What do you think?
Rate this book
Searching for Grace Kelly
For a small-town girl with big-city dreams, there is no address more glamorous than New York’s Barbizon Hotel. Laura, a patrician beauty from Smith, arrives to work at Mademoiselle for the summer. Her hopelessly romantic roommate, Dolly, comes from a working-class upstate town to attend secretarial school. Vivian, a brash British bombshell with a disregard for the hotel’s rules, rounds out the trio of friends. Together, the girls embark on a journey of discovery that will take them from the penthouse apartments of Park Avenue to the Beat scene of Greenwich Village to Atlantic City’s Steel Pier — and into the arms of very different men who will alter their lives forever.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 27, 2015
99 people are currently reading
3079 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
April 30, 2015
A very good depiction of three completely different women who become unlikely friends, making their way through 1950's New York. Very enjoyable. Liked the women & their stories, hearing about the famous Barbizon Hotel, and how the 1950's were changing & molding women.
May 8, 2015
This debut novel is set around New York’s Barbizon Hotel for women in 1955. The story features three young women, who meet up and become friends. First, there is debutante Laura Dixon, spending a month in the city as a “guest editor” for “Mademoiselle” magazine and longing to be a writer. Laura’s room-mate is Dolores Hickey, known as Dolly, who is studying at Katie Gibbs Secretarial School and working a summer job as a typist in a small publishing house. Last, there is British redhead, Vivian Windsor, who works as a cigarette girl and wants to be a singer.
The summer starts as a time of great excitement, adventure and dreams. Vivian seems unimaginably exotic and exciting to the other girls, with her grown up ways and work in nightclubs. Flirting with danger, Vivian becomes attracted to mobster, Nicky Accardi. Meanwhile, the beautiful Laura attracts the attention of the implausibly named department store heir, Box Barnes, and Dolly just longs to have a boyfriend of her own. What begin as great romances, to be discussed, and giggled over, become more serious as time goes on.
This is an interesting novel, with good characters, set in a fascinating era, where young women were just beginning to taste freedom, but society was still very hypocritical – with girls very much labelled, ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ As the three young women taste the freedom on New York, they soon discover the grime beneath the glitz. This novel takes us from the Greenwich Village literary scene to New York night life, through romance and reality. A very good debut, from a promising author. Lastly, I was given this book to review from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
The summer starts as a time of great excitement, adventure and dreams. Vivian seems unimaginably exotic and exciting to the other girls, with her grown up ways and work in nightclubs. Flirting with danger, Vivian becomes attracted to mobster, Nicky Accardi. Meanwhile, the beautiful Laura attracts the attention of the implausibly named department store heir, Box Barnes, and Dolly just longs to have a boyfriend of her own. What begin as great romances, to be discussed, and giggled over, become more serious as time goes on.
This is an interesting novel, with good characters, set in a fascinating era, where young women were just beginning to taste freedom, but society was still very hypocritical – with girls very much labelled, ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ As the three young women taste the freedom on New York, they soon discover the grime beneath the glitz. This novel takes us from the Greenwich Village literary scene to New York night life, through romance and reality. A very good debut, from a promising author. Lastly, I was given this book to review from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
November 18, 2014
I adored this book! I’d recently read The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler and found myself thoroughly disappointed and irritated. Searching for Grace Kelly by Michael Callahan was everything I wanted The Bookstore to be but wasn’t. It was simply divine.
Both books take place in New York City with a female lead and a musty, old bookshop as an ancillary character, but that’s where the similarities end. Laura Dixon, the heroine in Searching for Grace Kelly is intelligent AND likeable. Even though she’s a Connecticut debutante, there’s not an ounce of pretentiousness to be found in her; she’s stylish, poised, and caring. The love triangle between Laura, Box Barons (New York City’s most eligible bachelor), and Pete (a bartender in Greenwich Village) is realistic and believable as is Laura’s internal struggle. She may be naïve, but an idiot she is not.
Laura does not grace the pages of this book alone; her discovery of New York City is rounded out by the joining of her roommate, Dolly, and a vivacious redhead, Vivian, another inhabitant of the Barbizon Hotel for Women. Searching for Grace Kelly also takes place in 1955, and Michael Callahan did such an excellent job recreating this time period that reading it feels like watching a movie from the fifties. At times, it is a bit reminiscent of the movie How to Marry a Millionaire with three young women searching for love in New York City, but unlike How to Marry a Millionaire, not everyone in Searching for Grace Kelly winds up with a happy ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The storyline was engaging and believable, and I absolutely loved the glimpse into another, more glamorous era.
Both books take place in New York City with a female lead and a musty, old bookshop as an ancillary character, but that’s where the similarities end. Laura Dixon, the heroine in Searching for Grace Kelly is intelligent AND likeable. Even though she’s a Connecticut debutante, there’s not an ounce of pretentiousness to be found in her; she’s stylish, poised, and caring. The love triangle between Laura, Box Barons (New York City’s most eligible bachelor), and Pete (a bartender in Greenwich Village) is realistic and believable as is Laura’s internal struggle. She may be naïve, but an idiot she is not.
Laura does not grace the pages of this book alone; her discovery of New York City is rounded out by the joining of her roommate, Dolly, and a vivacious redhead, Vivian, another inhabitant of the Barbizon Hotel for Women. Searching for Grace Kelly also takes place in 1955, and Michael Callahan did such an excellent job recreating this time period that reading it feels like watching a movie from the fifties. At times, it is a bit reminiscent of the movie How to Marry a Millionaire with three young women searching for love in New York City, but unlike How to Marry a Millionaire, not everyone in Searching for Grace Kelly winds up with a happy ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The storyline was engaging and believable, and I absolutely loved the glimpse into another, more glamorous era.
March 6, 2016
Laura Dixon, a debutante and college student from Connecticut, comes to New York City for an summer internship with Mademoiselle magazine for their college issue. The year is 1955 and if you are a female in the city, you want to stay at the famous Barbizon Hotel for Women which is pretty much like a large sorority house. Plus, the beautiful Grace Kelly stayed there! Laura can't believe her luck when her parents agree to allow her to go to the city and stay at the Barbizon. She meets her roommate, Dolly, who is very different than herself, but charming enough and a friendship ensues. Dolly worries she will end up being one of the "Women" at the Barbizon, the spinsters who are still staying at the hotel and never married. On Laura's first day at Barbizon, she meets Vivian Windsor; she works at the famous Stork Club as a cigarette girl. Vivian is always pressing everyone's boundaries and breaking the rules at the Barbizon, including having male visitors, which is strictly forbidden. While at the Stork Club one night, Laura happens upon New York City's most eligible bachelor, Box Barnes, and after a few coincidental meetings, she finds that he is pursuing her with much determination. All three women experience love and loss in the city; one thing is for sure, New York City always promises an adventure. Michael Callahan's debut, Searching for Grace Kelly, is a delightful romp through 1950s America. It was like an episode of Mad Men and I loved being lost in the girls' world.
