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drcolonreads 's review for:
City of Girls
by Elizabeth Gilbert
City of Girls is an engaging coming of age story that transports the reader to the New York theater world of the 1940’s. When Vivian fails out of Vassar, this privileged and completely naive young woman leaves the cocoon of her parents’ comfortable home and sets off to live with her father’s sister, Aunt Peg, the black sheep of the family. Aunt Peg is the proprietor of The Lily, an aging playhouse, and there Vivian meets a host of colorful characters, including showgirls, actors, musicians, and many potential sexual partners. Once in New York, Vivian revels in her newfound sexual freedom, fueled by alcohol, cigarettes, and her new bestie Celia, a beautiful, but sometimes reckless showgirl. When Billy, Aunt Peg’s ex returns to The Lily and creates a new play entitled City of Girls, Vivian and her new friends enjoy a period of great success before an illicit liaison alters the trajectory of Viviian’s life. Told through the eyes of a 95-year-old woman looking back on her young adulthood, I found the City of Girls completely engrossing. At over 400 pages, the book is quite substantial, but despite multiple games and practices, I finished it over the course of 2 days because I just couldn’t get enough. I love the feisty, but funny voice the story is told through, and theater people will love reading about The Lily’s productions. Fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will likely enjoy City of Girls as well. Thank you Goodreads for the ARC!