The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis – 354 pages
ARC from Dutton and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
It’s 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn’t ask for more out of life–her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she finds herself drawn to Greenwich Village’s new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club–a radical, all-female group in which women are encouraged to loudly share their opinions on suffrage, birth control, and women’s rights. Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. But when valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she’s forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process. Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons, especially after she’s wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie’s running begin disappearing from the library’s famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-adverse Sadie teams up with a private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage–truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library’s history.
My Review: 4 stars
The Lions of Fifth Avenue was an incredible jump back in time to the historic New York City Public Library. I read this book in July, before it was released, and only now, four months later, did I realize that I never reviewed it. Earlier today I was working on my 2020 Best Book Club picks, and I was shocked to learn that I never reviewed it. I’m not sure how it slipped through the cracks, but better late than never!
Fiona Davis has knack for taking an iconic New York building and wrapping a great storyline around it. Here, she takes a dual time period approach that is spaced eighty years apart, in 1913 and 1993. I loved learning about all the nuances of the library, especially that there was a seven-room residence built inside for the superintendent and his family. Although it’s a different landmark, I couldn’t help thinking about one of my childhood favorites, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.
The historic storyline featured Laura Lyon (notice pun on her last name) who was a strong female protagonist. She is a journalist who is living a lackluster life under the limitations set upon women if they are a wife and/or mother. She’s knows she can do more and after attending a meeting that encourages women’s’ rights, she becomes invested in the suffragette movement. We watch this character’s growth as the story goes on. When treasured and highly valued books go missing from the library many dynamics change and a mystery ensues.
The present storyline features a young, female curator of the NYPL who is the granddaughter of Laura Lyons but has no idea. She also encounters missing books and her search leads her to some serious sleuthing about these precious books as well as her family history.
These two storylines weave together beautifully and there are many sub-plots whispering through the pages as well. I’ve never been to the NYPL yet this book took me to the shelves, the décor and immense size of the building. Books, and their thievery, is a million-dollar industry and I was completely unaware of that. Fans of mystery, intrigue, historical fiction, general fiction, books and literature will enjoy this one. Also, loved the cover!
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Quotes I liked:
Leave it to a librarian to point out the alliteration in my life’s tragedies.”
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For some reason, this book left me a little flat at the end. Not even sure I know why. I think I preferred the historical timeline to the present-day one. Loved the insights into this iconic library and the tragedies that took place within its walls.
Hi M.K, the part about the library and the family living in it was my preference as well. When my daughter lived in NYC, she took a tour of the building and was astounded at its collection and beauty!