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
December 30, 2014
From the blurb, I really thought I'd like this book. Three girls go to NYC to seek fame, fortune, and love --- sounds kind of like Valley of the Dolls, doesn't it? The description of the setting is pretty good, but IMO the pace was too slow and the characters didn't come to life until nearly the end of the novel. There were several anachronisms that threw me out of the story. "Meet cute" was not a saying in 1955.
A reviewer on Amazon said the author would have done better to write a nonfiction history of the Barbizon. I agree, because the research seemed to be solid.
A reviewer on Amazon said the author would have done better to write a nonfiction history of the Barbizon. I agree, because the research seemed to be solid.
June 18, 2016
Ovo je jedna od najboljih prevara u naslovu na koje sam do sada naišla. Nisu čak ni prevodioci krivi, original se zove ''Searching For Grace Kelly'', brzo čitanje zadnje korice takođe vam ne kaže istinu i onda prevari ljubitelje fiktivnih biografija koje ne mrzi da provedu nekoliko sati u magacinu na radnom mestu i da završe ovu knjižicu. Naime, ovo nema nikakve veze sa Grejs Keli, ni izdaleka. U fokusu su tri devojke koje pohađaju školu za dame koja je nekada, na kratko vreme, ugostila mladu Grejs i koja je od tada svima njima idejni uzor.
Sve tri imaju svoju priču, svaka nezanimljivija od druge: lepotica u koju se zaljubljuje bogati vlasnik robne kuće, skromna i ružna koja trpi sve što treba da bi se udala i treća koja je bahata Engleskinja koju mama nije volela, a utehu traži na žurkama, ma šta to značilo pedesetih godina 20. veka.
One će se sprijateljiti, postoji čak i tragična smrt koja je sve samo ne tragična, odahnula sam kad smo se ratosiljali jednog od bezbroj iritantnih ženskih likova.
Stvarno me ništa nije dirnulo, iako mi se čini da pisac sve vreme igra na tu kartu - radost novog prijateljstva, nesnalaženje dobrih devojaka u velikom svetu i porazi nakon loših izbora.
Sve tri imaju svoju priču, svaka nezanimljivija od druge: lepotica u koju se zaljubljuje bogati vlasnik robne kuće, skromna i ružna koja trpi sve što treba da bi se udala i treća koja je bahata Engleskinja koju mama nije volela, a utehu traži na žurkama, ma šta to značilo pedesetih godina 20. veka.
One će se sprijateljiti, postoji čak i tragična smrt koja je sve samo ne tragična, odahnula sam kad smo se ratosiljali jednog od bezbroj iritantnih ženskih likova.
Stvarno me ništa nije dirnulo, iako mi se čini da pisac sve vreme igra na tu kartu - radost novog prijateljstva, nesnalaženje dobrih devojaka u velikom svetu i porazi nakon loših izbora.
January 2, 2018
In 1950s NYC three women meet in a hotel exclusively for ladies. These ladies are in NYC for various employment in publishing agencies/houses, secretarial schools etc.
The three are there for employment but to also escape their strict upbringings, for new experiences and to find love. Each do meet someone they feel they love but they are to experience self-discovery, and their friendship would be pushed to the limits.
This was an enjoyable enough tale, and whilst there were love stories, there weren't any particularly happy endings.
The three are there for employment but to also escape their strict upbringings, for new experiences and to find love. Each do meet someone they feel they love but they are to experience self-discovery, and their friendship would be pushed to the limits.
This was an enjoyable enough tale, and whilst there were love stories, there weren't any particularly happy endings.
December 7, 2014
I must give this author major points for a masterpiece of a prologue. In the first 3 or 4 pages we meet a girl, a girl who has been living in the famous Barbizon Hotel--an exclusively female hotel for the up-and-coming lady in NYC, at least until it began admitting men in the eighties. She feels her life is ruined and she has only one option left: suicide.
Then the story starts. We meet three girls who live at the Barbizon, all with vastly different personalities but all who want the same thing: to be loved. Yet...which girl was about to jump off the roof in the beginning? What a way to keep us reading! Though I admit I enjoyed the story enough to read regardless. I just had to mention that because I thought it was brilliant.
Back to the girls... Laura wants to be a writer, yet rarely picks up a pen. She's constantly being sidetracked by her social life, with two beaus. She also needs to learn to live her life her way, not her mother's. I felt like the moral of her story was, "Don't postpone your dreams and goals, for anything."
Dolores...we have all been a Dolores at some point, desperate for love and afraid of being alone. She'll do just about anything for approval. I guess the moral here is to not be so insecure with being alone that you end up making yourself more miserable. Don't force things, especially relationships. Her story had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out what was going on with the man in her life.
Vivian. Ok. This is where the story disappointed me. This line was way too predictable. I saw it all coming from a quarter in. I don't like figuring everything out that fast. I really don't. But there was a moral here too: don't alienate yourself.
Full review and final thoughts: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
Then the story starts. We meet three girls who live at the Barbizon, all with vastly different personalities but all who want the same thing: to be loved. Yet...which girl was about to jump off the roof in the beginning? What a way to keep us reading! Though I admit I enjoyed the story enough to read regardless. I just had to mention that because I thought it was brilliant.
Back to the girls... Laura wants to be a writer, yet rarely picks up a pen. She's constantly being sidetracked by her social life, with two beaus. She also needs to learn to live her life her way, not her mother's. I felt like the moral of her story was, "Don't postpone your dreams and goals, for anything."
Dolores...we have all been a Dolores at some point, desperate for love and afraid of being alone. She'll do just about anything for approval. I guess the moral here is to not be so insecure with being alone that you end up making yourself more miserable. Don't force things, especially relationships. Her story had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out what was going on with the man in her life.
Vivian. Ok. This is where the story disappointed me. This line was way too predictable. I saw it all coming from a quarter in. I don't like figuring everything out that fast. I really don't. But there was a moral here too: don't alienate yourself.
Full review and final thoughts: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...
July 15, 2016
Bože ova knjiga je toliki plitkoumna i prepuna klišea, da mi dođe da vrištim. Bukvalno san predvidela svaki rasplet. Naravno da je jedna nesputana i seksualno oslobođena morala biti kažnjena na kraju. Stil pisanja je kao nešto poteklo iz hemijske olovke srednjoškolca, deluje mi kao da autor ne da ne poznaje žene, nego kao da nijednu nije nikada ni upoznao. Ili su mu sa namerom likovi tako površni i glupi.
Ok, kapiram da je naslov metafora, samo mi nije jasno u vezi čega. Ne znam, možda sam glupa, pa ne mogu da životnu priču Grejs Keli povežem sa ove tri devojke i njihovim životnim putem. Ali dobro stavićemo Grejs Keli, jer će to sigurno prodati knjigu. Jedna je debela i nesrećna, jer nema momka, druga orbitira oko dva muškarca, od kojih su obojica debili, a ni ona nije daleko, ali eto voli knjige, pa joj opraštamo, a treća je promiskuitetna, pa će stoga u pakao. Ovo je poslednji put da uzimam knjigu na osnovu preporuke iz nekog ženskog časopisa. Stil pisanja je takav da ćete početi da cenite Džeki Kolins. Bruklin je u pogledu oslikavanja atmosfere tog vremena umetnost za ovu knjigu.
