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margaretpinard's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
corriejn's review against another edition
2.75
Looked interesting (and is based on a historical person) but it's really not very good writing. It's in serious need of a narrative voice, instead of stiltedly having various characters describe and explain situations via awkward and unrealistic dialogue or letters. That aspect gets slightly better as the book goes on (though never disappears entirely), but the writing still feels fairly immature/undeveloped. Plenty of irrelevant side details (if a side character only shows up in passing for a couple lines of the book, you don't actually need to always give both their full name and what they go by to their friends), lengthy descriptions of clothing or decor that feel like the author wanted to include any info researched about the era (but couldn't come up with a more skillful/better-integrated way to do so), and there are at least a handful of easily fact-check-able anachronisms in topics/terminology discussed by characters.
I decided to give it at least til the main conflict of the story, but that comes pretty late in the book (and fairly suddenly?) and does not improve things.
I decided to give it at least til the main conflict of the story, but that comes pretty late in the book (and fairly suddenly?) and does not improve things.
Readers can decide for themselves how they feel about this aspect, but it's also a... choice, for a non-Black woman (like Anita Jennings, the author is also a Vassar alum, but has described herself in interviews as being the child of parents from Japan and Belgium) to decide to be the one who should write this story. She is clearly a big fan of her alma mater though, and it kind of reads like what she really wanted was just an excuse to set a novel at Vassar.
thirdgrace's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
yarm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An amazing story about an incredible young woman who defies the boundaries placed on her by a racist society. From the start, I felt absolute distaste for “Lottie”, her supposed fiend, who was extremely self-centered and entitled. My distaste became even more intense, as her self-centredness turned to pure racism near the end. I hope the true Miss Taylor felt shame and embarrassment about her actions to an innocent young woman. I was surprised to learn about the classist society in the US that existed at that time. It sounded even worse than the British aristocracy.
nickscoby's review against another edition
4.0
When I was in undergrad at the University of Maryland, I worked closely with Dr. Sharon Harley, historian, who specializes in black women's histories, particularly at the turn of the century. From her I grew to respect and appreciate the experience of my elders, including Anna Julia Cooper, Lucy Diggs Slowe and Mary Church Terrell. I learned about the politics of respectability and how educated black (or "race") women negotiated race, class, gender and skin color.
This book takes on those issues as it focuses on Anita Hemmings, a real person, who passed for white as Vassar College. For the most part, the author does a good job of avoiding the Tragic Mulatta narrative although Anita herself is not a particularly interesting character. But I do think that Tanabe does a great job of capturing the time period and the tough choices that these women had to make. There are times when characters deliver a mouthful of exposition to one another, and I think that the ending drags, but overall, I enjoyed and would recommend.
This book takes on those issues as it focuses on Anita Hemmings, a real person, who passed for white as Vassar College. For the most part, the author does a good job of avoiding the Tragic Mulatta narrative although Anita herself is not a particularly interesting character. But I do think that Tanabe does a great job of capturing the time period and the tough choices that these women had to make. There are times when characters deliver a mouthful of exposition to one another, and I think that the ending drags, but overall, I enjoyed and would recommend.
suvata's review against another edition
4.0
#OUABC Once Upon A Book Club August 2016 selection
Talk about a bunch of privileged white girls! I felt so bad for Anita. I would have felt like a fish out of water with that group as well. I realize it was way worse for her. Lottie bothered me from the very beginning. I knew she would turn out to be a little twit. Great book.
From the Publisher:
The Gilded Years focuses on the true story of Anita Hemmings. In 19th-century New England (1897), Hemmings is a brilliant student, and she longs to attend Vassar College. But many of the colleges of the time are not integrated, and Anita is black. She uses her light skin to her advantage and passes for white. To her classmates she is a wealthy Bostonian, but in reality, Anita hails from the working class African-American neighborhood of Roxbury.
Talk about a bunch of privileged white girls! I felt so bad for Anita. I would have felt like a fish out of water with that group as well. I realize it was way worse for her. Lottie bothered me from the very beginning. I knew she would turn out to be a little twit. Great book.
