The Swans of Fifth Avenue http://www.melaniebenjamin.com/swans-of-fifth-avenue.php The New York Times bestselling author of The ...
The Swans Of Fifth Avenue is exactly what you'd hope of a novel about 1950s New York high society: heavy on the sparkle and scandal, the gossip and glitz. This is back when literature was still glamorous and everyone knew everyone (worth knowing).
The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin Published January 2016 by Delacourt Press Source: my copy courtesy of the publisher by way...
The Swans of Fifth Avenue http://www.melaniebenjamin.com/swans-of-fifth-avenue.php The New York Times bestselling author of The ...
The Swans Of Fifth Avenue is exactly what you'd hope of a novel about 1950s New York high society: heavy on the sparkle and scandal, the gossip and glitz. This is back when literature was still glamorous and everyone knew everyone (worth knowing).
The After Party by Anton DiSclafani My rating: 4 of 5 stars Publisher: Riverhead Books Summary: From the nationally bestselling author of The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls comes a story of 1950s Texas socialites and the one irresistible, controversial woman at the bright, hot center of it all. Joan Fortier is the epitome of Texas glamour and the center of the 1950s Houston social scene. Tall, blonde, beautiful, and strong, she dominates the room and the gossip columns. Every man who sees her seems to want her; every woman just wants to be her. But this is a highly ordered world of garden clubs and debutante balls. The money may flow as freely as the oil, but the freedom and power all belong to the men. What happens when a woman of indecorous appetites and desires like Joan wants more? What does it do to her best friend? Devoted to Joan since childhood, Cece Buchanan is either her chaperone or her partner in crime, depending on whom you ask. But as Joan’s radical behavior escalates, Cece’s perspective shifts—forcing one provocative choice to appear the only one there is. A thrilling glimpse into the sphere of the rich and beautiful at a memorable moment in history, The After Party unfurls a story of friendship as obsessive, euphoric, consuming, and complicated as any romance. I was in the mood for something from the past but within the last century & owing to a recent Daily Skimm reminder, I hit my TBR pile for The After Party. I bought it months ago because it sounded like something I'd enjoy but hadn't actually got round to reading it. I'm glad I now have done. It's a tale of two Joans. One fair. One dunne. Both Texan, monied & destined to be touched by socialite worthy tragedy, but only one gets to keep the name. One is effectively renamed in kindergarten, Cece and Joan becomes her raison d'être for the next twenty years or so. No, really. What follows is Cece's recounting of how the lives of Joan & Cece entwined and diverged until it's necessary endpoint. It was one heck of a compelling read. I was frustrated with Joan as I didn't know what was causing her seeming outlandish behavior (but the hints at something scandalous having happened abound) but we only get this story through Cece, who has her own problems. Just as infuriating & worrisome. At times I could see Cece being a true friend but just as often, if not more, I saw her cloying, obsessive manner as something else that I just can't name. Several times when she demands information from Joan or others about Joan, I yelled "It's not your damned business, Cece!" & then had to laugh at myself because I, in turn, felt like it wasn't my damned business either but that's exactly what kept me reading. Cece crossed the line a lot but I also understood why she would be needy (not as needy as she was but I gave her some latitude). It was ironic to see Cece rail against Joan's cavalier attitude toward her when she was always, not just waiting in the wings but ready to take off at a moment's notice, when Cece treated her own husband the same way. Joan & Cece were alike in that they treated the person who loved them most like an afterthought because they knew they could. Not to spoil, but I also liked the way the story dealt with motherhood & attitudes of shame, especially in "keeping up with the Joneses" environs, surrounding children who are different from "the norm". Also worth noting is DiSclafani's well done portrayal of Cece, the one who never wanted to live anywhere else or know anyone else outside of the cloistered, gilded cage into which she was born & had so little interest in leaving she never at all learned about flying. She didn't even need the whole state of Texas. And Joan, the one who craved new places, experiences & people outside of that same cloistered, gilded cage but didn't realize no one had bothered to teach her how to fly & had surreptitiously had her wings clipped. I'm fairly sure, Joan would have been down with conquering additional planets if the opportunity presented itself. Joan's scandal was pretty much what you'd think it would be given the time, place and social status here. Still it wasn't disappointing and was well done. The resolutions, while not entirely concrete still felt finished. The time and tone of this reminded me of The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin . If that was your kind of book mind meld, this also may well be. Recommended.
Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley. Her flawless face regularly graces the pages of Vogue, and she is celebrated and adored for her ineffable style and exquisite taste, especially among her friends—the alluring socialite Swans Slim Keith, C. Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness, and Pamela Churchill. By all appearances, Babe has it all: money, beauty, glamour, jewels, influential friends, a prestigious husband, and gorgeous homes. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman—a woman desperately longing for true love and connection. Enter Truman Capote. This diminutive golden-haired genius with a larger-than-life personality explodes onto the scene, setting Babe and her circle of Swans aflutter. Through Babe, Truman gains an unlikely entrée into the enviable lives of Manhattan’s elite, along with unparalleled access to the scandal and gossip of Babe’s powerful circle. Sure of the loyalty of the man she calls “True Heart,” Babe never imagines the destruction Truman will leave in his wake. But once a storyteller, always a storyteller—even when the stories aren’t his to tell. Truman’s fame is at its peak when such notable celebrities as Frank and Mia Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, and Rose Kennedy converge on his glittering Black and White Ball. But all too soon, he’ll ignite a literary scandal whose repercussions echo through the years. The Swans of Fifth Avenue will seduce and startle readers as it opens the door onto one of America’s most sumptuous eras.
A book review of The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin, also the author of THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE, THE AVIATOR'S WIFE, and MISTRESS OF THE RITZ.
The Swans Of Fifth Avenue is exactly what you'd hope of a novel about 1950s New York high society: heavy on the sparkle and scandal, the gossip and glitz. This is back when literature was still glamorous and everyone knew everyone (worth knowing).
The Swans Of Fifth Avenue is exactly what you'd hope of a novel about 1950s New York high society: heavy on the sparkle and scandal, the gossip and glitz. This is back when literature was still glamorous and everyone knew everyone (worth knowing).
The Swans Of Fifth Avenue is exactly what you'd hope of a novel about 1950s New York high society: heavy on the sparkle and scandal, the gossip and glitz. This is back when literature was still glamorous and everyone knew everyone (worth knowing).
The Swans Of Fifth Avenue is exactly what you'd hope of a novel about 1950s New York high society: heavy on the sparkle and scandal, the gossip and glitz. This is back when literature was still glamorous and everyone knew everyone (worth knowing).
Melanie Benjamin historic suspense combines romance with famous real life heroines destined for New York Times and USA Today best seller lists..
I wish I had a picture of these waffles, but we gobbled them up way too fast. These are stick-to-your-ribs waffles that have tons of fiber and good stuff in them. I am usually hungry after having a waffle…that was not the case with these. I was still feeling full the next morning! For me, […]
