Any avid reader will fall in love with this charming novel—a story of a family that lives inside The New York Public Library in the early 1900’s and a quest of a young librarian at the same library in the 1900’s. Here are some of the reasons I read this book from cover to cover, night after night, all the way through its heart-breaking climax and fulfilling conclusion.
- The story includes detailed description of the Beaux Art architecture of the New York Public Library building on Fifth Avenue in New York, between 40th and 42nd Streets, which was built from the wealth of the Astor, Lenox, and other families of the Gilded Age. Two lions, named Patience and Fortitude, flank the building’s entrance. Another notable feature is the Main Reading Room on an upper floor, which has a 52-foot-high ceiling.
- Jack Lyons, the superintendent of the library in the novel, and his family live in an apartment in the interior of the library. In the Author’s Note, Davis confides that this 7-room apartment once did exist and housed the family of John H. Fedeler Sr., a library superintendent, for thirty years. The inclusion of this space in Davis’ story enhances the mystery of the building. Inside the apartment is a dumbwaiter that plays a major role in the story’s plot.
- As the story progresses, the reader learns about all the treasures that the library contains such a one of Shakespeare’s First Folios, The Gutenberg Bible, and the original manuscripts of the Berg Collection. At one point in the story, Davis points out that the imperfect manuscripts included in the Berg Collection—which include corrections and revisions—allow people to witness the process of writing by such famous authors as Dickens, Thoreau, and Virginia Woolf.
- Laura Lyons is the protagonist of the early 1900 half of the story. She’s a dedicated wife and mother, yet yearns to have her own pursuits like her writer husband does. Her journey introduces her to her future female lover and involves her in the meetings of the Heterodoxy Club in Greenwich Village, a group that discusses feminists’ issues. As she struggles to fulfill her traditional life duties while, at the same time, satisfy her deepest dreams, the reader discovers what life was like for many early century women and how the struggles of women then continue to this day.
- Sadie Donovan is the main character of the 1990 part of the story. She buys her clothes at thrift stores and prefers reading a book rather than talking to people. She has a degree in library science from Rutgers and gets her thrills by answering questions at the research desk in the library. My kind of gal—sets her own fashion statement; spends hours between the pages of imaginary worlds; and acquires knowledge by helping others find what they need.
Who else is fascinated by historical fiction? Do you have a book recommendation for me?