From the Publisher:
The Gilded Years focuses on the true story of Anita Hemmings. In 19th-century New England (1897), Hemmings is a brilliant student, and she longs to attend Vassar College. But many of the colleges of the time are not integrated, and Anita is black. She uses her light skin to her advantage and passes for white. To her classmates she is a wealthy Bostonian, but in reality, Anita hails from the working class African-American neighborhood of Roxbury.
jolyn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
melanie_books's review against another edition
4.0
"The Gilded Years" is based on the life of Anita Hemmings - a beautiful, brilliant college senior with a secret. The story is a cross between "Mona Lisa Smile" and "Downton Abbey" with a twist. It tackles questions about identity and community and the impossible decisions that Anita and others faced to make a life for themselves. I would highly recommend this to everyone!
somanybookstoread's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book! Excellent story and I appreciate that it is based on fact. There were times where I wanted it to move a bit more quickly and be a bit less predictable, but overall it's a great novel very well told that leaves me intrigued about the life of Anita Hemmings. I look forward to discussing it with my book group! There's much to appreciate here!
samstillreading's review against another edition
3.0
The Gilded Years has been on my to read list for years, but given that there is soon to be a movie (starring Zendaya), what better time to read it but now? I think the story will make a fantastic movie as there are some moments, good and bad, that will look spectacular on film. But the novel is also a fictionalised version of a true story, that of Anita Hemmings.
Anita has always wanted to get an education and attend Vassar. Her parents are also keen for her and her siblings to learn as much as they can, as being African-American in the late 1800s is very limiting even in the northern states of America. For Anita, attending Vassar means that she needs to lie about her race. She can never invite her parents to her graduation, and she must keep her brother at arm’s length. For Anita’s first three years at Vassar, she has kept her head down and stayed at a distance. But in her final year, new friendships and a romance means that she comes perilously close to her secret being revealed. Her new, incredibly rich roommate Lottie Taylor is fascinated by Anita and even more so by her brother Frederick. Anita also finds an admirer in Porter Hamilton, which her brother expressly forbids her to continue further. As the year goes on, relationships become more explosive and Anita’s passing as white could be revealed to the whole college…
The idea of Anita, a real-life figure, and her university story is a great one. There is a lot of fiction involved in joining the dots to make a story, given that little is known about Anita in the twenty-first century. The book opens with Anita’s ongoing, but background sense of unease that nobody finds out her secret. She is also uncomfortable with passing as white, as it could be seen to be disrespectful of her heritage, family and friends back in Boston. But when Lottie rushes in with her money and wit, the focus of the novel turns to that of the college experience – friends, boys, drinking and having fun. It all feels a little detached until Anita’s personal life starts to get messy – her relationship with Porter and Lottie becoming smitten with her brother Frederick. Anita also doesn’t make the best choices for someone with a secret that could get her thrown out of college, but the glitz and glamour of rich New York is too fun for both Anita and the reader to miss. The most exciting and fast paced section of the novel is when Anita’s secret is discovered and held over her. Emotions come to the fore, messy and opinionated. Some of the motives are a little loose, but this section was the most fascinating. I feel as though the whole introduction to Anita’s days at college could have been reduced for more background into the motives for those who backstabbed her, as well as exploring more of her life after college. The first section was just a bit too dry. But overall, The Gilded Years is an interesting story of history and I’m certain Zendaya will make this film engrossing.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the review copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Anita has always wanted to get an education and attend Vassar. Her parents are also keen for her and her siblings to learn as much as they can, as being African-American in the late 1800s is very limiting even in the northern states of America. For Anita, attending Vassar means that she needs to lie about her race. She can never invite her parents to her graduation, and she must keep her brother at arm’s length. For Anita’s first three years at Vassar, she has kept her head down and stayed at a distance. But in her final year, new friendships and a romance means that she comes perilously close to her secret being revealed. Her new, incredibly rich roommate Lottie Taylor is fascinated by Anita and even more so by her brother Frederick. Anita also finds an admirer in Porter Hamilton, which her brother expressly forbids her to continue further. As the year goes on, relationships become more explosive and Anita’s passing as white could be revealed to the whole college…
The idea of Anita, a real-life figure, and her university story is a great one. There is a lot of fiction involved in joining the dots to make a story, given that little is known about Anita in the twenty-first century. The book opens with Anita’s ongoing, but background sense of unease that nobody finds out her secret. She is also uncomfortable with passing as white, as it could be seen to be disrespectful of her heritage, family and friends back in Boston. But when Lottie rushes in with her money and wit, the focus of the novel turns to that of the college experience – friends, boys, drinking and having fun. It all feels a little detached until Anita’s personal life starts to get messy – her relationship with Porter and Lottie becoming smitten with her brother Frederick. Anita also doesn’t make the best choices for someone with a secret that could get her thrown out of college, but the glitz and glamour of rich New York is too fun for both Anita and the reader to miss. The most exciting and fast paced section of the novel is when Anita’s secret is discovered and held over her. Emotions come to the fore, messy and opinionated. Some of the motives are a little loose, but this section was the most fascinating. I feel as though the whole introduction to Anita’s days at college could have been reduced for more background into the motives for those who backstabbed her, as well as exploring more of her life after college. The first section was just a bit too dry. But overall, The Gilded Years is an interesting story of history and I’m certain Zendaya will make this film engrossing.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the review copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com