Ne mogu više ni da pišem o njoj, moraću da se saberem za recenziju, jer sam se pošteno iznervirala na kraju, naročito zbog jedne scene.
Ok, kapiram da je naslov metafora, samo mi nije jasno u vezi čega. Ne znam, možda sam glupa, pa ne mogu da životnu priču Grejs Keli povežem sa ove tri devojke i njihovim životnim putem. Ali dobro stavićemo Grejs Keli, jer će to sigurno prodati knjigu. Jedna je debela i nesrećna, jer nema momka, druga orbitira oko dva muškarca, od kojih su obojica debili, a ni ona nije daleko, ali eto voli knjige, pa joj opraštamo, a treća je promiskuitetna, pa će stoga u pakao. Ovo je poslednji put da uzimam knjigu na osnovu preporuke iz nekog ženskog časopisa. Stil pisanja je takav da ćete početi da cenite Džeki Kolins. Bruklin je u pogledu oslikavanja atmosfere tog vremena umetnost za ovu knjigu.
Ne mogu više ni da pišem o njoj, moraću da se saberem za recenziju, jer sam se pošteno iznervirala na kraju, naročito zbog jedne scene.
March 31, 2015
SEARCHING FOR GRACE KELLY
Michael Callahan
NEW YORK CITY, THE BARBIZON HOTEL FOR WOMEN, PARK AVENUE, GREENWICH VILLAGE AND THE ATLANTIC CITY STEEL PIER in the 50’s. What more could you ask for in a vintage look at New York and the avalanche of young women who flock to the city for love, life and adventure? Mr. Callahan did a wonderful job of capturing the excitement and glamour of a golden age and wrote with sensitivity and understanding in his treatment of the women and their voices.
Three vastly different young women arrive to stay in the Barbizon Hotel and despite their differences become fast friends. Laura an elegant beauty who left college has come to work at Mademoiselle for the summer, Dolly is attending secretarial school, and Vivian the brash British bombshell with no regard for rules all spend a summer of discovery. The men in their lives and their escapades make for a nostalgic read but there are consequences to be paid.
A lovely look at the past that includes the fashions, the manners, the innocence of the times and the enchantment of youth.
November 30, 2018
This book is one of my mistakes of buying books based on title only...
Nothing about Grace Kelly, mentioned I think 3 times only. But a solid story about 3 girls in 1955.
Nothing about Grace Kelly, mentioned I think 3 times only. But a solid story about 3 girls in 1955.
December 26, 2014
Searching for Grace Kelly had one of those covers and synopsis that I just couldn't resist. Young women bucking 1950s convention by traveling to New York to pursue their dreams? SIGN ME UP.
However, after reading the book, I quickly realized that Searching for Grace Kelly is far more than just a coming-of-age story about three very different women. It's also a thoughtful study on societal norms, and the challenges of bucking (or accepting) tradition, when dictated by the rest of society-at-large.
Michael Callahn introduces us to Laura, Dolly and Vivian, three very different girls who are drawn to the Barbizon Hotel to pursue their dreams. Laura's an East Coast blueblood determined to prove herself as a writer; Dolly is from a hardscrabble neighborhood trying to work and carry out the all-important goal of securing a husband, and British Vivian just wants to be a singer.
While the girls come to New York with big ideas and even bigger dreams, they quickly learn that not everything will go as easily as they would hope. They're limited up by societal convention and outside competition, and the realization that not everyone has their best interests at heart.
However, even as Callahan shows the girls sometimes become the unwitting pawns of individuals with complicated intentions, he's also careful to show the girls beginning to develop the savvy and intiution to deal with some of these manipulations in their lives. It's not an easy lesson to learn; it often times involves the girls becoming disenchanted with aspects of their lives that they once held dear. But they also come out stronger, as a result.
As the girls try to figure out their paths, the secondary characters also play a significant role in their development. Metzger, Nicky, Jack, Pete, Box, Betsy and Connie all have collective lessons and wisdom to share with the characters. Both their past triumphs and failures all contribute in helping the girls learn from their mistakes, while also reassuring the three girls that they have, and will never be, alone in their journeys.
Ultimately, while none of the girls have their life plans come to fruition in exactly the way that they want - with one story ending particularly tragically - it's their individual and collective journeys that stay with each other, and with the reader.
***
Final verdict:
It's been about a week since I've finished reading Searching for Grace Kelly, and I still find myself thinking about the book.
Michael Callahan has created a memorable cast of characters, whose journeys to figure out who they are and who they want to be, are absolutely relatable and understandable to any reader of today. While Laura, Dolly and Vivian may not end up getting all that they desire, it's their pursuit of the seemingly impossible in the face of significant odds, which makes this a memorable, unforgettable read.
I highly recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, especially for readers who are looking for protagonists whose struggles, challenges and lives are as relatable to the challenges that many of us continue to face today. There's a universality to Callahan's work, which will help ensure that it will stand the test of time.
However, after reading the book, I quickly realized that Searching for Grace Kelly is far more than just a coming-of-age story about three very different women. It's also a thoughtful study on societal norms, and the challenges of bucking (or accepting) tradition, when dictated by the rest of society-at-large.
Michael Callahn introduces us to Laura, Dolly and Vivian, three very different girls who are drawn to the Barbizon Hotel to pursue their dreams. Laura's an East Coast blueblood determined to prove herself as a writer; Dolly is from a hardscrabble neighborhood trying to work and carry out the all-important goal of securing a husband, and British Vivian just wants to be a singer.
While the girls come to New York with big ideas and even bigger dreams, they quickly learn that not everything will go as easily as they would hope. They're limited up by societal convention and outside competition, and the realization that not everyone has their best interests at heart.
However, even as Callahan shows the girls sometimes become the unwitting pawns of individuals with complicated intentions, he's also careful to show the girls beginning to develop the savvy and intiution to deal with some of these manipulations in their lives. It's not an easy lesson to learn; it often times involves the girls becoming disenchanted with aspects of their lives that they once held dear. But they also come out stronger, as a result.
As the girls try to figure out their paths, the secondary characters also play a significant role in their development. Metzger, Nicky, Jack, Pete, Box, Betsy and Connie all have collective lessons and wisdom to share with the characters. Both their past triumphs and failures all contribute in helping the girls learn from their mistakes, while also reassuring the three girls that they have, and will never be, alone in their journeys.
Ultimately, while none of the girls have their life plans come to fruition in exactly the way that they want - with one story ending particularly tragically - it's their individual and collective journeys that stay with each other, and with the reader.
***
Final verdict:
It's been about a week since I've finished reading Searching for Grace Kelly, and I still find myself thinking about the book.
Michael Callahan has created a memorable cast of characters, whose journeys to figure out who they are and who they want to be, are absolutely relatable and understandable to any reader of today. While Laura, Dolly and Vivian may not end up getting all that they desire, it's their pursuit of the seemingly impossible in the face of significant odds, which makes this a memorable, unforgettable read.
