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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I’m glad I didn’t read this Fiona Davis book first as I’d probably never have read another. This was the fourth and it couldn’t be more different than the other three. I never connected with either character, but Rose and the modern era story was awful. I couldn’t believe the audacity of Rose and simply did not like anything about her. Darby was okay, but the twist and reveal fell flat for me.
I read "The Dollhouse" because in June 1969 I spent a night at the Barbizon. I was mainly interested in the historical details and would have liked more of those.
The plot does not hang together terribly well. I never figured out how Rose jumped to the unwarranted, and wrong, conclusion that Esme assumed Darby's identity. There was nothing in the letter to suggest that, and it seemed quite farfetched since there were plenty of people around who knew both of them.
Also, in 1952 there were no transistor radios. They were not invented until 1954 and became popular in the 1960s. They didn't sound different from other radios. Pink sponge rollers for hair did not appear until 1984. Before that we slept on pin curls or rather uncomfortable wire and horsehair (or plastic) curlers, sometimes with brushes inside them.
A Vietnamese restaurant in California (page 263) seems very unlikely in 1952. The Vietnam War started in 1955 and Vietnamese immigration started in 1975.
The plot does not hang together terribly well. I never figured out how Rose jumped to the unwarranted, and wrong, conclusion that Esme assumed Darby's identity. There was nothing in the letter to suggest that, and it seemed quite farfetched since there were plenty of people around who knew both of them.
Also, in 1952 there were no transistor radios. They were not invented until 1954 and became popular in the 1960s. They didn't sound different from other radios. Pink sponge rollers for hair did not appear until 1984. Before that we slept on pin curls or rather uncomfortable wire and horsehair (or plastic) curlers, sometimes with brushes inside them.
A Vietnamese restaurant in California (page 263) seems very unlikely in 1952. The Vietnam War started in 1955 and Vietnamese immigration started in 1975.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Dual timelines. Set in the 1950s at the women only Barbizon Hotel in NYC and current day timeline with a journalist, Rose, who lives in condos that used to be the Barbizon. Rose discovers that there are some women living there who have been there since the 1950s. One of them wears a veil and she finds out the woman has a scar from something that happened back in the 1950s. So Rose investigates what happened Ling ago. Enjoyed this page turner.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A cute book and easy read, but it felt very fluffy. I was hoping for more historical fiction. It has two perspectives and jumps from 1952 to 2016 with two different women throughout.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Excellent fun EXCEPT... the narrator's own love story was totally unnecessary and was trite and predictable.