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The Fifth Avenue Artists Society
🎧Listening Length = 13 hours and 17 minutes
An enthralling Edith Wharton-meets-Little Women debut about a family of four artistic sisters on the outskirts of Gilded Age New York high society that centers on the boldest—an aspiring writer caught between the boy next door and a mysterious novelist who inducts her into Manhattan’s most elite artistic salon.
The Bronx, 1891. Virginia Loftin knows what she wants most: to become a celebrated novelist despite her gender, and to marry Charlie, her best friend, neighbor and first love. Yet when Charlie proposes to another woman, Ginny is devastated; shutting out her family, she holes up and obsessively rewrites how their story should have gone.
Though Ginny works with newfound intensity, success eludes her—until she attends a salon hosted in her brother’s handsome author friend John’s Fifth Avenue mansion. Amongst painters, musicians, actors, and writers, Ginny returns to herself, even blooming under John’s increasingly romantic attentions. Just as she has begun to forget Charlie, however, he throws himself back into her path, and Ginny finds herself torn between a lifetime’s worth of complicated feelings and a budding relationship with a man who seems almost too good to be true.
The brightest lights cast the darkest shadows, and as Ginny tentatively navigates the Society’s world, she begins to suspect all is not as it seems in New York’s dazzling “Gay Nineties” scene. When a close friend is found dead in John’s mansion, Ginny must delve into her beloved salon’s secrets to discover her true feelings about art, family, and love.
An enthralling Edith Wharton-meets-Little Women debut about a family of four artistic sisters on the outskirts of Gilded Age New York high society that centers on the boldest—an aspiring writer caught between the boy next door and a mysterious novelist who inducts her into Manhattan’s most elite artistic salon.
The Bronx, 1891. Virginia Loftin knows what she wants most: to become a celebrated novelist despite her gender, and to marry Charlie, her best friend, neighbor and first love. Yet when Charlie proposes to another woman, Ginny is devastated; shutting out her family, she holes up and obsessively rewrites how their story should have gone.
Though Ginny works with newfound intensity, success eludes her—until she attends a salon hosted in her brother’s handsome author friend John’s Fifth Avenue mansion. Amongst painters, musicians, actors, and writers, Ginny returns to herself, even blooming under John’s increasingly romantic attentions. Just as she has begun to forget Charlie, however, he throws himself back into her path, and Ginny finds herself torn between a lifetime’s worth of complicated feelings and a budding relationship with a man who seems almost too good to be true.
The brightest lights cast the darkest shadows, and as Ginny tentatively navigates the Society’s world, she begins to suspect all is not as it seems in New York’s dazzling “Gay Nineties” scene. When a close friend is found dead in John’s mansion, Ginny must delve into her beloved salon’s secrets to discover her true feelings about art, family, and love.
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
June 3, 2016
Going to do something I don't normally do and that is set a book aside at over 50% read. I found the premise interesting, an artist's salon in Manhattan during the Gilded Age. The writing is good too, loved the short glimpse of a young Edith Wharton and Oscar Wilde. The family, the four sisters bur seriously if I had to read one more scene with Charlie and Ginny and her constant facilitating between men and her moon struck passion for Charlie I was going to scream. Seriously.
June 20, 2019
Belle époque of NYC comes alive through the Society gatherings of many artists and writers textured with music played on the piano setting a very atmospheric background to already alive scene of hopeful artists, musicians and writers; reflecting an era of hope and joy.
The author brings a story based on her ancestors, Loftin family, of four sisters and a brother: Virginia (Ginny) the writer, Alice (Mae) the teacher, Anne (Bess) the milliner, Alevia the concert pianist, and Franklin the salesman. A family of talented artists.
It is set during a time, when “most men still believe that music is a profession that should exclude women.” A time when “women writers weren’t often considered by publishing houses unless they had a connection.” But Alevia and Ginny remain hopeful to make their mark.
Bronx, 1891: Ginny has been in love with Charlie since childhood. At a party, when Charlie is about to propose, Ginny is about to say yes. But when Charlie asks Rachel Kent to marry him, Ginny is crushed.
Afterwards, she is so heartbroken that she pours her heart and soul into writing. She writes for the Bronx Review. And when she can’t stop writing, she writes about Charlie and all the things she’d always hoped for in their future. When she is done, she’d written a book – “about imagined adventures overseas, a pleasant domestic life surrounded by family and art, and finally, a parting at death that made her ache.”
Her brother introduces Ginny to his best friend John, who hosts the Society of artists and writers at his mansion on Fifth Avenue. She is amazed at “the number of men and women sharing ideas, respecting each other’s art.” It fills her with even more hope.