I highly recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, especially for readers who are looking for protagonists whose struggles, challenges and lives are as relatable to the challenges that many of us continue to face today. There's a universality to Callahan's work, which will help ensure that it will stand the test of time.
August 12, 2015
My main thought was "why did an author who is not good at writing from a woman's perspective write from the perspective of three different women?".
It seems like such a cliche that men can't write women and I don't want to heap on that but, yeah, this guy couldn't write women.What actually happened seemed fairly reasonable and like stuff that could actually happen and I appreciated that but the voices were really unclear.
I liked it mostly (3 out of 5 stars) but I probably wouldn't recommend it. It seems like it's gotten a lot of hype and I'm not really sure why. I think it might be because people thought it was actually about Grace Kelly and then it wasn't but by then you were into it. It was an easy read but not necessarily a quick read, it wasn't a book where I coudn't wait to find out what happens next.
What was with all the Rebecca references? There were like 6 and the only other classical literature references were 1 to Jane Eyre and like maybe a Shakespeare reference or two. Is Rebecca that universal of a reference? I've read Rebecca but if I hadn't I would feel like I was missing something. I guess the whole point of references is they are short hand so you don't have to explain things and it would've been redundant to explain the references but why make so many references to Rebecca. The first time I was like "hey, I get that reference!" but by the end I was like "why is he talking about Rebecca so much?" Seriously, is this some sort of Rebecca analogy I'm not getting? is Rebecca a much more popular book than I thought? I swear I'm the only person I know who's read it.
In conclusion, it was okay.
It seems like such a cliche that men can't write women and I don't want to heap on that but, yeah, this guy couldn't write women.What actually happened seemed fairly reasonable and like stuff that could actually happen and I appreciated that but the voices were really unclear.
I liked it mostly (3 out of 5 stars) but I probably wouldn't recommend it. It seems like it's gotten a lot of hype and I'm not really sure why. I think it might be because people thought it was actually about Grace Kelly and then it wasn't but by then you were into it. It was an easy read but not necessarily a quick read, it wasn't a book where I coudn't wait to find out what happens next.
What was with all the Rebecca references? There were like 6 and the only other classical literature references were 1 to Jane Eyre and like maybe a Shakespeare reference or two. Is Rebecca that universal of a reference? I've read Rebecca but if I hadn't I would feel like I was missing something. I guess the whole point of references is they are short hand so you don't have to explain things and it would've been redundant to explain the references but why make so many references to Rebecca. The first time I was like "hey, I get that reference!" but by the end I was like "why is he talking about Rebecca so much?" Seriously, is this some sort of Rebecca analogy I'm not getting? is Rebecca a much more popular book than I thought? I swear I'm the only person I know who's read it.
In conclusion, it was okay.
December 2, 2015
I absolutely adored this book. I didn't expect to love it nearly as much as I do, but wow, was I pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the setting, it was just perfectly nostalgic enough for an old time New York and it was an excellent stage for the story. I really grew to love the characters, I found them relatable, charming as all get out, and the author's treatment of them made them feel authentic. Callahan writes some real gems too. I think I'll try very hard to remember Vivian, "There's a reason the fairy godmother gave Cinderella two glass slippers..."
March 10, 2015
2.5. This book didn't know if it wanted to be a sloshing Sidney Sheldon book or a sparkling Dawn Powell. Plots moved briskly, only to suddenly become boring or confusing; characters talked about how they did all sorts of general lascivious and/or intriguing things, but we never actually READ about it. Strong, interesting characters stranded in a family television hour sort of lens.
January 8, 2016
I enjoyed this book more than I thought!
June 3, 2019
DNF
Terrible, to me, it's almost a rewrite of The Bell Jar
To each their own
Terrible, to me, it's almost a rewrite of The Bell Jar
To each their own
April 28, 2020
A nice, fun, easy read. While it was very stereotypical (the British siren, the charming and naive young lady, the comic relief that eats a bit too much, the mobster Italian, the city bachelor) I loved the descriptions of New York City, the clothes, the society, the food, even, and following around three completely different women was entertaining.
However, I found the ending so abrupt! A huge, deadly event happens, and then to catch up with the women after, we only get a three page epilogue that ends with a cliffhanger. I wanted so much more!
I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I’m very partial to light, set in the 50’s summer reads, and this ticked that box perfectly.
However, I found the ending so abrupt! A huge, deadly event happens, and then to catch up with the women after, we only get a three page epilogue that ends with a cliffhanger. I wanted so much more!
I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I’m very partial to light, set in the 50’s summer reads, and this ticked that box perfectly.
October 2, 2016
In realtà il VOTO è di 4,5 stelline su 5.
Ho veramente adorato questo romanzo. Mi piace assaporare la bellezza degli anni passati e i 50, da sempre, mi affascinano in modo particolare. Amo le gonne a ruota, i fiocchi in testa, i cappelli a falda larga, il rock'n'roll, la macchina da scrivere, i film con protagoniste Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly e Audrey Hepburn; grazie a questa storia mi ci sono catapultata ed è stato come fare un salto indietro nel tempo.
Laura è una ventenne di buona famiglia che arriva a New York per lavorare al giornale di moda più glamour del momento, il "Mademoiselle". E' una ragazza dolce e gentile, con la passione per i libri e il buon gusto. Al contrario dell'esuberante Dolly che preferisce fare shopping piuttosto che un giro in libreria. Piena di vita e sprizzante felicità da tutti i pori, Dolly non sa bene cosa vuole dalla vita, sa solo di voler finire il corso per segretarie. Ha un'unica pecca: è molto propensa a piangersi addosso. E' quella che ogni volta solleva il morale alle altre, però quando si tratta di se stessa proprio non ci riesce. E arriviamo, così, a Vivian. La mia preferita. L'inglese Vivian che vende sigari nel club più esclusivo di tutta la Grande Mela sognando, però, di cantare a Broadway, è quella che potremmo definire una "libertina" a tutti gli effetti. Schietta ed estremamente sincera, fa tutto ciò che una signorina per bene dell'epoca non dovrebbe fare. Ma è anche molto tormentata. Lei è l'esempio di come non è sempre vero che fare tutto ciò che passa per la testa sia la cosa giusta. Sono tre protagoniste fantastiche. Mi sono piaciute tutte anche se ho preferito maggiormente Vivian. L'autore, comunque, le ha sapute descrivere alla perfezione, ognuna con un carattere diverso e unico.
Lo stile di Callahan è semplice, ma non sfocia mai nel banale. Ha una grande proprietà di linguaggio e, grazie ad essa, è in grado di evocare delle immagini suggestive nella mente del lettore, accompagnate sempre da emozioni di nostalgia per quei tempi passati, ormai troppo lontani e diversi da quelli presenti. Eppure c'è una pecca. I troppi riferimenti alla cultura cinematografica degli anni '50. Io sono un'appassiona di quei film quindi non ho fatto fatica a capire di cosa parlasse o a cosa si riferisse, ma mi rendo conto che per alcuni può risultare pesante dato che, comunque, non sono film che piacciono a tutti e che tutti guardano, ma è normale perché i gusti nel tempo cambiano e non è così scontato che tutti conoscano e/o abbiano visto "Quando la moglie è in vacanza" (film che, tra l'altro, vi consiglio perché è bellissimo).
