Julie's Review: The Swans of Fifth Avenue

Author: Melanie Benjamin
Series: None
Publication Date: January 26,2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 368
Obtained: friend
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.75/5
Bottom Line: Illuminating look at New York society from the 1960s
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Library

Summary:  The New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife returns with a triumphant new novel about New York’s “Swans” of the 1950s—and the scandalous, headline-making, and enthralling friendship between literary legend Truman Capote and peerless socialite Babe Paley. 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. ~amazon.com

Review: The Swans of Fifth Avenue is a story about the infamous rich of the New York society scene in the 60's and 70's. It is a peek into the world that few of us know and understand. Frankly, for this reader, hope to never understand. There was no depth to these women and they were so desperate for any real connection they never once thought that Truman would use them.

Truman himself is pretty despicable, even if his writing is genius. He's dark inside and it's only a matter of time before it seeps out to his exterior. His is so focused on fame and appearances that he loses sight of what might matter most in the end. He wants fame at any cost and in the end it cost him everything.

Babe Paley and the rest of the "Swans" are beautiful and skilled at being just that, beautiful. They are searching for something outside of the protective bubble, they don't see the wolf in sheep's clothing coming after them.  Babe, the most revered of the "swans" is perhaps the loneliest. Her marriage is strictly for the newspapers. She has no connection to her children, because they were all apart of the show as well. Her husband, is a cad. He can't keep it in his pants and really doesn't care how it affects his wife. Babe buries her self in the proverbial sand. Even if one of his affairs is with someone you would consider her closest friend.

While I loved how Melanie Benjamin told the story, the story itself didn't woo me. Maybe it was the fact that it was rich people problems or the fact that these women just didn't seem real to me. Their problems were worrying about what to wear to the next gala and where to lunch to be seen.  It is obvious that this is a passion project for her and the amount of research that went into the background of her story.

I have a friend who will be getting this book because she loves this time period in New York society. I can't wait to get her opinion on it.





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Julie's Review: Grand Central

Author: Various
Series: None
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 368
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Anthology
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Must read for those who like stories about WWII era
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: A war bride awaits the arrival of her GI husband at the platform… A Holocaust survivor works at the Oyster Bar, where a customer reminds him of his late mother… A Hollywood hopeful anticipates her first screen test and a chance at stardom in the Kissing Room… On any particular day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through New York Citys Grand Central Terminal, through the whispering gallery, beneath the ceiling of stars, and past the information booth and its beckoning four-faced clock, to whatever destination is calling them. It is a place where people come to say hello and good-bye. And each person has a story to tell. Now, ten bestselling authors inspired by this iconic landmark have created their own stories, set on the same day, just after the end of World War II, in a time of hope, uncertainty, change, and renewal…. ~powells.com

Review: Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion is a beautiful collection of short stories set after World War II. Each story has its own flow, its own stamp on the book but are intricately woven together to bind them together. The parts of this anthology are gorgeous but it's the sum that make it stand out.

As if you couldn't tell from the previous paragraph, I loved this anthology of stories. I don't read a lot of short stories but they were written by some of my favorite authors, I couldn't pass it up. I am so happy I read this. This book will make the rounds in my book lending circle. It is well worth the read. You could read them all in one sitting or you could savor them, which is what I did.

There are always stories that resonate with a reader and for me these were Sarah Jio's "I'll Be Seeing You", Erika Robuck's "I Walk Alone" and Melanie Benjamin's "The Kissing Room". Each one brought out a different emotion in me. It's not to say that the rest weren't wonderful because they were, it's just these are the ones that stick with me.

I also loved how Sarah McCoy brought us back to her novel with her story, "The Branch of Hazel". It touches a subject matter that she writes in about in her wonderful novel The Baker's Daughter.

You can feel the love the author's have for this time period through their stories. It is obvious they did research for particular aspects of them. For most of them I have a feeling that their stories came from something personal, perhaps family history and that is also what makes these stories hit home. 

I realize that you can't cover all aspects of the time period but I feel that to give it a well-rounded view a story about either the Tuskegee Airmen or about the black soldiers fight when they got back from the war.

If you have a love for this time period, then you shouldn't pass up reading this wonderful anthology, you might just learn something new or discover new authors like I did. 