Something happens at the mansion belonging to John and Ginny’s world is shuttered once again.
I’m very surprised to see an average rating of this book below 3.5 on Goodreads as it is a very enjoyable read presented through likeable characters, some more ambitious than the others, and some content with what they have. Written with eloquence and skill, with a very good and steady pace. There are some unexpected twists toward the end, but even without those turns, the read would have been and is absorbing.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
The author brings a story based on her ancestors, Loftin family, of four sisters and a brother: Virginia (Ginny) the writer, Alice (Mae) the teacher, Anne (Bess) the milliner, Alevia the concert pianist, and Franklin the salesman. A family of talented artists.
It is set during a time, when “most men still believe that music is a profession that should exclude women.” A time when “women writers weren’t often considered by publishing houses unless they had a connection.” But Alevia and Ginny remain hopeful to make their mark.
Bronx, 1891: Ginny has been in love with Charlie since childhood. At a party, when Charlie is about to propose, Ginny is about to say yes. But when Charlie asks Rachel Kent to marry him, Ginny is crushed.
Afterwards, she is so heartbroken that she pours her heart and soul into writing. She writes for the Bronx Review. And when she can’t stop writing, she writes about Charlie and all the things she’d always hoped for in their future. When she is done, she’d written a book – “about imagined adventures overseas, a pleasant domestic life surrounded by family and art, and finally, a parting at death that made her ache.”
Her brother introduces Ginny to his best friend John, who hosts the Society of artists and writers at his mansion on Fifth Avenue. She is amazed at “the number of men and women sharing ideas, respecting each other’s art.” It fills her with even more hope.
Something happens at the mansion belonging to John and Ginny’s world is shuttered once again.
I’m very surprised to see an average rating of this book below 3.5 on Goodreads as it is a very enjoyable read presented through likeable characters, some more ambitious than the others, and some content with what they have. Written with eloquence and skill, with a very good and steady pace. There are some unexpected twists toward the end, but even without those turns, the read would have been and is absorbing.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
May 30, 2016
Historical Fiction is my favorite genre. Reading it can transport me to a time and place I cannot possibly experience anyplace other than books. When I saw the description and beautiful cover for The Fifth Avenue Artists Society, by Joy Callaway, I jumped and requested it from Edelweiss (my first approval from them!). I have very mixed feelings about this book. There were things I loved about it, but also I felt there were flaws that made it seem inauthentic.
What I Liked
I did enjoy the setting of 1890's New York. I thought that the author did a wonderful job of showing the hustle and bustle of the city and the varying degrees of living standards. While some people were enormously wealthy, others were freezing and starving just blocks away. I think it must have been terrible to be one of the "have nots" in this world. One could easily see the luxury some people had, and yet you might be struggling to have enough food for your children.
The author also showed the immense disparity between men and women of that time. The main character is a budding author but is rejected time and time again because she is a woman. Her sister faces similar discrimination as a musician. She cannot join an orchestra due to her gender, even though she plays better than the men. When Ginny finds the Fifth Avenue Artists Society, a Friday evening gathering of male and female artists, she feels like has gone to heaven. Men and Women did not usually mingle so freely, plus men often regarded women's artistic endeavors as inferior. But at these gatherings, Ginny feels respected and thrives.
What I Didn't Like:
The book is based on the author's ancestors. This is important to note because I think this is why most of the characters are not allowed to have any real faults. The author soft-peddles their flaws to the point that everyone has a good heart, even if they have done despicable things. Ginny, the main character, is hurting from being blind-sided with her childhood sweetheart marrying a different (and wealthy) girl. Yet, she still seems to love him. Her brother, Franklin, also makes some very bad choices, but since he would never intentionally hurt someone, all is forgiven. Ginny even gets mad at her family members when they become angry with Franklin. Although Franklin goes through a lot of difficulties, I thought he (and others) just weren't allowed to be actually bad people.
I also thought Ginny continuing to love Charlie was problematic. Charlie visits Ginny and (and kisses her on the street in full view of the neighbors) despite being married. This would have caused a scandal in 1892. But there are no consequences for their open affection of each other. Also Ginny doesn't seem to feel bad that she is interfering in Charlie's marriage. I was waiting for a juicy confrontation between Ginny and Charlie's wife, Rachel. It would have been much more realistic if Rachel paid Ginny a little visit and told her to stay away from her husband. This would have given Ginny reason to pause and consider the implications of what she was doing.
