A review by creolelitbelle
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Slow-paced to start but great at exploring the "place" of women in society at two vastly different time periods - the late 1920s and mid-1970s. Liking either Clara or Virginia took me a lot of time, because they both come across as entitled women in their own ways. I appreciate the way each fought for her own stake in life and refused to be defined by the men around them. Clara's love triangle could have been done better, because all involved were supposed to be in their mid-20s I think but acted much younger. Maybe that was part of the demeanor of the Roaring 20s, though. Virginia's situation gave me a good look into what life could be like for a single woman in the 70s, which was interesting for me with a mom who divorced during that decade (without children yet). Virginia found employment unrealistically easy, but the story had to move along. The art mystery and Clara finding success was more fascinating to me than the actual history of the fight for Grand Central Terminal keeping its landmark status, but I think Clara's connection to the building made me mroe invested in seeing how GCT might be saved. 
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