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Julie's Review: The Aviator's Wife

Summary: In the spirit of Loving Frank and The Paris Wife, acclaimed novelist Melanie Benjamin pulls back the curtain on the marriage of one of America’s most extraordinary couples: Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. For much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her, including her millionaire father and vibrant older sister, who often steals the spotlight. Then Anne, a college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family. There she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the celebrated aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. Hounded by adoring crowds and hunted by an insatiable press, Charles shields himself and his new bride from prying eyes, leaving Anne to feel her life falling back into the shadows. In the years that follow, despite her own major achievements—she becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States—Anne is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness. Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century—from the late twenties to the mid-sixties—and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator’s Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriage—revealing both its dizzying highs and its devastating lows. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure. ~amazon.com

Review: I'll be honest, when I closed the book after I read the whole thing, I can't help but think that Charles Lindbergh is an ass. I think what he accomplished in performing the first aviation flight across the Atlantic Ocean was a feat in and of itself but he got consumed in his own public persona. He never let Anne "in" to his life. She's his "crew" but that's all she ever really was to him. Maybe he did love her in his own way, but in my opinion she was just a person on his staff.

I never knew much about the Lindbergh's except about his flight and the kidnapping but how the media treated them was abhorrent. For me, they were the first victims of the paparazzi. They were put through things that no one else had been through during that time period. The press and the American public were fascinated by this first couple of the air. They wanted to be them and to be seen with them. It was an obsession.

There was only one time when I truly got mad at Anne and it was when she didn't speak up to her husband about the Jews treatment in Germany. I wanted her to stand up to him and fight for what she thought and believe. I didn't want her to be part of her husband's "group think" philosophy. Anne was such a product of her time. She was what women were expected to be a dutiful wife, a dutiful mother and to wait patiently as their husbands lived their lives. I am so happy that Anne figured out how to live her life even if it was in her 50s. I'm thrilled that she found the happiness she deserved, even if it wasn't with Charles. She found it mostly within herself. Back then, that took guts.

This book is so worth your time. It brings to light a pioneer who little is truly known about. For me, it had a slight lull in the last 3/4 of the book but nothing that kept me from reading. There is so much thought and research that went into the book to make Anne really, truly jump off the pages.
Anne Lindbergh was an accomplished woman in her own right, regardless of how she came to have those accomplishments. I am thankful to Ms. Benjamin for bring her story to life for me in The Aviator's Wife.

Final Take: 4.75/5

Alice's Review

Thank you to Pump Up Your Book Tours for including me.

Alice's Review: The Aviator's Wife

Summary:  For much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her, including her millionaire father and vibrant older sister, who often steals the spotlight. Then Anne, a college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family. There she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the celebrated aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong.
Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. Hounded by adoring crowds and hunted by an insatiable press, Charles shields himself and his new bride from prying eyes, leaving Anne to feel her life falling back into the shadows. In the years that follow, despite her own major achievements—she becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States—Anne is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness. Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century—from the late twenties to the mid-sixties—and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator’s Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriage—revealing both its dizzying highs and its devastating lows. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure. ~ amazon.com

Review: Although we are only halfway through January, The Aviator's Wife is the first must read novel of the 2013. 

In this novel, Melanie Benjamin skillfully uses artistic license to tell the true story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of the famous pilot Charles Lindbergh.  Ms. Benjamin introduces us to a young Anne Morrow of Englewood, NJ (shout out to Jersey!) – a shy, young,  starry-eyed girl of twenty about to embark on the adventure of her lifetime.   The Aviator’s Wife encompasses Anne’s life beginning the first time she meets Charles until shortly after his death in 1974. We all know the story of the Lindberghs.  From Charles’ world famous solo crossing of the Atlantic to the horrific kidnapping of their 18-month old son to their fall from grace during World War II, the Lindberghs captured a nation and created media frenzy wherever they went.  The Aviator’s Wife tells their story from Anne’s point of view. 

There are many wonderful things about this novel. It recounts Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s journey into womanhood.  This novel is a testament to her resilience.  I loved being besides her on this journey.  She begins as a shy, slightly insecure college student waiting for her life to begin, waiting for her hero.  She becomes this amazing woman, a fighter.  She finds her voice through her experiences, writing, and her children.  I loved how her mother told her she was not weak, she didn’t need a hero.  Heroes needed others around them to be weak, and Anne was far from weak.  She was a pioneer who lived her life quietly in her husband’s shadow. 