There were also several scenes where Ginny is getting very physical with men. She doesn't seem to feel any Victorian guilt or worry that she is being intimate without a ring on her finger. I thought this was out of place for the time period. Even if Ginny didn't feel guilty, there should have been some explanation in the book about her being a free spirit, or something else to account for her behavior.
While I liked the setting and the story of struggling artistic sisters, I just felt that this book could have used more authentic personal dilemmas and been more honest about the darker side of the character's personalities.
What I Liked
I did enjoy the setting of 1890's New York. I thought that the author did a wonderful job of showing the hustle and bustle of the city and the varying degrees of living standards. While some people were enormously wealthy, others were freezing and starving just blocks away. I think it must have been terrible to be one of the "have nots" in this world. One could easily see the luxury some people had, and yet you might be struggling to have enough food for your children.
The author also showed the immense disparity between men and women of that time. The main character is a budding author but is rejected time and time again because she is a woman. Her sister faces similar discrimination as a musician. She cannot join an orchestra due to her gender, even though she plays better than the men. When Ginny finds the Fifth Avenue Artists Society, a Friday evening gathering of male and female artists, she feels like has gone to heaven. Men and Women did not usually mingle so freely, plus men often regarded women's artistic endeavors as inferior. But at these gatherings, Ginny feels respected and thrives.
What I Didn't Like:
The book is based on the author's ancestors. This is important to note because I think this is why most of the characters are not allowed to have any real faults. The author soft-peddles their flaws to the point that everyone has a good heart, even if they have done despicable things. Ginny, the main character, is hurting from being blind-sided with her childhood sweetheart marrying a different (and wealthy) girl. Yet, she still seems to love him. Her brother, Franklin, also makes some very bad choices, but since he would never intentionally hurt someone, all is forgiven. Ginny even gets mad at her family members when they become angry with Franklin. Although Franklin goes through a lot of difficulties, I thought he (and others) just weren't allowed to be actually bad people.
I also thought Ginny continuing to love Charlie was problematic. Charlie visits Ginny and (and kisses her on the street in full view of the neighbors) despite being married. This would have caused a scandal in 1892. But there are no consequences for their open affection of each other. Also Ginny doesn't seem to feel bad that she is interfering in Charlie's marriage. I was waiting for a juicy confrontation between Ginny and Charlie's wife, Rachel. It would have been much more realistic if Rachel paid Ginny a little visit and told her to stay away from her husband. This would have given Ginny reason to pause and consider the implications of what she was doing.
There were also several scenes where Ginny is getting very physical with men. She doesn't seem to feel any Victorian guilt or worry that she is being intimate without a ring on her finger. I thought this was out of place for the time period. Even if Ginny didn't feel guilty, there should have been some explanation in the book about her being a free spirit, or something else to account for her behavior.
While I liked the setting and the story of struggling artistic sisters, I just felt that this book could have used more authentic personal dilemmas and been more honest about the darker side of the character's personalities.
July 8, 2016
So weird. I loved the first half...a look into budding female writer in the 1890s and the artistic salon where she finds herself among peers while overcoming heartbreak and improving her writing. But then it delves into a weird murder and drug mystery and I just lost the tone of the novel. It just got so dark and weird and unappealing and I felt like all the characters lost their sparkle and wit. Wish it would have ended half way through the novel and I would have been very happy!
November 24, 2015
I was lucky enough to read a draft of this book. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s one of those books that will stick with me. Beautiful story and lovely writing. It’s timeless.
May 30, 2016
The Fifth Avenue Artists Society is an enthralling glimpse into New York City literary and artistic society in the 1890’s. Virginia Loftin, an aspiring writer, is one of five children whose family has been struggling financially ever since their father died several years before. The family resides in the Bronx, and all but one of the siblings are artistic - a musician, two writers, and a milliner who designs outlandish creations for her many clients, including the Astors and the Vanderbilts. As the book opens, Virginia is jilted by the love of her life. As she struggles to overcome her grief and anger, she pours out her soul into her writing. To help distract her, her brother Franklin introduces her to a group of artists, musicians, and writers that meet frequently at the fictional John Hopper’s house on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. As she becomes more involved with this group and its founder, she realizes that everything is not always as it seems.
Joy Callaway does a wonderful job depicting the female role in society in the 1890’s. Both Virginia and her sister Alevia struggle to succeed in their respective fields because women were not yet viewed as anything but homemakers and in the wealthy set as the keeper of the social calendar and obligations. As they both begin to break through this barrier, they are then barred by society’s failure to look past a family scandal completely outside of their control. I never fail to be amazed at what earlier women endured to provide us with the freedom and choice we have today as females in the U.S.
