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town_scar's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Rape, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Sexual content, Abortion, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
bookbrig's review
informative
slow-paced
4.0
I knew nothing about the Barbizon prior to finding this book, and I found the history SO fascinating. From the anecdotes about well known people like Plath to the details about the rooms and what the hotel meant to women from all different walks of life, I really enjoyed reading this. My one note or maybe caveat is that the emphasis on the women's looks is front and center in EVERY anecdote. It wouldn't have bothered me too much, but then their hip/waist/bust measurements were also included over and over and over again. It honestly left me feeling kind of grumpy because it began to feel like the book was parading out the beauty standards women are judged by and going: look how worthy these women were because they had the tiniest of waists and the most hourglass of measurements and the most beautiful faces. I think it could have done the job of explaining how strictly they adhered to beauty standards without quoting body sizes that are exceptionally petite to modern readers over and over and over. That may not stick out for other readers, but it definitely kept this from being a 5 star read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Racism
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