I think the magic in this novel is watching Anne evolve from this small person hidden behind her husband.  She was his “yes” woman, forever stuck as part of his crew until she learned to stretch her own wings.  She matured into a woman who although desired nothing more than her husband’s love and admiration, learned to live in a way that honored herself and the Morrow name.  I truly believe Ms. Benjamin masterfully embraces Anne’s character and persona.  I was moved to tears when Charles Lindbergh Jr., or Charlie as he was lovingly called, was stolen from the Lindbergh home.  That wasn’t the only time I cried.  At the end of the novel I cried whether it was from sadness this wonderful novel was over or because this incredible woman finally found her own wings.  And oh, how she soared.

Although I know I won’t pick up this novel again, it did inspire a curiosity in me about the real Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  I am thankful to Ms. Benjamin for including a listing of Anne’s written work in her references.

Final Take: 4/5

Julie's Review: Alice I Have Been

Summary:   Benjamin draws on one of the most enduring relationships in children's literature in her excellent debut, spinning out the heartbreaking story of Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Her research into the lives of Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) and the family of Alice Liddell is apparent as she takes circumstances shrouded in mystery and colors in the spaces to reveal a vibrant and passionate Alice. Born into a Victorian family of privilege, free-spirited Alice catches the attention of family friend Dodgson and serves as the muse for both his photography and writing. Their bond, however, is misunderstood by Alice's family, and though she is forced to sever their friendship, she is forever haunted by their connection as her life becomes something of a chain of heartbreaks. As an adult, Alice tries to escape her past, but it is only when she finally embraces it that she truly finds the happiness that eluded her. Focusing on three eras in Alice's life, Benjamin offers a finely wrought portrait of Alice that seamlessly blends fact with fiction. This is book club gold. ~amazon.com 


Review: Alice I Have Been  is a riveting novel about the woman that the book Alice in Wonderland was based upon when she was a young girl in England. I will let you know that I'm not a fan of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the book and all the different movie versions but the story behind the famous novel is fascinating.

Alice is a wonderful person to read about as a child, young woman and older woman. She is a precocious 7 year old girl who loves to run around, get dirty and not be conventional. She is supposed to be prim and proper as are her sisters but she definitely is ahead of her time with her boldness. She loves to hear stories and Mr. Dodgson is her greatest source for delightful ones.  She loves spending time with him and for the majority of the time they are supervised. While at first I didn't think there was anything strange about their friendship, as I kept reading it started to give me goosebumps. More so because he was 20 years older than her and was seemingly obsessed with her. She was a child of 7 and then 10, who could not have known the implications of this relationship, even with as smart as she was at the time. Do I think anything questionable happened between them? No, I don't. I really believe that Mr. Dodgson thought of Alice as his muse and searched the rest of his life for another one, only to never find it.

Alice's life became all encompassed by the novel and the situation surrounding it. She could never really get over her past or come to terms with it until the end of her life. She always felt bound to Mr. Dodgson and the story and the toll it took on her reputation. What kind of reputation occurs at 10? It wasn't her reputation that was hit, it was the family and for that her mother could never forgive her.

I think Alice was starved for attention and love, that is why she clung to Mr. Dodgson during her formative years. Her mother was too wrapped up in the social aspect of being the Dean's wife or being pregnant to ever really take notice of her, except of course if she was doing something wrong.  Was her mother a product of the times? Of course, but I felt that she was down right cruel to Alice. It was obvious she had no clue what to do with a girl who didn't fit into the box.  I also felt that it was her mother that destroyed any happiness that Alice might have had with Prince Leopold. I think she sabotaged that relationship because Alice wasn't the daughter she had chosen for the Prince. This was the part of the novel that caused me to take refuge in my bathroom so my kids wouldn't see me crying and ask all kinds of questions.

I wouldn't say that Alice had an unhappy life, but I do think her life would have been much happier had she dealt with her childhood. It took tragedy in her adult life to make her take hold and reclaim her past, which gave her the calm she so desired.

If you are a fan of historical fiction books, than you should definitely not miss this tale of the real Alice in Wonderland.  Melanie Benjamin is an author that I will continue to read for years to come. In fact, her latest The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is going on my wish list today.

Final Take: 4.25/5