Some of my favorite parts of the novel were the appearances of Edith Wharton and Oscar Wilde at Hopper’s Fifth Avenue mansion. I also loved the descriptions of the early days of the great publishing houses like Henry Holt and G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The author clearly did her research which added tremendously to the novel. She also details at the end of the novel her inspiration for the story – her own ancestors. I felt that contributed a lot to the book also.
My one complaint was that I felt that Virginia should have been a little less wishy-washy regarding her suitor situation. She vacillated too much for me. I also felt that her view towards her brother as later events unfold was not very realistic (I do not want to spoil part of the story by saying more).
Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it as a fascinating view of New York City society and the arts in the 1890’s.
Joy Callaway does a wonderful job depicting the female role in society in the 1890’s. Both Virginia and her sister Alevia struggle to succeed in their respective fields because women were not yet viewed as anything but homemakers and in the wealthy set as the keeper of the social calendar and obligations. As they both begin to break through this barrier, they are then barred by society’s failure to look past a family scandal completely outside of their control. I never fail to be amazed at what earlier women endured to provide us with the freedom and choice we have today as females in the U.S.
Some of my favorite parts of the novel were the appearances of Edith Wharton and Oscar Wilde at Hopper’s Fifth Avenue mansion. I also loved the descriptions of the early days of the great publishing houses like Henry Holt and G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The author clearly did her research which added tremendously to the novel. She also details at the end of the novel her inspiration for the story – her own ancestors. I felt that contributed a lot to the book also.
My one complaint was that I felt that Virginia should have been a little less wishy-washy regarding her suitor situation. She vacillated too much for me. I also felt that her view towards her brother as later events unfold was not very realistic (I do not want to spoil part of the story by saying more).
Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it as a fascinating view of New York City society and the arts in the 1890’s.
December 10, 2016
So much more than I was expecting! This is going to blow everyone away.
Family drama, passion, art, and a perfect narrator plus real life problems and no sugary excuses
Family drama, passion, art, and a perfect narrator plus real life problems and no sugary excuses
May 25, 2019
This was incredible charming, I loved the feel of this, but Virginia was awfully annoying at times.
May 31, 2016
I loved this book. You have the story of a gilded age family - each member with her own special talents and dreams - but then Callaway takes the book into unexpected and refreshingly deep waters. While The Fifth Avenue Artists Society works beautifully as a family saga, a love story, and a novel of manners it also explores the darker side of life among the New York elite. The twists and turns at the end showed a fascinating glimpse on just what it took to keep all that art, fashion, entertaining and gaiety going and the ending is utterly satisfying. Highly recommend!
July 26, 2016
I love this book! Obviously! :) :)
May 25, 2017
This was a thoroughly enjoyable, very well written historic novel set in America 1891.
Virginia is one of four sisters living at home with their widowed mother and while of genteel background struggling to make the bills. Virginia's twin is the only boy and while the women contribute to the household expenses, women do not earn as much or as easily in the 1890's as men do.
Of the girls, there is a musician struggling to establish a career, another making her way through making hats, a teacher and Virginia who is a writer and has managed to get a job writing for a periodical. She dreams of writing a novel and after an introduction to the artists salon hosted by her brothers friend she grows as a writer and as a person.
That description really does not do the novel justice, there were so many levels on which I liked it that it is hard to itemise them. Ultimately, the writing style and the characterisations won me over, but I really enjoyed reading the historical period in which it was set. I loved the period setting and I believed in it, while the women were contemporary enough to be likable, their situations rang true for me.
There is a decent dollop of romance in there, more than a little mystery in one way or another and fun descriptions of literary Illuminati of the era - some of which I got, though I am sure I missed others.
The only things I did not like are definitely spoilers and despite the things I did not like in the novel I still thoroughly loved the book overall and would certainly recommend it to anyone who might enjoy reading in the genera.
Virginia is one of four sisters living at home with their widowed mother and while of genteel background struggling to make the bills. Virginia's twin is the only boy and while the women contribute to the household expenses, women do not earn as much or as easily in the 1890's as men do.
Of the girls, there is a musician struggling to establish a career, another making her way through making hats, a teacher and Virginia who is a writer and has managed to get a job writing for a periodical. She dreams of writing a novel and after an introduction to the artists salon hosted by her brothers friend she grows as a writer and as a person.
That description really does not do the novel justice, there were so many levels on which I liked it that it is hard to itemise them. Ultimately, the writing style and the characterisations won me over, but I really enjoyed reading the historical period in which it was set. I loved the period setting and I believed in it, while the women were contemporary enough to be likable, their situations rang true for me.
