Play Book Tag discussion

Historical fiction, New York City, 1938, now that's a good start for me. Even though it is historical fiction, I really appreciated history not driving this story. Instead, it is driven by the characters moving between social strata. At the center of the story is Kate, a very smart, ambitious, independent woman working in NYC and living in a boarding house. On New Years Eve she meets a handsome investment banker and so begins her access to the monied class in jazz age NYC. Some of the characters do the right thing with their privilege, and others are only deceiving themselves as they deceive others. There are "4 people of great color and character who held sway" over Kate's life that year. I also loved the minor characters that are woven into the story. It is these characters that made NYC come alive on the pages. Towles makes us see these people when the book opens at a photography exhibit in 1966. The photos were all taken secretively on the NYC subway in the 1930s. Many chapters begin with one of these photos. I thought that was brilliant.

I loved this one, and did it on audio, I didn't know the book had photographs! I'll have to get my hands and a copy and check it out.

I liked this a lot, more than A Gentleman in Moscow. It's kind of a love letter to New York City. You might also like Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, which is very loosely based on a real woman who was a successful advertising agent. The audio of that was very good. Another from that era is City of Girls, especially the first part.

Another book you might like that is the picture of New York City during a specific time is The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal by Lily Koppel.

Robin and Theresa, I will put both on my TBR!

**love**

One of my faves. So glad you loved it too!!

I loved this one too!

I adored this book! Thanks for the review.