Posts

Showing posts with the label Historical Fiction

Book Review: Melanie Benjamin's The Swans of Fifth Avenue

Image
The Swans of Fifth Avenue – Melanie Benjamin Print Length:  368 pages Publisher:  Delacorte Press (January 26, 2016) Publication Date:  January 26, 2016 Sold by:  Random House LLC How Acquired:  Net Galley What's it about:  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 high-profile 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 sc...
Image
Title:   The Shadow Queen Author:   Rebecca Dean Publisher:   Crown Publishing Group Publication date:    8/14/2012 What it’s about: A king would abdicate his throne for her in one of the world’s great love stories – but who was Wallis Simpson? Born into a poor southern family but taken in by rich relatives, Wallis Simpson was raised as a socialite. Between family conflicts and debutante balls, she and her friends dream of their future husbands, and like millions of girls’ worldwide, dream of Prince Edward, the heir to the British throne who would someday be king. Beloved author Rebecca Dean imagines the early life of Wallis Simpson, her triumphs and heartbreaks, and the making of the twice divorced, nearly destitute woman who captured a king’s heart and changed the course of history. Set against a background of high society, royal circles, and diplomatic intrigue, The Shadow Queen features one of the most fascinating and controversial wome...