There is a decent dollop of romance in there, more than a little mystery in one way or another and fun descriptions of literary Illuminati of the era - some of which I got, though I am sure I missed others.
The only things I did not like are definitely spoilers and despite the things I did not like in the novel I still thoroughly loved the book overall and would certainly recommend it to anyone who might enjoy reading in the genera.
November 18, 2015
I read an early version of this and it is MAGICAL.
Read
March 5, 20243.5 stars. A solid debut! As anyone who's followed my reviews knows, I'm not a fan of single, first-person POV stories in general. But this book was one of the rare exceptions! I was captivated by this Gilded Age tale and particularly excited to know it was inspired by the author's own ancestors. Fiction based on real life is my favorite! The writing was solid and the characters very well developed. The only downsides for me were: the heroine's reticence about her beaus, which felt a bit passive-aggressive at times; a few too many flashbacks when we could have just as easily been shown the events in real time; and the ending, which didn't quite tie up enough threads for me. Still, a highly engrossing tale and an author I'll be keeping tabs on in the future!
June 23, 2016
This story immersed me into the world of four ambitious sisters navigating New York society during the Gilded Age. Wonderful historical details! I love that this novel is based on the author's own family history.
February 7, 2017
Until the end, I don't know what to think about the book..I have truely loved the story, the characters (Charlie) but there is something that I can't explain who makes me feel unsatisfied. This says that remains a good book and the end is perfect ! <3
sampled-not-finished-abandoned
August 28, 2016got sucked in by a pretty cover and an interesting blurb. I'm not sure it's living up to my expectations.
July 14, 2016
I really liked this book but towards the end it went in a direction I didn't care for.
February 20, 2017
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway for an honest review.
Set in the late 1800s in NYC, the story focuses on a family of artists. Having lost their father, each of the children must do their part to support the family. Told through the voice of Virginia, "Ginny", a writer with lofty dreams of being a published novelist. The novel begins with Ginny being jilted by Charlie, a boy she grew up with and was passionately in love with. Trying to overcome her broken heart she begins to visit John Harper's home on Fifth Ave. to socialize with upcoming artists, musicians and writers. While I appreciated the glimpse into the struggles of a woman trying to make a name for themselves in a man's world, the first half of the book dragged for me. Fortunately the second half of the book had more demension, development and conflict, making the story more satisfying.
3.5 stars.
Set in the late 1800s in NYC, the story focuses on a family of artists. Having lost their father, each of the children must do their part to support the family. Told through the voice of Virginia, "Ginny", a writer with lofty dreams of being a published novelist. The novel begins with Ginny being jilted by Charlie, a boy she grew up with and was passionately in love with. Trying to overcome her broken heart she begins to visit John Harper's home on Fifth Ave. to socialize with upcoming artists, musicians and writers. While I appreciated the glimpse into the struggles of a woman trying to make a name for themselves in a man's world, the first half of the book dragged for me. Fortunately the second half of the book had more demension, development and conflict, making the story more satisfying.
3.5 stars.
October 14, 2016
Virginia Loften knows one day she will be a famous author like her hero, Washington Irving, and her best friend Charlie will be a famous artist. She knows this as well as she knows one day she will marry Charlie. Ginny knows this with all the assurance of a seven year old girl. By the age of 22, Ginny and her sisters and brother Franklin are supporting their widowed mother with their artistic endeavors. Their father left them plenty of love but very little money. The Loftin siblings are happy though and willing to work hard at what they love, except for oldest sister Bess who believes she is a lady born and a lady she shall be. Ginny never dreamed her plans would be altered until Charlie proposes to another woman out of necessity. Ginny pours her anguish into writing a love story for the ages but is it good enough to publish? When her brother introduces her to his best friend John, a fellow writer, John invites them to his Fifth Avenue artists' salon where Ginny meets a number of artistic men and women. Among her new friends are Tom, a brooding writer and his sister Lydia, who is a special friend of Franklin's. These new friends encourage Ginny's literary efforts and help her on her road to publishing. Some of their comments sting, but she is willing to work to make it better. Then Charlie reenters her life and Ginny's feelings are confused. John cares for her deeply but what about Charlie? Then one night, shocking secrets are revealed that will change the Loftins lives forever.
This is an Edith Wharton-esque drama set in Gilded Age New York. Edith makes a brief cameo in the novel, set before she became a famous writer. However, the writing doesn't live up to the promise of the story and in no way resembles Edith Wharton's style. Rich, poor, drama, passion, intrigue, romance, art- it has all the hallmarks of a PBS Masterpiece drama.
