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ebc726's review against another edition
2.0
I used to always love Fiona Davis’ books, but this one was just hard to get into. Maybe it was the audiobook version, but it couldn’t keep me engaged.
steph1101's review against another edition
4.0
This was my January Book of the month pick and I was really excited to get it. The blurb about the book was really enticing and I loved the story and the art history thrown in through the book. The mystery was fun, watching it play out in real time and in the book. This was definitely worth a read.
lindseymosley's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
spatterson12's review against another edition
3.0
I was a little iffy about this one at the start but really fell into the story about midway.
This has been sitting on my shelf for two years so I'm really proud I finally read it, especially since it's one I borrowed from a friend. Trying to be better about reading borrowed books.
The author's note at the end really pulled a lot of things together and made the book that much more interesting. I guess I'm used to a majority of historical fiction focused on WW2 so when they're not I'm like what? lol I don't think I've ever heard about the Fricke Collection, and though this one mentions WW1, it's not the core focus. I enjoy when I can learn something new from these stories.
The book opens with Lillian's landlord's wife being found murdered. Lillian is wanted for questioning, and really that's all that happens with this storyline. It gives reason for her to end up working for Helen as a way to escape the police, but kind of spoiler – I don't remember there being a conclusion to this. Helen's father persuades Lillian to play matchmaker and get Helen engaged by end of year, which Lillian agrees to with the promise of $1000 and an escape route to Hollywood to become a silent film star.
Lillian is also hiding part of her identify from this wealthy family – she's a former sculpture model famously known as Angelica.
The book flips between time and POV, as other chapters are told about 50 years in the future as a by-happenstance-commercial model Veronica. She leaves behind London to try a series of shoots in the US, with one held at the Fricke House. I think this is where I got a little lost at first because I would get invested in Lillian's story and then switch to Veronica who I didn't super care about.
Anyway, Veronica ends up trapped at the house for several days and meets intern Joshua who also is stuck in the house. They work together to uncover clues left from decades before to find the hidden family secrets. Joshua seemed cool, though.
This book really wanted me to know that the house had a bowling alley. It was brought up more than necessary, imo.
This has been sitting on my shelf for two years so I'm really proud I finally read it, especially since it's one I borrowed from a friend. Trying to be better about reading borrowed books.
The author's note at the end really pulled a lot of things together and made the book that much more interesting. I guess I'm used to a majority of historical fiction focused on WW2 so when they're not I'm like what? lol I don't think I've ever heard about the Fricke Collection, and though this one mentions WW1, it's not the core focus. I enjoy when I can learn something new from these stories.
The book opens with Lillian's landlord's wife being found murdered. Lillian is wanted for questioning, and really that's all that happens with this storyline. It gives reason for her to end up working for Helen as a way to escape the police, but kind of spoiler – I don't remember there being a conclusion to this. Helen's father persuades Lillian to play matchmaker and get Helen engaged by end of year, which Lillian agrees to with the promise of $1000 and an escape route to Hollywood to become a silent film star.
Lillian is also hiding part of her identify from this wealthy family – she's a former sculpture model famously known as Angelica.
The book flips between time and POV, as other chapters are told about 50 years in the future as a by-happenstance-commercial model Veronica. She leaves behind London to try a series of shoots in the US, with one held at the Fricke House. I think this is where I got a little lost at first because I would get invested in Lillian's story and then switch to Veronica who I didn't super care about.
Anyway, Veronica ends up trapped at the house for several days and meets intern Joshua who also is stuck in the house. They work together to uncover clues left from decades before to find the hidden family secrets. Joshua seemed cool, though.
This book really wanted me to know that the house had a bowling alley. It was brought up more than necessary, imo.
laurinbren's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
rotemd's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ccrose's review against another edition
4.0
I think this was an extremely well written book. I loved the story and all of the characters. I hope to hear more about the future relationship between Victoria and the male main character. I loved the history of Frick House and see things from the “help’s POV”.
alcazort's review against another edition
3.0
This book was very slow, I began enjoying it at about the 80 percent mark, the characters were difficult to relate to or root for. Just very slow. Good ending.
mgcorrigan's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed "The Magnolia Palace." The two story timelines flowed seamlessly, and sometimes I struggle with that in books. The 1919 storyline was more captivating to me than the 1966 storyline, but it was very satisfying when they ultimately converged. This novel sheds light on the often overlooked perspective of artists' models, prompting contemplation about their stories and contributions to the artistic process. A highlight for me was delving into the author's acknowledgments, discovering the inspiration drawn from the real Frick Mansion and historical characters. Fiona Davis skillfully weaves history into fiction, adding a layer of intrigue to the narrative.