Nonostante questo il romanzo mi è piaciuto tantissimo. Ho trovato la parte che va da circa pagina 260 a 330 troppo frettolosa, però la parte iniziale è divina e quella finale mi ha letteralmente tenuta incollata alle pagine perché ci sono tante rivelazioni che non ci si aspetterebbe mai. E' anche un libro che fa molto pensare e riflettere. Riflettere su come, certe volte, sia più facile lasciarsi sopraffare dagli altri, su come sia più facile scappare dai problemi perché schiacciati dal peso insopportabile di questi e di come anche le persone che sembrano le più forti del mondo in realtà siano molto deboli e abbiano bisogno di aiuto prima di commettere qualcosa di grave!
Io mi sento di consigliare questo romanzo sia ai più giovani che agli adulti. Ai giovani perché probabilmente riescono ad immedesimarsi di più, a rispecchiarsi e ritrovarsi nei problemi delle protagoniste; agli adulti perché sembra che si siano dimenticati di cosa voglia dire essere adolescenti e dei problemi derivati dal dover fare delle scelte importanti; gli adulti dovrebbero un attimo ripensare a quel periodo della loro vita e cercare di capire di più i ragazzi senza etichettare i loro problemi e le loro ansie come "cose da adolescente".
Leggete, leggete, leggete "Cercando Grace Kelly"!
Ho veramente adorato questo romanzo. Mi piace assaporare la bellezza degli anni passati e i 50, da sempre, mi affascinano in modo particolare. Amo le gonne a ruota, i fiocchi in testa, i cappelli a falda larga, il rock'n'roll, la macchina da scrivere, i film con protagoniste Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly e Audrey Hepburn; grazie a questa storia mi ci sono catapultata ed è stato come fare un salto indietro nel tempo.
Laura è una ventenne di buona famiglia che arriva a New York per lavorare al giornale di moda più glamour del momento, il "Mademoiselle". E' una ragazza dolce e gentile, con la passione per i libri e il buon gusto. Al contrario dell'esuberante Dolly che preferisce fare shopping piuttosto che un giro in libreria. Piena di vita e sprizzante felicità da tutti i pori, Dolly non sa bene cosa vuole dalla vita, sa solo di voler finire il corso per segretarie. Ha un'unica pecca: è molto propensa a piangersi addosso. E' quella che ogni volta solleva il morale alle altre, però quando si tratta di se stessa proprio non ci riesce. E arriviamo, così, a Vivian. La mia preferita. L'inglese Vivian che vende sigari nel club più esclusivo di tutta la Grande Mela sognando, però, di cantare a Broadway, è quella che potremmo definire una "libertina" a tutti gli effetti. Schietta ed estremamente sincera, fa tutto ciò che una signorina per bene dell'epoca non dovrebbe fare. Ma è anche molto tormentata. Lei è l'esempio di come non è sempre vero che fare tutto ciò che passa per la testa sia la cosa giusta. Sono tre protagoniste fantastiche. Mi sono piaciute tutte anche se ho preferito maggiormente Vivian. L'autore, comunque, le ha sapute descrivere alla perfezione, ognuna con un carattere diverso e unico.
Lo stile di Callahan è semplice, ma non sfocia mai nel banale. Ha una grande proprietà di linguaggio e, grazie ad essa, è in grado di evocare delle immagini suggestive nella mente del lettore, accompagnate sempre da emozioni di nostalgia per quei tempi passati, ormai troppo lontani e diversi da quelli presenti. Eppure c'è una pecca. I troppi riferimenti alla cultura cinematografica degli anni '50. Io sono un'appassiona di quei film quindi non ho fatto fatica a capire di cosa parlasse o a cosa si riferisse, ma mi rendo conto che per alcuni può risultare pesante dato che, comunque, non sono film che piacciono a tutti e che tutti guardano, ma è normale perché i gusti nel tempo cambiano e non è così scontato che tutti conoscano e/o abbiano visto "Quando la moglie è in vacanza" (film che, tra l'altro, vi consiglio perché è bellissimo).
Nonostante questo il romanzo mi è piaciuto tantissimo. Ho trovato la parte che va da circa pagina 260 a 330 troppo frettolosa, però la parte iniziale è divina e quella finale mi ha letteralmente tenuta incollata alle pagine perché ci sono tante rivelazioni che non ci si aspetterebbe mai. E' anche un libro che fa molto pensare e riflettere. Riflettere su come, certe volte, sia più facile lasciarsi sopraffare dagli altri, su come sia più facile scappare dai problemi perché schiacciati dal peso insopportabile di questi e di come anche le persone che sembrano le più forti del mondo in realtà siano molto deboli e abbiano bisogno di aiuto prima di commettere qualcosa di grave!
Io mi sento di consigliare questo romanzo sia ai più giovani che agli adulti. Ai giovani perché probabilmente riescono ad immedesimarsi di più, a rispecchiarsi e ritrovarsi nei problemi delle protagoniste; agli adulti perché sembra che si siano dimenticati di cosa voglia dire essere adolescenti e dei problemi derivati dal dover fare delle scelte importanti; gli adulti dovrebbero un attimo ripensare a quel periodo della loro vita e cercare di capire di più i ragazzi senza etichettare i loro problemi e le loro ansie come "cose da adolescente".
Leggete, leggete, leggete "Cercando Grace Kelly"!
January 30, 2015
Read the full review at Tales Between the PagesEven though I enjoyed reading Searching for Grace Kelly, I think it falls flat. There are too many main characters. Out of Laura, Dolly, and Vivian, I think Dolly's character could have been omitted, or at least demoted to a secondary supporting character with a much smaller role. She's the token fat friend who's obsessed with getting married and covets the lives of her friends. She's a static character while Laura and Vivan are dynamic. Unfortunately, Dolly's inflated story line means that we lose time with the other two. This hits Vivan's story line pretty hard. She's the one I wanted to know so much more from. She's a smart cookie. And though I wasn't shocked by her relationship issues, I did want to know more about them. I wanted to see it more in action. And I wanted more time inside her head before her story ends.
Laura is the darling of the book. She's the character that I enjoyed reading the most. Callahan creates good conflict between Laura's well-bred upbringing and her desire to write. She does not want to be the girl who attends Smith to find a husband. She wants something more for her life. She wants to write. She wants to be the editor of a magazine. She wants independence. Unfortunately, Laura really doesn't get any of these things. Her love interests are necessary but I think their over-prominence in the story ruins an otherwise strong character. I felt like I was reading the book version of a Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie. Fashionable girl meets dashing boy. There's a misunderstanding. They stop talking to one another. Then, after a twist of fate, they're shoved back together and it's all love and magic and romance. The end.