Ginny tells her story but doesn't allow the reader to become fully engaged with her. She tells us how much she loves Charlie and how much he has broken her heart, etc. etc. She tells us she shut herself up to work on her novel and tells us everything else. All that telling makes the first half of the book very very slow and doesn't really allow the reader to become integrated into the story.
The period details aren't bad but the characters spend a lot of time discussing whether a husband would allow them to pursue their art. That's one thing that keeps coming back over and over and gets tiring after awhile. Just seeing one married character and her interactions with her husband was enough to get the characters wondering and show the reader what they were thinking. The epilogue was weird and unnecessary.
The plot is intriguing. I could have cared less about the romantic entanglements but I wanted to know what happened. The plot picks up halfway through and I was mildly interested in whether Ginny would become published so soon. Then BAM - a shocking plot twist and the book became difficult to put down. I had to skip ahead to find out what happened. One of the secrets is very very shocking and completely crazy by our standards. I wasn't totally surprised- there were clues but how it all went down and to whom was the real shocker. There was another secret that wasn't a huge surprise at all. There was a big clue and Ginny, as Franklin's twin, should have known. Ginny claims Frank is her best friend and they're supposed to be twins but that relationship gets dropped in the middle and by the time the drama happens, it seems like they're just siblings who don't know each other well. I thought twins would be able to sense when one is in trouble or something- at least in a story like this one. This plot twist made the story a little too dark for me.
The characters were largely unlikable. Ginny's manner of telling the story didn't really endear me to her and her reactions and interactions with other characters just didn't make her appealing. I wanted to like her because I thought she would be like Jo March, one of my favorite literary heroines, but she's not. The Loftin sibling I hated the most was Bess. She and Ginny didn't get along and I didn't care for Bess for the same reasons Ginny didn't. I liked Mae the best because she had a passion, drive and still managed to be compassionate and caring towards her family. I also liked Alevia and her deep passion for music and lack of interest in marriage. I just thought it was a little strange how she was so obsessed with music and didn't do or think of much else. I had some compassion for Charlie in the beginning but he turned into a selfish idiot and I didn't want him to succeed with Ginny. I didn't like Tom but he didn't deserve Ginny's rudeness. I didn't get that he was any more or less arrogant than any other artist at the salon. Lydia got on my nerves and I felt John was insincere and too dramatic.
The story is loosely based on the author's family history and would have made a better biography. The plot was a little too dark and dramatic for my personal taste.
Content:
Touching breast (twice), hiking skirt up to legs while kissing a man
one man has a reputation as a ladies' man
This is an Edith Wharton-esque drama set in Gilded Age New York. Edith makes a brief cameo in the novel, set before she became a famous writer. However, the writing doesn't live up to the promise of the story and in no way resembles Edith Wharton's style. Rich, poor, drama, passion, intrigue, romance, art- it has all the hallmarks of a PBS Masterpiece drama.
Ginny tells her story but doesn't allow the reader to become fully engaged with her. She tells us how much she loves Charlie and how much he has broken her heart, etc. etc. She tells us she shut herself up to work on her novel and tells us everything else. All that telling makes the first half of the book very very slow and doesn't really allow the reader to become integrated into the story.
The period details aren't bad but the characters spend a lot of time discussing whether a husband would allow them to pursue their art. That's one thing that keeps coming back over and over and gets tiring after awhile. Just seeing one married character and her interactions with her husband was enough to get the characters wondering and show the reader what they were thinking. The epilogue was weird and unnecessary.
The plot is intriguing. I could have cared less about the romantic entanglements but I wanted to know what happened. The plot picks up halfway through and I was mildly interested in whether Ginny would become published so soon. Then BAM - a shocking plot twist and the book became difficult to put down. I had to skip ahead to find out what happened. One of the secrets is very very shocking and completely crazy by our standards. I wasn't totally surprised- there were clues but how it all went down and to whom was the real shocker. There was another secret that wasn't a huge surprise at all. There was a big clue and Ginny, as Franklin's twin, should have known. Ginny claims Frank is her best friend and they're supposed to be twins but that relationship gets dropped in the middle and by the time the drama happens, it seems like they're just siblings who don't know each other well. I thought twins would be able to sense when one is in trouble or something- at least in a story like this one. This plot twist made the story a little too dark for me.
