"The Lions of Fifth Avenue" by Fiona Davis - Islington Branch Book Club - Past Titles

Discussion Questions

How does the setting of the New York Public Library contribute to the atmosphere and themes of the novel?
The story alternates between two timelines. How does this dual timeline enhance or challenge your understanding of the characters and the plot?
Discuss the role of books and literature in the lives of the characters. How does the library itself become a character in the story?
Both characters, Laura and Sadie, face societal expectations and challenges related to their time periods. How do their struggles reflect the broader social issues of their respective eras?
The novel explores themes of feminism, family, and the pursuit of one's passions. How do these themes intersect and influence each other throughout the narrative?
The mystery element in the story adds a layer of intrigue. Were you able to predict the twists and turns, or were you surprised by the revelations?
The title, "The Lions of Fifth Avenue," refers to the library's iconic lion statues. What symbolic significance do these lions hold in the context of the novel?
Discuss the role of art and creativity in the characters' lives. How do their artistic pursuits shape their identities and relationships?
The novel touches on issues of loss and sacrifice. How do the characters cope with these challenges, and what impact do these experiences have on their personal growth?
The library serves as a backdrop for both love stories and historical discoveries. How does the author balance these different elements to create a cohesive narrative?

Synopsis

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.

About the Author: Fiona Davis

Fiona Davis is an American author known for her historical novels, often set in iconic New York City buildings. Below is a brief biography of Fiona Davis:

Early Life and Education:

Birth:
- Fiona Davis was born and raised in Canada.
Educational Background:
- She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the College of William & Mary in Virginia.

Career:

Journalism:
- Fiona Davis initially pursued a career in journalism. She worked as an editor and writer, contributing to publications such as The Economist, Life, and Good Housekeeping.
Fiction Writing:
- Davis transitioned to fiction writing and embarked on a career as a novelist. Her novels often explore historical settings, combining elements of mystery, romance, and architectural history.

Notable Works:

"The Dollhouse" (2016):
- Davis gained widespread recognition with her debut novel, "The Dollhouse." The novel explores the history of the Barbizon Hotel for Women in Manhattan.
"The Address" (2017):
- In "The Address," Davis delves into the history of the Dakota, an iconic apartment building in New York City. The novel weaves together the lives of characters from different time periods.
"The Masterpiece" (2018):
- "The Masterpiece" is set in Grand Central Terminal and follows the interconnected lives of two women in different decades. The novel explores the art world and the history of Grand Central.
"The Chelsea Girls" (2019):
- In "The Chelsea Girls," Davis explores the world of theater and the McCarthy-era blacklist. The novel is set in the iconic Chelsea Hotel in New York City.
"The Lions of Fifth Avenue" (2020):
- "The Lions of Fifth Avenue" is set in the New York Public Library and spans multiple generations. The novel explores themes of family, art, and the love of literature.

Themes and Style:

Fiona Davis's novels are known for their meticulous historical research, vivid depictions of New York City landmarks, and the exploration of the lives of women in different time periods. Her works often intertwine past and present narratives.

Legacy and Recognition:

Fiona Davis has gained a dedicated readership and critical acclaim for her historical fiction novels. Her books are celebrated for their engaging storytelling and the atmospheric portrayal of iconic New York City locations.

Personal Life:

Details about Fiona Davis's personal life, including her family and other biographical information, may not be extensively publicized.

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
Call Number: FICTION Diamant
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Red Tent and Day After Night, comes an unforgettable novel about family ties and values, friendship and feminism told through the eyes of a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century. Addie Baum is The Boston Girl, born in 1900 to immigrant parents who were unprepared for and suspicious of America and its effect on their three daughters. Growing up in the North End, then a teeming multicultural neighborhood, Addie's intelligence and curiosity take her to a world her parents can't imagine--a world of short skirts, movies, celebrity culture, and new opportunities for women. Addie wants to finish high school and dreams of going to college. She wants a career and to find true love. Eighty-five-year-old Addie tells the story of her life to her twenty-two-year-old granddaughter, who has asked her "How did you get to be the woman you are today." She begins in 1915, the year she found her voice and made friends who would help shape the course of her life. From the one-room tenement apartment she shared with her parents and two sisters, to the library group for girls she joins at a neighborhood settlement house, to her first, disastrous love affair, Addie recalls her adventures with compassion for the naive girl she was and a wicked sense of humor. Written with the same attention to historical detail and emotional resonance that made Anita Diamant's previous novels bestsellers, The Boston Girl is a moving portrait of one woman's complicated life in twentieth century America, and a fascinating look at a generation of women finding their places in a changing world.

*ebook & audiobook on Libby
*audiobook on hoopla
The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable
Call Number: FICTION Gable
In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is worried about more than air raids and German spies. Still recovering from a devastating loss, the once sparkling Bright Young Thing is estranged from her husband, her allowance has been cut, and she's given up her writing career. On top of this, her five beautiful but infamous sisters continue making headlines with their controversial politics. Eager for distraction and desperate for income, Nancy jumps at the chance to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop while the owner is away at war. Between the shop's brisk business and the literary salons she hosts for her eccentric friends, Nancy's life seems on the upswing. But when a mysterious French officer insists that she has a story to tell, Nancy must decide if picking up the pen again and revealing all is worth the price she might be forced to pay. Eighty years later, Heywood Hill is abuzz with the hunt for a lost wartime manuscript written by Nancy Mitford. For one woman desperately in need of a change, the search will reveal not only a new side to Nancy, but an even more surprising link between the past and present.
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Call Number: FICTION Moyes
ISBN: 9780399562488
Publication Date: 2019-10-08
"Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt's new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Horseback Librarians of Kentucky. What happens to them -- and to the men they love -- becomes a classic drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. Though they face all kinds of dangers, they're committed to their job--bringing books to people who have never had any, sharing the gift of learning that will change their lives. Based on a true story rooted in America's past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope. At times funny, at others heartbreaking, this is a richly rewarding novel of women's friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond"-- Provided by publisher.
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
Call Number: FICTION Skeslien Charles
Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet seems to have the perfect life with her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into the city, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor's mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.
Alice B. Toklas Is Missing by Robert Archambeau
Call Number: MYSTERY Archambeau
Jazz-age Paris was the center of the artistic and literary world, and the center of the center was Gertrude Stein's salon, where the famous and aspiring creative talents gathered to gawk at Stein's Picassos and vie for status. Young Midwesterner Ida Caine arrives in Paris with her husband Teddy, a would-be Hemingway who thinks he can adventure first and write later. When Teddy falls in with the Stein set, he brings Ida to the salon, where she is shunted into a corner with the wives of famous men. She burns with resentment and wonders if she can ever develop into a real artist herself. A few days later, Gertrude Stein's partner Alice B. Toklas vanishes. Stein calls upon Teddy to investigate. Soon after, he vanishes. Forced to seek out her missing husband, Ida follows his trail through a milieu including strange Surrealist rituals, Tarot card readings, and the catacombs beneath the city. She falls in with a young American poet, T.S. Eliot. An unlikely passion grows while they seek answers to the shocking disappearances.