My point here is that Callahan sometimes relegates his characters to stereotypes. You cannot be a strong, independent woman who is comfortable with her sexuality without succumbing to Vivan's fate. You cannot be a strong woman with internal conflict about her future without a man to support you a la Laura. If you're Dolly, you cannot be fat and happy at the same time. These are some pretty serious issues in the novel.
What saves this book in my opinion is the way Callahan makes The Barbizon a pseudo-character. It has a life and a vibrancy of its own. I enjoyed reading about the policies and procedures and rule-breaking happening in the hotel. It was a great backdrop for these characters. The historical details were correct and brought the story and the city to life.
I think most readers will enjoy Searching for Grace Kelly. Even though there are some serious flaws with the characters, Callahan makes 1950s Manhattan spring to life.
Laura is the darling of the book. She's the character that I enjoyed reading the most. Callahan creates good conflict between Laura's well-bred upbringing and her desire to write. She does not want to be the girl who attends Smith to find a husband. She wants something more for her life. She wants to write. She wants to be the editor of a magazine. She wants independence. Unfortunately, Laura really doesn't get any of these things. Her love interests are necessary but I think their over-prominence in the story ruins an otherwise strong character. I felt like I was reading the book version of a Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie. Fashionable girl meets dashing boy. There's a misunderstanding. They stop talking to one another. Then, after a twist of fate, they're shoved back together and it's all love and magic and romance. The end.
My point here is that Callahan sometimes relegates his characters to stereotypes. You cannot be a strong, independent woman who is comfortable with her sexuality without succumbing to Vivan's fate. You cannot be a strong woman with internal conflict about her future without a man to support you a la Laura. If you're Dolly, you cannot be fat and happy at the same time. These are some pretty serious issues in the novel.
What saves this book in my opinion is the way Callahan makes The Barbizon a pseudo-character. It has a life and a vibrancy of its own. I enjoyed reading about the policies and procedures and rule-breaking happening in the hotel. It was a great backdrop for these characters. The historical details were correct and brought the story and the city to life.
I think most readers will enjoy Searching for Grace Kelly. Even though there are some serious flaws with the characters, Callahan makes 1950s Manhattan spring to life.
January 29, 2015
So this story is set in 1955, which is an important thing to remember and something that I didn't figure out till about 3/4 through the book. I'm not sure if that's my fault or if it was just the first time it was mentioned, but it's something to keep in mind while reading this book. And as I hadn't read anything set in New York in this time period before, it was very interesting!
Searching For Grace Kelly centers around a group of friends, at times they feel more like girls who casually know each other and sometimes share things, as they do live very separate lives while living in the same building. In the end I believe they were friends, but they just didn't always show it.
I liked Laura, I could understand wanting to break free from her mother's smothering parenting and the rules of society and just LIVE. A thing that bugged me was that even though she kept saying she wanted to be a writer, she never really did anything to try and actually BE one. I mean, throughout the novel she never once wrote a story, the only thing she wrote was in a diary and didn't even stick with that. But I liked that she was bookish and went to a lovely bookstore. I wish we had a bookstore like that one somewhere around here.
I also really liked Dolly, though I was confused by her love interest and in the end it makes sense, but OMG, at times I just wanted to shake Dolly because she was so down on herself and negative! She seemed like a lovely girl and she should have some faith in herself instead of constantly comparing herself to Laura and Vivian and thinking she came up short. I mean, I get it, we all do it, but it was hard to see her doing it.
Vivian never really grew on me, she was impulsive and made a LOT of bad choices and I'm not really sure about her family dynamic, but she worked with the other two girls.
There's a whole lot of drama going on in Searching For Grace Kelly, far more than I originally expected when picking it up. In the beginning I had some trouble getting into the story, but towards the end of the book I REALLY wanted to know what would happen and I'd actually forgotten about the foreshadowing at the very beginning of the book and so what happened at the end was a bit of a surprise for me. I think what gave this book a little extra was that I realised that my grandma was a young woman in this time period, starting a family and everything, and even though she wasn't an American, this made it a little more special to me.
But while it was interesting, I never really felt that connection to the story or the characters and I was very easily distracted while reading it. I did end up enjoying it and am glad I stuck with it.
My rating: 3,5 stars
Searching For Grace Kelly centers around a group of friends, at times they feel more like girls who casually know each other and sometimes share things, as they do live very separate lives while living in the same building. In the end I believe they were friends, but they just didn't always show it.
I liked Laura, I could understand wanting to break free from her mother's smothering parenting and the rules of society and just LIVE. A thing that bugged me was that even though she kept saying she wanted to be a writer, she never really did anything to try and actually BE one. I mean, throughout the novel she never once wrote a story, the only thing she wrote was in a diary and didn't even stick with that. But I liked that she was bookish and went to a lovely bookstore. I wish we had a bookstore like that one somewhere around here.
I also really liked Dolly, though I was confused by her love interest and in the end it makes sense, but OMG, at times I just wanted to shake Dolly because she was so down on herself and negative! She seemed like a lovely girl and she should have some faith in herself instead of constantly comparing herself to Laura and Vivian and thinking she came up short. I mean, I get it, we all do it, but it was hard to see her doing it.
Vivian never really grew on me, she was impulsive and made a LOT of bad choices and I'm not really sure about her family dynamic, but she worked with the other two girls.
There's a whole lot of drama going on in Searching For Grace Kelly, far more than I originally expected when picking it up. In the beginning I had some trouble getting into the story, but towards the end of the book I REALLY wanted to know what would happen and I'd actually forgotten about the foreshadowing at the very beginning of the book and so what happened at the end was a bit of a surprise for me. I think what gave this book a little extra was that I realised that my grandma was a young woman in this time period, starting a family and everything, and even though she wasn't an American, this made it a little more special to me.
But while it was interesting, I never really felt that connection to the story or the characters and I was very easily distracted while reading it. I did end up enjoying it and am glad I stuck with it.
My rating: 3,5 stars
June 23, 2016
2.75 stars.
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
Searching for Grace Kelly tells the story of three women, Laura, Dolly and Vivian, and the six months they spent in New York City in 1955. The girls are all living in a women's residence and all searching for that one man to whisk them away to marriage and motherhood.
At first I enjoyed this book. It was full of that mystery and glamour you can expect from a 1950s New York City. From the clothes, dates and places of food and drink, I was able to really imagine the era. The book was full of wonderful descriptions that really brought the story to life and it's obvious the author put a lot of research and effort into getting all of this right. I really imagiend myself at the Blue Oyster with Laura and Box, looking at all the privileged people around me and the sounds of glasses chinking and the smell of cigarette smoke wafting around.
``
However, I began to lose interest in the story. I think this was partly because the Paris Shootings happened, and I suddenly couldn't bring myself to care about these three girls whose only problems were finding the right man to marry. They became trivial and honestly, my mood was down and I began to skim. By that time, the only parts I liked were Vivian's for obvious reasons. She had become trapped in the kind of relationship that many women still find themselves in, and I was interested to see how it worked out (guessing the prologue related to her). Laura became a Mary Sue to me. She had such big plans to be a writer and succeed in Mademoiselle, and yet literally all her moments were full of worries about Box and Pete. It became boring and I honestly couldn't care about her. Laura's attitude, and the whole book's underlying attitude, to Dolly also irritated me. There were so many mentions of Dolly's food habits and how that was most likely the reason she couldn't find a man. God forbid a woman with some lumps and bumps i`s found attractive by the opposite sex.
