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bookmaddie's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.75
This was a really informative and detailed account of the history of the Barbizon Hotel for Women, and many of its famous residents. Bren focuses on the famed Mademoiselle Guest Editor (GE) program that brought young, ambitious women to Manhattan for a summer internship at the magazine. Many now-famous writers began their careers through this program, such as Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, and Diane Johnson.
More importantly, Bren examines the often contradictory expectations of femininity in the 20th century, focusing especially on the 50s and 60s. There was a delicate balancing act between the public expectation of innocence, and a future at home, and the personal journeys of women to explore their sexuality and careers. By interviewing many of the women who stayed at the Barbizon when they were younger, Bren shines a light on this division between public and private, and gives us a glimpse into what life was really life for young women in the mid-twentieth-century.
This book is a bit slow and detail-oriented, and at times a bit too focused on the Mademoiselle GE program. I would have liked to learn a bit more about the other women who stayed in the Barbizon, who we got some glimpses of but not enough for my liking. I did love how Bren followed the hotel to the present day and explored how some women have stayed on and continue to live in the halls of what was once the Barbizon (now luxury condos). I really liked learning a bit more about New York City history, especially through the eyes of so many young women!
More importantly, Bren examines the often contradictory expectations of femininity in the 20th century, focusing especially on the 50s and 60s. There was a delicate balancing act between the public expectation of innocence, and a future at home, and the personal journeys of women to explore their sexuality and careers. By interviewing many of the women who stayed at the Barbizon when they were younger, Bren shines a light on this division between public and private, and gives us a glimpse into what life was really life for young women in the mid-twentieth-century.
This book is a bit slow and detail-oriented, and at times a bit too focused on the Mademoiselle GE program. I would have liked to learn a bit more about the other women who stayed in the Barbizon, who we got some glimpses of but not enough for my liking. I did love how Bren followed the hotel to the present day and explored how some women have stayed on and continue to live in the halls of what was once the Barbizon (now luxury condos). I really liked learning a bit more about New York City history, especially through the eyes of so many young women!
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder and Sexual assault
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