The characters were largely unlikable. Ginny's manner of telling the story didn't really endear me to her and her reactions and interactions with other characters just didn't make her appealing. I wanted to like her because I thought she would be like Jo March, one of my favorite literary heroines, but she's not. The Loftin sibling I hated the most was Bess. She and Ginny didn't get along and I didn't care for Bess for the same reasons Ginny didn't. I liked Mae the best because she had a passion, drive and still managed to be compassionate and caring towards her family. I also liked Alevia and her deep passion for music and lack of interest in marriage. I just thought it was a little strange how she was so obsessed with music and didn't do or think of much else. I had some compassion for Charlie in the beginning but he turned into a selfish idiot and I didn't want him to succeed with Ginny. I didn't like Tom but he didn't deserve Ginny's rudeness. I didn't get that he was any more or less arrogant than any other artist at the salon. Lydia got on my nerves and I felt John was insincere and too dramatic.
The story is loosely based on the author's family history and would have made a better biography. The plot was a little too dark and dramatic for my personal taste.
Content:
Touching breast (twice), hiking skirt up to legs while kissing a man
one man has a reputation as a ladies' man
June 7, 2016
First, a warning: I had things "to do" today; I intended to read just a chapter, maybe three -- but once I started this novel, I couldn't put it down.
The book opens with a familiar scenario: girl loves boy, boy proposes marriage to someone else. This problem of unrequited love --or, perhaps more accurately, unsatisfied love -- frames the narrative but does not serve as the central tension for the novel. The book's protagonist deals with more complex, though still universal issues -- family strife, class warfare, drug culture, gender inequality, just to name a few.
I was drawn in by the layered conflicts in the book, but I could have just as easily fallen in love with the book based upon the writing alone -- the prose is gorgeous, packed with images that transport you back to 19th century New York. I felt like I was immersed in an American Midnight in Paris. The book, too, becomes all the more fascinating after reading the author's note at the conclusion of the novel: the book is based upon the author's artist ancestors and their histories. Truly, this book was a gift to read -- well worth clearing an afternoon for!
The book opens with a familiar scenario: girl loves boy, boy proposes marriage to someone else. This problem of unrequited love --or, perhaps more accurately, unsatisfied love -- frames the narrative but does not serve as the central tension for the novel. The book's protagonist deals with more complex, though still universal issues -- family strife, class warfare, drug culture, gender inequality, just to name a few.
I was drawn in by the layered conflicts in the book, but I could have just as easily fallen in love with the book based upon the writing alone -- the prose is gorgeous, packed with images that transport you back to 19th century New York. I felt like I was immersed in an American Midnight in Paris. The book, too, becomes all the more fascinating after reading the author's note at the conclusion of the novel: the book is based upon the author's artist ancestors and their histories. Truly, this book was a gift to read -- well worth clearing an afternoon for!
August 14, 2022
Ginny sucked. I'm sure if we'd known each other, she might have improved, but the picture of her in the book was awful. She was obsessed with her writing and being in love with Charlies. Everything else seemed to confuse her and she spent a lot of time being muddled.
Ginny lives with her three sisters, one brother, and widowed mother. And then the love of her life (the aforementioned Charlie) proposes to another woman who has money. And we spend the rest of the book agonizing about it.
But she goes to an Artistic Society and surrounds herself with other literary people and begins to grow as an author. But...it was boring. She spent so much time being awed by all these people that I got bored.
What a dumb book.
Ginny lives with her three sisters, one brother, and widowed mother. And then the love of her life (the aforementioned Charlie) proposes to another woman who has money. And we spend the rest of the book agonizing about it.
But she goes to an Artistic Society and surrounds herself with other literary people and begins to grow as an author. But...it was boring. She spent so much time being awed by all these people that I got bored.
What a dumb book.
May 27, 2016
Joy Callaway's prose spins a historical tale but maintains a modern feel that gives a reader a sense of timeless beauty. This is a wonderfully written story that pulls you in from the beginning and holds you tight all the way to the end with sensible, believable characters inspired by the author's ancestors, a whimsical writing voice, and an always intriguing plot.
***I read an early draft of this novel and fell in love.
***I read an early draft of this novel and fell in love.
November 6, 2019
This came highly recommended by a friend. The story sounds good and I love the time period. But there is too much description and unnecessary dialogue that goes on for pages without anything really happening. I find myself skimming and trying to find when something is going to happen. So, at nearly 100 pages I'm putting this one aside.
December 7, 2016
I spent the whole book thinking about how flat and unrealistic the characters were, only to find out at the end that some of them were based on actual people. Just wow.
August 26, 2017
3 ½-stars, if we could do that here.
this was a good escapist read for me. there were some things that niggled at me a bit, but i was fairly transported by the era, characters, and settings to still really enjoy this story.
this was a good escapist read for me. there were some things that niggled at me a bit, but i was fairly transported by the era, characters, and settings to still really enjoy this story.
