The Lions of Fifth Avenue

The Lions of Fifth Avenue is set in the iconic New York City Public Library on 5th Avenue at West 42nd Street. Yup, a gorgeous, massive public library! I'm a proud Library Assistant and after reading this book's blurb, I knew that the biblio-nerd that dwells within me needed to read this book.

The story follows two women in dual timelines - Laura in 1913 and her granddaughter Sadie in 1993. Through these women we witness family issues, losses, and their connections to mysterious thefts of precious books. With the family turmoil, a cool setting, and a mystery t'boot, there's a lot going on -- but it works. I particularly enjoyed its focus on the limitations and outright misogyny that women experienced in the early part of the 20th century.

What always stands out for me with Davis' books is how she weaves historical facts into her stories. These little tidbits don't interrupt the flow of the story but add a wonderful layer and often encourage me to learn more about the settings/era. In her earlier book The Masterpiece, I learned about Grand Central Terminal (when people say Grand Central Station, I find myself quietly muttering "It's a terminal, not station" because of what I learned in that book. I'm incorrigible.). Similarly, in this book I LOOOVED learning more about the history of the NYC reference library - its well-known lions, secret apartment, and its history. It's a fascinating place!

This is my favourite Fiona Davis book to date. It is a great pick for people who enjoy history, a bit of mystery and well-researched stories set in iconic locales. I eagerly await the time when this Canadian can once again venture into the US and tour this beautiful, historical structure. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Dutton Books for providing me with a 

complimentary digital copy of this book via NetGalley, in exchange 

for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Fiona Davis

Genre: Historical Fiction (USA)

Type and Source: eBook from NetGalley

Publisher: Dutton Books

First Published: August 4, 2020

Opening Lines: New York City, 1913 - She had to tell Jack. 

He wouldn't be pleased.

Book Description from GoodReads: In nationally bestselling author Fiona Davis's latest historical novel, a series of book thefts roils the iconic New York Public Library, leaving two generations of strong-willed women to pick up the pieces.

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.