The Lions of Fifth Avenue: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick and a New York Times bestseller!
"A page-turner for booklovers everywhere! . . . A story of family ties, their lost dreams, and the redemption that comes from discovering truth."--Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife In New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis's latest historical novel, a series of book thefts roils the iconic New York Public Library, leaving two generations of strong-willed women to pick up the pieces. It's 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn't ask for more out of life--her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she is drawn to Greenwich Village's new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club--a radical, all-female group in which women are encouraged to loudly share their opinions on suffrage, birth control, and women's rights. Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. And when valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she's forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process. Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons, especially after she's wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie's running begin disappearing from the library's famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-averse Sadie teams up with a private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage--truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library's history.
"A page-turner for booklovers everywhere! . . . A story of family ties, their lost dreams, and the redemption that comes from discovering truth."--Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife In New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis's latest historical novel, a series of book thefts roils the iconic New York Public Library, leaving two generations of strong-willed women to pick up the pieces. It's 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn't ask for more out of life--her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she is drawn to Greenwich Village's new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club--a radical, all-female group in which women are encouraged to loudly share their opinions on suffrage, birth control, and women's rights. Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. And when valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she's forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process. Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons, especially after she's wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie's running begin disappearing from the library's famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-averse Sadie teams up with a private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage--truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library's history.
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Community Reviews
Do I enjoy this author's writing? Very much
Will I read her again? YES!
However, the characters in this book were so selfish. I only enjoyed Sadie and the book mysteries are what kept me reading.
Will I read her again? YES!
However, the characters in this book were so selfish. I only enjoyed Sadie and the book mysteries are what kept me reading.
The book was interesting but more for the history of the library than the actual story of the characters. Our club found the characters to be self indulgent and selfish. We were not sure if this is what the author intended.
Everyone has their own reasons for rating a book 5 stars. Mine tend to be either the book made me feel strong emotions... whether I laughed a lot or cried a lot or just FELT while reading. This book did not do that. It was fine...a decent story, but when big things happened, the way they were written didn't feel emotional. Even the ending didn't make me happy or sad. The book just ended.
Lions of Fifth Avenue had great potential and could’ve been a remarkable story the likes of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but character and plot development was hugely inadequate. We needed more description of the sights, sounds and smells of 1913 NYC: the clothes, food, means of cooking and doing dishes. We’re barely told what our characters looked like. The author used terms that wouldn’t have existed in 1913. Harry running with a gang at 11 was implausible. We’re not told what Laura did in London for 30 years, Likewise in 1993: no 30-ish woman would be named Sadie and the Robin character was implausible. I rate it a 5 because the plot and setting were interesting.
I loved learning some of the history about the NYPL as well as historical writings of authors and how they are protected and preserved. The mystery was beautifully layered and complex, the characters were solid, and the engaging story moved at a good pace. Many meaningful themes are addressed in the story, making it a good book club choice that could drive a lively discussion.
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