earlier time period. We may get frustrated today, especially with the backwards direction some are successfully taking the country, but we've come a long way, too. The 1913 MC is a bright grad school student at Columbia but is given silly assignments by her male professor who fails her for no good reason (and then goes on to steal a clever writing idea of hers but twist it to his own sexist point of view). Her husband is selfish about his own career and irritated by hers; meanwhile she is torn by her loyalty to the institution of marriage and maternal feelings and her learning and career. LGBTQ representation was a welcome element to the story, and there was some questionable behavior around infidelity which made for great internal debate for the reader.
I most enjoyed the learning about the NYPL and the books it contains. (visiting the space recently as a tourist only heightened my interest!) Both protagonists are librarians, and there are mysteries surrounding missing books with a connection between these storylines. I'll always love a bookish story.
Most of all, Davis does an excellent job portraying the rampant sexism women endured in the earlier time period. We may get frustrated today, especially with the backwards direction some are successfully taking the country, but we've come a long way, too. The 1913 MC is a bright grad school student at Columbia but is given silly assignments by her male professor who fails her for no good reason (and then goes on to steal a clever writing idea of hers but twist it to his own sexist point of view). Her husband is selfish about his own career and irritated by hers; meanwhile she is torn by her loyalty to the institution of marriage and maternal feelings and her learning and career. LGBTQ representation was a welcome element to the story, and there was some questionable behavior around infidelity which made for great internal debate for the reader.
I most enjoyed the learning about the NYPL and the books it contains. (visiting the space recently as a tourist only heightened my interest!) Both protagonists are librarians, and there are mysteries surrounding missing books with a connection between these storylines. I'll always love a bookish story.
An amazing book to finish out 2023. It combines my loves and passions of libraries and archives, with a bit of mystery! Loved it so much.
I have found a new author to love. This was exactly what I needed after reading a fairly heavy book - historical fiction with dual plot lines and smart writing. Loved it!!
This engaging book appealed to my inner library lover: just the idea of living in a library captivated my imagination. An interesting take on books as a through-line to multiple generations of one family.
This is the first book I’ve read by Fiona Davis. After looking into some of her other books, it seems that she likes to write historical fiction that is centered around a building in New York City. (And after reading The Lions of Fifth Avenue, I’m really excited to read her other books!) I added this book to my “to read” list purely from the look of the cover, and was both surprised and delighted when I realized that this particular story centers around the main branch of the New York Public Library.
The book begins in 1913, and we realize that the Lyons family LIVES in the library. (Of course this took me down a HUGE rabbit hole on the internet when I looked into this and discovered, this is in fact true. Families did live in the branches of the NYPL. So. Cool. And a sidenote – I love that Ms. Davis took stories from the family who lived in this library and incorporated them into her story, like the son using books as bases to play baseball after hours.)
I don’t want to say too much about the story; I really enjoyed not knowing anything going into it. The book alternates between Laura Lyons in 1913 and Sadie Donovan in 1993. Sadie is a librarian at the NYPL, and is busy getting ready for a big exhibit that will hopefully attract donors attention. When items from her exhibit begin to go missing, Sadie thinks there might be a connection to the past. I loved the way Ms. Davis wove the tales of the two women together. While there is a mystery to solve with the rare books going missing, the bulk of this story features two strong, independent women who both are working to find their place in the world. And the library was the perfect setting.
Review originally published at Hidden Staircase.
The book begins in 1913, and we realize that the Lyons family LIVES in the library. (Of course this took me down a HUGE rabbit hole on the internet when I looked into this and discovered, this is in fact true. Families did live in the branches of the NYPL. So. Cool. And a sidenote – I love that Ms. Davis took stories from the family who lived in this library and incorporated them into her story, like the son using books as bases to play baseball after hours.)
I don’t want to say too much about the story; I really enjoyed not knowing anything going into it. The book alternates between Laura Lyons in 1913 and Sadie Donovan in 1993. Sadie is a librarian at the NYPL, and is busy getting ready for a big exhibit that will hopefully attract donors attention. When items from her exhibit begin to go missing, Sadie thinks there might be a connection to the past. I loved the way Ms. Davis wove the tales of the two women together. While there is a mystery to solve with the rare books going missing, the bulk of this story features two strong, independent women who both are working to find their place in the world. And the library was the perfect setting.
Review originally published at Hidden Staircase.
Buena premisa pero muy mal ejecutada, personajes con los que era difícil empatizar, además de errores importantes de línea del tiempo. Me demoré mucho en leerlo, a pesar de su liviandad. No lo recomiendo.