Couple of things…..
I LOVE Fiona Davis and her books.
I have been working on my own book for the last few years - about living in a library apartment.
Laura Lyons lives in the most beautiful building in New York. Marble, wood paneling, a grand entrance…..it’s the New York Public Library. Jack Lyons is the superintendent and the family live in a 7 room apartment, hidden away in the grand building.
Laura, passionate and driven, attended the Columbia Journalism School and expands her mind beyond the halls of the library. Discovering a group of new bohemians, she is drawn into a radical group and finds he role of mother and wife full of questions. At the same time, rare and valuable books are being stolen from the library.
80 year later, Sadie, the granddaughter of Laura Lyons, works at the New York Public Library and on a special collection called “Evergreen”. Suddenly, she is thrust into a leadership role while rare books, manuscripts and a journal all go missing.
Years ago, I saw a photo set of a few of the NYPL apartments. As a life-long bookworm, I could think of no better apartment in this city than hidden away among stacks of my ‘friends’, Jo March and Jane Eyre. This book helps bring one of those apartments alive.
Fiona Davis is able to capture moments in time perfectly. Her view of New York is one that I’ve grown to love. She takes classic locations - Grand Central Terminal, the Library…and adds elements of mystery, female empowerment and struggle, and love. I feel like I say this with each of her books but this one might be my favorite.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and Fiona Davis for the opportunity to read this book.