August 20, 2018
I liked the concept and the setting of this book and many of the characters were interesting, the problem was with the main characters, I think. Ginnie never really comes off the page like her siblings do. The post-Charlie love interest too seems wooden. I think there is a lot of lost potential here that never gets well-developed.
March 20, 2019
this book left a mark on my heart.
it messed up my feelings
i knew something was stirring but
wow
wing-yee is in awe
my heart is literally pounding upon finishing it
so beautiful and daring
can't decide whether it's a 4/4.5 star read.
but gonna be recommending this to a lot of my pals now.
song that i am playing on repeat: back to you by selena gomez
it messed up my feelings
i knew something was stirring but
wow
wing-yee is in awe
my heart is literally pounding upon finishing it
so beautiful and daring
can't decide whether it's a 4/4.5 star read.
but gonna be recommending this to a lot of my pals now.
song that i am playing on repeat: back to you by selena gomez
February 13, 2019
I tried very hard to like this but it fell through. Whatever it is, rich though it was in historical carving, the attentive precision paid to dress designs and street names, the story did not come fully to life. The first person narrator's propensity to tell instead of show, annoyed somewhat; her personal impressions left so strong a colouring that it seemed almost desperate... As a reader I was left feeling as if I was directed to feel things, and the words I read didn't allow for or paint their own picture of what the main character was supposed to feel, and whom I was supposed to feel for. Despite their qualities, I struggled to find true affection and repulsion in the characters. They weren't...alive. Again, it seemed as if one was only told or directed what might be our feelings towards them, and the reader is never allowed to experience this first-hand with adequate vividness.
The main character was supposedly a talented storyteller, and it was disappointing to see no discernible indication of that in actual prose that I could read for myself. Neither were the ideas she had for her stories particularly riveting or indicative of a sparkling wit, an original, experimental voice that I might fall in love with. (I opened this book with the expectation of watching a young star carve her determined way into the artistic circle, winning those who would admire and love her for what she was.) Ginny may admire Wharton but I'm afraid that may be the furthest she can go, and sadly she is no Woolf either... Without the strengths of this attraction, this story is left to revolve around a romance plot, which is hardly new or interesting.
The main character was supposedly a talented storyteller, and it was disappointing to see no discernible indication of that in actual prose that I could read for myself. Neither were the ideas she had for her stories particularly riveting or indicative of a sparkling wit, an original, experimental voice that I might fall in love with. (I opened this book with the expectation of watching a young star carve her determined way into the artistic circle, winning those who would admire and love her for what she was.) Ginny may admire Wharton but I'm afraid that may be the furthest she can go, and sadly she is no Woolf either... Without the strengths of this attraction, this story is left to revolve around a romance plot, which is hardly new or interesting.
February 26, 2017
1 star feels so harsh. I vacillated between one and two on this one but if I'm being honest with myself, I didn't like it. And that's what the 1-star rating is there for, right? This was one of those books that I found myself reading and couldn't remember how I came to it. It wasn't recommended to me, I hadn't heard anything about it. I have a sneaking suspicion that it showed up in one of those "You may also like" on my library webpage and I read the synopsis and thought it sounded interesting so I went ahead and put in on hold to check out. The premise was an interesting one to me and I'll even admit that for the first third/or even half of the book I was tolerating it fine, reading pretty quickly, interested in the characters and what would come of them, but then it went in a direction I really didn't care for. It became overly dramatic, with scandal after scandal and the main "love story" was one I couldn't get behind (i.e., inappropriate...) and it didn't seem historically congruent. The main character became more annoying to me as the book went on and I'm really not sure what the takeaway was supposed to be. I need to get better at being able to just stop and put away books I'm not enjoying or being uplifted by and move on to something else. This one was like 'watching a train wreck,' as the saying goes.
May 28, 2017
This novel just really wasn't for me, hence the low rating. For one thing, there were several pretty glaring historical details () that stood out for me. In addition, the characters were more irritating than I would have liked. Ginny had been slighted by her one true love, Charlie; who proposed to another (it's in the book's synopsis), but this got to particularly irritating levels, to where I was hoping she would move on. In addition, when I enjoyed the , it came way too out of the blue, quickly resolved within a few chapters, yet left me with questions.
The most irritating thing, tho? The synopsis made it seem that Ginny would be an aspiring writer and we would follow that process as she became a published writer.
The most irritating thing, tho? The synopsis made it seem that Ginny would be an aspiring writer and we would follow that process as she became a published writer.
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