Scan barcode
A review by pjkerrison
The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis
5.0
4.8 rounded up (deservedly so)
My friend Carly told me the other day the three main reasons she loves Fiona Davis novels are:
1. Historical Fiction in NYC.
2. Dual time lines.
3. Kick ass female characters
Same, Carly. Same.
The Chelsea Girls is the latest of Davis’ books I listened to and although not set in dual timelines, it does cover a lot of ground from WWII through the McCarthy witch hunt and beyond.
Our leads - Hazel and Maxine, actresses who met in the USO at the tail end of WWII. One is a professional understudy on Broadway and aspiring playwright, the other a Hollywood starlet in the making.
Our backdrop - The Chelsea, the famed hotel which has served as temporary residence for notable artists of all kinds through the 20th century.
Our story - Hazel and Maxine, dozens (if not hundreds) of falsely accused actors and actresses in Hollywood. Now, these same accusatory tyrants are shifting their ignorance and hatred due east, to attack those prominent in NY theatre. Naturally, Hazel and Maxine are in the thick of it.
Although these characters are fictitious, so much of the stories told are based on truth. The research Davis did - and had to have done for it to move with such fluidity - struck me as remarkable. The Author’s Note at the.book’s conclusion fascinated me to the point that now there is no small handful of those titles on my TBR list.
Davis has beautifully crafted story of strong women. Brilliant women. Talented women. Crafty women. Brave women. Heartbroken women. Resilient women.
Yes. That’s it. That’s the word I sought. Resilient. Resilient women with character and backbone and no fear.
The Chelsea Girls is absolutely positively worth putting on your TBR list.
This is why, immediately after completing it, I jumped all over the next Davis audiobook that was available - Masterpiece - for me from the library app, Libby.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did (and for those interested I liked it more than The Magnolia Palace which was wonderful ).
My friend Carly told me the other day the three main reasons she loves Fiona Davis novels are:
1. Historical Fiction in NYC.
2. Dual time lines.
3. Kick ass female characters
Same, Carly. Same.
The Chelsea Girls is the latest of Davis’ books I listened to and although not set in dual timelines, it does cover a lot of ground from WWII through the McCarthy witch hunt and beyond.
Our leads - Hazel and Maxine, actresses who met in the USO at the tail end of WWII. One is a professional understudy on Broadway and aspiring playwright, the other a Hollywood starlet in the making.
Our backdrop - The Chelsea, the famed hotel which has served as temporary residence for notable artists of all kinds through the 20th century.
Our story - Hazel and Maxine, dozens (if not hundreds) of falsely accused actors and actresses in Hollywood. Now, these same accusatory tyrants are shifting their ignorance and hatred due east, to attack those prominent in NY theatre. Naturally, Hazel and Maxine are in the thick of it.
Although these characters are fictitious, so much of the stories told are based on truth. The research Davis did - and had to have done for it to move with such fluidity - struck me as remarkable. The Author’s Note at the.book’s conclusion fascinated me to the point that now there is no small handful of those titles on my TBR list.
Davis has beautifully crafted story of strong women. Brilliant women. Talented women. Crafty women. Brave women. Heartbroken women. Resilient women.
Yes. That’s it. That’s the word I sought. Resilient. Resilient women with character and backbone and no fear.
The Chelsea Girls is absolutely positively worth putting on your TBR list.
This is why, immediately after completing it, I jumped all over the next Davis audiobook that was available - Masterpiece - for me from the library app, Libby.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did (and for those interested I liked it more than The Magnolia Palace which was wonderful ).