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laurieb755 's review for:
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
by Kathleen Rooney
Having recently read The Masterpiece, I was curious to see what Lillian Boxfish had to offer because this second book was recommended by the author of the first, both stories being historical fiction.
The fact is, the more I read about Lillian, the more I came to recall what irked me about The Masterpiece (though as you can see, if you click the link above, I did enjoy reading it!) Kathleen Rooney, through her character Lillian Boxfish, talks a better tale and persona far more interesting and believable to me than Virginia of The Masterpiece. Indeed, even basing Clara (from the same book) on the actual artist Helen Dryden did not equal the verve and honesty of Lillian nor the depth of her personality.
(In retrospect, and now having read both books, I feel that New York was a part of Lillian's life, permeating her soul, whereas the author of The Masterpiece simply used her characters to provide a history of part of the city.)
Rooney uses New York as a retrospective for Lillian and her life, and I found it believable, aided in no small part by my growing up a stone's throw from New York City and having had a grandmother who worked at R.H. Macy's. My Aunt (other side of my family) would likely also enjoy this book, as the city permeates her soul, as well.
The fact is, the more I read about Lillian, the more I came to recall what irked me about The Masterpiece (though as you can see, if you click the link above, I did enjoy reading it!) Kathleen Rooney, through her character Lillian Boxfish, talks a better tale and persona far more interesting and believable to me than Virginia of The Masterpiece. Indeed, even basing Clara (from the same book) on the actual artist Helen Dryden did not equal the verve and honesty of Lillian nor the depth of her personality.
(In retrospect, and now having read both books, I feel that New York was a part of Lillian's life, permeating her soul, whereas the author of The Masterpiece simply used her characters to provide a history of part of the city.)
Rooney uses New York as a retrospective for Lillian and her life, and I found it believable, aided in no small part by my growing up a stone's throw from New York City and having had a grandmother who worked at R.H. Macy's. My Aunt (other side of my family) would likely also enjoy this book, as the city permeates her soul, as well.