If there are any readers interested in this period in time, and a bit of (man-filled) drama then I would suggest checking this book out. But it's definitely not something that has a whole load of depth to it.
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
Searching for Grace Kelly tells the story of three women, Laura, Dolly and Vivian, and the six months they spent in New York City in 1955. The girls are all living in a women's residence and all searching for that one man to whisk them away to marriage and motherhood.
At first I enjoyed this book. It was full of that mystery and glamour you can expect from a 1950s New York City. From the clothes, dates and places of food and drink, I was able to really imagine the era. The book was full of wonderful descriptions that really brought the story to life and it's obvious the author put a lot of research and effort into getting all of this right. I really imagiend myself at the Blue Oyster with Laura and Box, looking at all the privileged people around me and the sounds of glasses chinking and the smell of cigarette smoke wafting around.
``
However, I began to lose interest in the story. I think this was partly because the Paris Shootings happened, and I suddenly couldn't bring myself to care about these three girls whose only problems were finding the right man to marry. They became trivial and honestly, my mood was down and I began to skim. By that time, the only parts I liked were Vivian's for obvious reasons. She had become trapped in the kind of relationship that many women still find themselves in, and I was interested to see how it worked out (guessing the prologue related to her). Laura became a Mary Sue to me. She had such big plans to be a writer and succeed in Mademoiselle, and yet literally all her moments were full of worries about Box and Pete. It became boring and I honestly couldn't care about her. Laura's attitude, and the whole book's underlying attitude, to Dolly also irritated me. There were so many mentions of Dolly's food habits and how that was most likely the reason she couldn't find a man. God forbid a woman with some lumps and bumps i`s found attractive by the opposite sex.
If there are any readers interested in this period in time, and a bit of (man-filled) drama then I would suggest checking this book out. But it's definitely not something that has a whole load of depth to it.
May 17, 2016
I enjoyed this book very much it was like listening to an old B&W Movie, which I love BTW. Especially Dolly’s voice it was the voice of so many characters in old films.
The Barbizon Hotel and New York City were almost their own characters in this story, and it gave a look into many different classes of people in the 1950’s from the elite of Park Avenue to the emerging bohemians and even the back alleys where no single girl should go. Every character in this book is so fully fleshed out I could see everything they did in my head, even the side characters were fascinating. Every character is flawed in one way or another and is trying to hide these flaws which lead to some very interesting storytelling. These three girls Laura, Dolly and Vivian come from such completely different worlds yet as roomies in the big city they become fast friends. I loved how strong all these women were even when they didn’t think they were (Dolly I’m looking at you). They are trying to find careers and maybe a husband but that is secondary, Laura finds two wildly different men so there is a bit of a love triangle but it is very well written and I could see why Laura was attracted to both of them. Vivian’s find is less satisfactory and we see her go through the toughest choices. And Dolly dear sweet Dolly I just enjoyed her character, she isn’t as pretty, skinny or chic as her roommates but she is a good friend. I also loved the bookstore I would hang out there all the time too!
Kristin Kalibi was a new to me narrator and I was blown away, great voices, every character had a distinct sound and even all of the secondary characters had their own voices I will definitely be on the lookout for more books she has narrated!
As I said I really enjoyed this book , if you like historical fiction from the 50’s and old B&W movies I’d say to give this one a try and I highly recommend the audio version of this because Kristin Kalibi’s narration makes this book even better.
4 Stars
I received this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
The Barbizon Hotel and New York City were almost their own characters in this story, and it gave a look into many different classes of people in the 1950’s from the elite of Park Avenue to the emerging bohemians and even the back alleys where no single girl should go. Every character in this book is so fully fleshed out I could see everything they did in my head, even the side characters were fascinating. Every character is flawed in one way or another and is trying to hide these flaws which lead to some very interesting storytelling. These three girls Laura, Dolly and Vivian come from such completely different worlds yet as roomies in the big city they become fast friends. I loved how strong all these women were even when they didn’t think they were (Dolly I’m looking at you). They are trying to find careers and maybe a husband but that is secondary, Laura finds two wildly different men so there is a bit of a love triangle but it is very well written and I could see why Laura was attracted to both of them. Vivian’s find is less satisfactory and we see her go through the toughest choices. And Dolly dear sweet Dolly I just enjoyed her character, she isn’t as pretty, skinny or chic as her roommates but she is a good friend. I also loved the bookstore I would hang out there all the time too!
Kristin Kalibi was a new to me narrator and I was blown away, great voices, every character had a distinct sound and even all of the secondary characters had their own voices I will definitely be on the lookout for more books she has narrated!
As I said I really enjoyed this book , if you like historical fiction from the 50’s and old B&W movies I’d say to give this one a try and I highly recommend the audio version of this because Kristin Kalibi’s narration makes this book even better.
4 Stars
I received this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
January 20, 2015
I am wondering if I am the only one to request a copy of this book from netgalley believing that it was actually about Grace Kelly. These days I usually skim over the synopsis since I find they sometimes provide just a little too much of the storyline. Was I disappointed that this book was not about Grace Kelly? Not in the least, I enjoyed every minute in fact I finished off 80% of it in one day and that is not something that usually happens, I just couldn't help myself.
Michael Callahan has written a story focusing on three very different young women, each with different backgrounds and all living at the Barbizon Hotel. The synopsis tells a little of their characters, Laura, Dolly and Vivian are unique, each with a different background, a history and their own reasons for being at the Barbizon. We don't their full stories right away but are slowly drawn in to get to know them. They were real and had the right amount of depth to make this reader care about what was going on in their lives.
Yes I will admit at times the plot might have been a little predictable but I was enchanted throughout this book. The 1950's is not a time period that I usually read so I found the life styles, setting and social standards rather intriguing. The rest of the players in this book, Box, Nicky, Metzger, Pete (just to name a few) rounded the story off nicely. Definitely an era that I will be on the lookout for.
Michael Callahan has written a story focusing on three very different young women, each with different backgrounds and all living at the Barbizon Hotel. The synopsis tells a little of their characters, Laura, Dolly and Vivian are unique, each with a different background, a history and their own reasons for being at the Barbizon. We don't their full stories right away but are slowly drawn in to get to know them. They were real and had the right amount of depth to make this reader care about what was going on in their lives.
Yes I will admit at times the plot might have been a little predictable but I was enchanted throughout this book. The 1950's is not a time period that I usually read so I found the life styles, setting and social standards rather intriguing. The rest of the players in this book, Box, Nicky, Metzger, Pete (just to name a few) rounded the story off nicely. Definitely an era that I will be on the lookout for.
