Reviews

What I love about Gill Paul’s books are that unlike many authors who write in the historical fiction genre she never sticks to one time period. All her books have had such interesting topics that capture the readers attention and always want to make you go and research more once you have finished the book. Be it the Romonov’s in Russia, Wallis Simpson or Egypt and Tutankhamun’s tomb, I know that I will be transported to a time and place so very different from the world we inhabit today and I can be guaranteed that I will enjoy every second reading such brilliant books by this very talented author. This time around the focus is the Jazz Age, New York in the roaring 20’s and in The Manhattan Girls we follow Dorothy Parker and her literary friends as they navigate their way through a city which has finally put World War One behind them.

Shamefully, I hadn’t heard of Dorothy Parker or any of the women or men featured in this book so I went into this story completely open minded and blank and relying on the information provided to us by the author. Clearly, there was such detailed research undertaken to bring the characters, setting and plot to life and the blending of fact with fiction was flawless. Despite what I felt was a slow start I soon became completely immersed in the fascinating world the characters inhabited and several times I stopped and looked up further information about Dorothy and co as I wanted to see what aspects of the story were true and which others had Gill chosen to be liberal with in order for the story as a whole to work. The 1920’s especially in America are a fascinating time in history and that striking and evocative cover alone would make you want to dive into this book.

At the beginning there is an outline of characters that feature in the book and how they are connected to one another and admittedly this made me anxious as when I usually see a list like this it means it’s there for a reason and I will potentially have difficulty keeping track of who is who. Yes this was the case for the first few chapters as introductions were made but after that I found the book settled down into a good pace as the story unfolds. I didn’t find there to be complex twists and turns with the reader having to guess what was coming next as this book didn’t need that at all. Instead, the reader is drawn into the women's world and you find yourself engrossed in each of their lives and slowly start to admire the friendships and deep bonds that they have formed with each other.

Dorothy (Dottie) Parker is married to Eddie and alongside Jane Grant, Winifred Lenihan and Peggy Leech and many others is part of the set that occupy the tables at the Algonquin hotel. Having been let go as theatre critic for Vanity Fair, Dottie has set herself up as a freelance writer but the words will not flow. Dottie is funny, cerebral, cynical and has such a naughty aspect to her personality. She likes to be independent and is very career orientated but at the same time throughout this book she keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over again as if she had learnt nothing and she relies heavily on her friends to pick up the pieces for her.

Dottie has the most amazing one liners, sharp, witty and full of barbs and she presents a tough exterior to the outside world but deep down she is a flawed person and struggling to keep her marriage on track. To her friends and acquaintances she has the perfect life and is almost like the leader of their circle but she is battling loneliness and unhappiness. She can’t manage her life properly and the more we learn of her character and her descent into turmoil and the cries for help intensify we see that all she craves is love and acceptance and to be successful in her career. She is at the forefront of an era where women are on the cusp of great social change and being free to do incredible things but if she can’t overcome her own personal issues she won’t be able to partake in such an exciting time.

Peggy was my favourite character. She works for Conde Nast but is secretly writing a book which she daren’t dream that it may one day be published. Peggy was like the mother figure of the group, in my mind the most responsible. She has a friendly exterior but beneath it all she has a core of steel and would do anything to defend and protect her friends. Through the darkest of times, and there are some very dark and deep scenes here, she stands by and supports them when they need it the most. They knew they could turn to her and she could provide them with the answers and aid they needed.

Jane is the first female reporter for The New York Times and is married to Harold. They hope to one day soon set up their own magazine and have just bought a house in New York which needs major renovation. Taking in lodgers to help with this, even though one in particular is a friend, leads to difficulties and trauma for Jane. But she is a hard worker and dedicated both to her husband and her long term goal of establishing a magazine that would rival the top publications out there. I loved Jane’s ambition and drive and she made endless sacrifices on the path to creating the best magazine that she could. Although the male character that tests her time and time again I really wanted some of those gangsters to bump him off in the middle of the night but I admired how Jane handled him. The final woman the book focuses on is Winifred, an Broadway actress trying to make it big. Is her big moment just around the corner? Winifred was the female character I paid least attention to and although her story does become interesting it was more towards the later end of the book and I just found myself more engrossed by Peggy, Jane and Dottie.

Whilst reading The Manhattan Girls I saw several people online mention that it was like a 1920’s version of Sex and the City and I would consider that to be a favourable and true comment. The glitz and glamour were all evident yet dark times and themes had their place too at just the precise moment they needed to appear. Alcoholism, bootleggers, gangsters, infidelity and much more all feature heavily but not in a way that made the story feel really dark and depressing. Instead these themes and issues moulded well to each character they focused on. This is a story of friendship and womanhood. Of women stepping out of the shadows and expressing their creative sides, tentatively at first but growing stronger as the book progresses as they find their place in the world. They achieved great things in their careers despite their worlds being dominated by men. Feminism is a key theme and it was only at this time that the issue was beginning to come to the forefront of society and boy had it a long way to go but these unique, individual, strong yet flawed women were at the forefront following their dreams in the literary and acting world.

The one thing I will say is that I would have liked dates at the beginning of certain chapters as periods and events moved forward and it took me a few pages to establish what year we had moved to. Also in the earlier chapters, it took me a few minutes to realise which women a chapter was focusing on so their name at the beginning would have been helpful. But aside from this and these are only minor issues which other readers mightn’t have felt at all, really I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was so refreshing to read something different that was so detailed and brought the era to life in such a rich and vivid way with such compelling, remarkable characters that by the end you care deeply for and feel like you are part of their tight unit. If you want something different from the endless books that are set during World War Two then I highly suggest you get yourself a copy of The Manhattan Girls. You won’t be disappointed.

julieclair's review against another edition

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informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Dorothy Parker and her friends were such interesting people, and I did enjoy learning more about them. But I had the sense that the author really didn’t like most of the characters, and that lessened my enjoyment of the book.