February 18, 2015
The glamour of 1950s New York often makes for a compelling read, but it's even more so when contrasted with the seedy side. Author M.C. Callahan shows us the good and the bad of New York as three very different characters take steps towards finding their place in the city and the world. Young and passionate, brimming with dreams and hope, they believe that fitting in sometimes means being someone they're not. It's a hard lesson. The characters of Laura and Vivian get the most attention, while Dolly seems a little underdeveloped at the expense of the others.
Callahan draws out themes of identity, independence, belonging, friendship, parental expectations, and women's roles in society, delivering a story that has elements of sadness, reality and hope. It's easy to relate to because we've all been there - stepping out into life, full of dreams. The prologue is interesting because it invites feelings of tension and hope (from "Oh no" to "Maybe all turn out in the end") that linger throughout the book. The identity of the character is kept from the reader in the prologue, but to me it was clear all along who it was.
Overall, a good sense of place and a believable depiction of self-discovery (in which happy endings don't come to all), makes this a worthwhile read. PS. it is not about Grace Kelly at all - more about the search for elements of Kelly - her poise, sophistication and dream-come-true lifestyle.
Callahan draws out themes of identity, independence, belonging, friendship, parental expectations, and women's roles in society, delivering a story that has elements of sadness, reality and hope. It's easy to relate to because we've all been there - stepping out into life, full of dreams. The prologue is interesting because it invites feelings of tension and hope (from "Oh no" to "Maybe all turn out in the end") that linger throughout the book. The identity of the character is kept from the reader in the prologue, but to me it was clear all along who it was.
Overall, a good sense of place and a believable depiction of self-discovery (in which happy endings don't come to all), makes this a worthwhile read. PS. it is not about Grace Kelly at all - more about the search for elements of Kelly - her poise, sophistication and dream-come-true lifestyle.
June 22, 2015
This book follows three young women living in New York City's glamorous Barbizon hotel in the mid-1950s as they figure out who they are, what they want in life, and which path to choose to get what they want. There is Laura, who is interning at Mademoiselle and hoping to become a writer. She is a proper New England woman studying at Smith. Her roommate, Dolly, is in secretarial school, mostly hoping to meet a husband. The third girl in the group is Vivian, who works as a cigarette girl in a popular nightclub, but her true love is singing. The three explore the city, fall in love, have their heartbroken and get into trouble, sometimes really real trouble.
Searching for Grace Kelly surprised me. The characters are all multi-dimensional and interesting. I especially loved Vivian, but connected with all three. Fair warning, this story doesn't end with a happily ever after. I like books that break my heart, at least a little, and this one did.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kristin Kalbli. Kristin did such a beautiful job with this audiobook. The character voices were so real and perfectly suited to each character. She expressed the characters' emotions expertly without taking away from the story's words. I loved this as an audiobook.
Searching for Grace Kelly surprised me. The characters are all multi-dimensional and interesting. I especially loved Vivian, but connected with all three. Fair warning, this story doesn't end with a happily ever after. I like books that break my heart, at least a little, and this one did.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kristin Kalbli. Kristin did such a beautiful job with this audiobook. The character voices were so real and perfectly suited to each character. She expressed the characters' emotions expertly without taking away from the story's words. I loved this as an audiobook.
December 16, 2015
Late last year I read Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953 by Elizabeth Winder. It was a fascinating book but part of me wished someone would turn the marvellous settings of the Barbizon Hotel, Mademoiselle and New York in 1953 into a novel. Well that’s what Michael Callahan has done.
Three young women are making a new life for themselves in New York. There’s Dolly, gregarious and from a working class background who is studying to be a secretary. Laura is beautiful, from a wealthy background and wants to be a writer. And then there’s Vivien, British, a redhead and wild. She bursts into the other two girls’s tiny apartment early in the book and we follow their friendship through the summer. Some of the storyline is predictable and I did feel momentum was lost in the middle of the book. On the plus side Callahan has certainly done his research, particularly on the nightlife of New York and the girls’ clothes and the rules and regulations of the Barbizon. The main thing that I applaud Callahan for is his decision to follow through with his plot line and what I mean by that, well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
Three young women are making a new life for themselves in New York. There’s Dolly, gregarious and from a working class background who is studying to be a secretary. Laura is beautiful, from a wealthy background and wants to be a writer. And then there’s Vivien, British, a redhead and wild. She bursts into the other two girls’s tiny apartment early in the book and we follow their friendship through the summer. Some of the storyline is predictable and I did feel momentum was lost in the middle of the book. On the plus side Callahan has certainly done his research, particularly on the nightlife of New York and the girls’ clothes and the rules and regulations of the Barbizon. The main thing that I applaud Callahan for is his decision to follow through with his plot line and what I mean by that, well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
May 24, 2015
Three very different young women all living in New York at the legendary Barbizon Hotel for young women, strike up an unlikely friendship. They are all hoping that some of the legendary Grace Kelly's glamour will rub off on them while they are there. The year is 1955 - the year before Grace Kelly married her Prince.
The book follows the fortunes of the three women - Laura from New England working at 'Mademoiselle' magazine as an intern; Dolly working as a temp and very conscious of her working class background and Vivian - working in a night club as a cigarette girl who comes from Britain and is seen by the other two as exotic and sophisticated.
I really enjoyed this book and loved the characters and the way the writing evoked the atmosphere of New York in the nineteen fifties. I felt as though I was there while I was reading it. I could see this book as a film and I suspect it might become a classic of its kind along the lines of Rona Jaffe's 'The Best of Everything' though in my opinion this book is better than Jaffe's. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
The book follows the fortunes of the three women - Laura from New England working at 'Mademoiselle' magazine as an intern; Dolly working as a temp and very conscious of her working class background and Vivian - working in a night club as a cigarette girl who comes from Britain and is seen by the other two as exotic and sophisticated.
I really enjoyed this book and loved the characters and the way the writing evoked the atmosphere of New York in the nineteen fifties. I felt as though I was there while I was reading it. I could see this book as a film and I suspect it might become a classic of its kind along the lines of Rona Jaffe's 'The Best of Everything' though in my opinion this book is better than Jaffe's. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
March 24, 2015
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. It is written by male, Michael Callahan, and is about three young women who meet while staying at the famous Barbizon Hotel in the 1950's. Men don't always capture women well in fiction. Callahan nails the women characters and I was very impressed with his first novel.
The 1950's is always longingly (and glamorously) portrayed as a simpler time but Mr. Callahan does a great job capturing the bleak, one dimensional roles open to young women. Everything was surface. Image, manners, and confining expectations left women ripe for the rebellion of the 60's. Even Grace Kelly was never as she seemed but they longed for her fairy tale imaged life. I loved, loved this and am hoping for more goodies from this author.
The 1950's is always longingly (and glamorously) portrayed as a simpler time but Mr. Callahan does a great job capturing the bleak, one dimensional roles open to young women. Everything was surface. Image, manners, and confining expectations left women ripe for the rebellion of the 60's. Even Grace Kelly was never as she seemed but they longed for her fairy tale imaged life. I loved, loved this and am hoping for more goodies from this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews