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This is a good old fashioned historical novel centering around the a young woman in service trying to better her lot in life at the Dakota in NYC during the gilded age and another young woman trying to do the same during the 1980's. It has the requisite events that echo through the decades. Prepare yourself for a good ride.
Overall: A somewhat interesting dual timeline historical fiction novel focused on the Manhattan apartment house, The Dakota. Overall I found it very predictable and overly dramatized. The story as a whole was interesting enough to keep my attention throughout but I can't say too much was good beyond that. 4.5/10 (2.5 stars rounded up)The Good:The novel has two storylines both focused on the apartment house, the Dakota. The Dakota is a prestigious Upper West Side residence that opened in 1884 and...
There’s nothing like a dual timeline-family secret-mystery plot to suck me right in!Certainly, the strongest point of this book was its history - this author has clearly done her research and it shows. I loved learning all about the Dakota, as well as the architectural development of New York City in the late 19th century. The Gilded Age is a fascinating time, and having lived in NYC for four years, I love learning about its rich history. I was definitely engaged in the mystery and wanted to see...
THE ADDRESS is an engrossing mystery and family drama with a majestic New York City landmark as its backdrop. The Dakota apartment building on the Upper West Side provides a link between two women one hundred years apart. I enjoyed learning about the history of The Dakota, as well as trying to figure out the century-old murder mystery presented. I loved how the dual time periods were mid-1880s and mid-1980s, so really it's historical fiction inside historical fiction. Sara and Bailey are both sy...
Thank you Prenguin RandomHouse for the ARC.When this book comes out try and find a copy. Fiona Davis has written another fast paced and engaging story about the city of New York. This time the story was based around the famous apartment building The Dakota. I have been wanting to see the inside for years because I am interested in Guilded Age/Victorian Era architecture. And this building probably has some great stories to tell.This story grabs you at first go an immerses you into a world brilli...
One of the reasons I wanted to read this book is because I just love reading about historical New York City. This novel definitely reflects the time of a developing city and a sense of place. Although it begins in England in 1884, the story shifts quickly to NYC when Sara Smythe takes a job at a new upscale apartment building in New York, The Dakota. The Dakota is a real building and still stands. Sara's story alternates with the modern day story in 1985 of Bailey Camden. At first the main conne...
EXCERPT: London, June 1884The sight of a child teetering on the window ledge of Room 510 turned Sara's world upside down. ABOUT THIS BOOK: Fiona Davis, author of The Dollhouse, returns with a compelling novel about the thin lines between love and loss, success and ruin, passion and madness, all hidden behind the walls of The Dakota—New York City’s most famous residence.After a failed apprenticeship, working her way up to head housekeeper of a posh London hotel is more than Sara Smythe ever thoug...
Last year, author Fiona Davis published her wonderful debut, The Dollhouse, rich in history about the Barbizon Hotel in NYC. Keeping with iconic Manhattan landmarks, her fabulous new release, The Address is set in alternating timelines; in the late 1800s during the building of the Dakota, the architecturally stunning residence on the upper west side of Manhattan, Sara, a housekeeper at a fancy London hotel meets Theo, the talented NYC architect, takes a job at the newly built Dakota, and crazine...
2.75 starsTwo storylines set one-hundred one years apart and filled with drama! △ Overall, this was an okay read. The writing style was straight-forward and I liked that part of the story demonstrated exactly how poor decisions are repeated within a family circle, but ultimately, I lost interest after Sara was admitted to the asylum. I liked the idea of this story, but it didn't fully hold my interest and I didn't really connect with the characters.△ Although this story wasn't for me, I'd still
This book kept me guessing, but I was a little disappointed at the abrupt twists and turns of the story for which there were little warning signs. People in the story had dissonant character changes; for example, more than one person seemed to morph into evil beings just to bring the story to the writer's successful conclusions. I really loved the first half until these sudden changes occurred. The story of the modern day girl was more successful than the girl from the past. The woman from the 1...
I really enjoyed this dual story which focused on the history of The Dakota, 100 years apart. The author had me invested during both time periods as well as with the characters involved. I loved the reference to Nellie Bly! This story had a lot of twists that kept me guessing right up to the end! Highly recommend!
The first half was entertaining. The second half, not. It became so far-fetched in too many extreme circumstances and most dire possible character outcomes, that I found it basically not believable. And frankly, with several ending detail scenes- it became like a long term soap opera series that jumped the shark. 2.5 star rounded up for the first 1/2 of the book with all the Dakota style detailing and physical world building for the earlier period. The 1985 sections, from the beginning, I had ne...
New York City in the 1880’s was on the brink of expansion. Wealthy families had built magnificent homes there, and more construction was underway. The Dakota, was a newly built grand structure. It was one of the first luxury multi family residences to be constructed on the Upper West Side of New York. Into this setting, Sara Smythe arrives from London where she had been head housekeeper at an elegant hotel. She agreed to come to New York at the request of architect Theodore Camden. He has hired
4.5 starsFiona Davis’s new novel focuses on The Dakota in New York City. The title is cleverly drawn from a review of the building following its opening in 1885 in which the reviewer stated that “the Dakota will undoubtedly be known as ‘The Address’ of New York’s West Side.” Davis melds historical events with a spectacular tale of greed, passion, love and sacrifice told in a dual timeline format alternating between the mid-1880’s and 1985. While I enjoyed both stories, I preferred Bailey’s in 19...
[2.4] I should have known better after the underwhelming Dollhouse. But the NY historical setting - the Dakota- was so tempting! And the bits of history sprinkled about the book are fascinating. Unfortunately the characters, especially in the modern day story, are unappealing and one dimensional. The plot devolves by the half way point into melodramatic silliness.
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.I liked this book but I didn't love it. There were parts of the story that I really liked while other sections of the book didn't capture my attention as well. This was a book that was never really hard for me to set aside. I actually started reading it just before bed and never had any desire to read more than one chapter. The story was never one that made me want to put my other reads aside and was really a rather slow start. I did...
The Address is exactly – EXACTLY – the same formula as “The Dollhouse.” I enjoyed The Dollhouse and was forgiving of the [incredibly stupid] actions of the 2 protagonists, 60 years apart. I’m not going to do that again. The 2 women protagonists (100 years apart) in The Address are of above average intelligence and skills, yet they continuously make poor choices and down right stupid decisions. What is it with Davis and capable women who act like idiots?The history of the Dakota was interesting a...
This is an engaging work of historical fiction and a great travel read if you want to escape for a few hours. The dual-timeline story begins in 1884 as the Dakota is about to open for residents in New York City. We are introduced to Sara Smythe in London while some life changing events happen, that ultimately lead her to a new job and residence at the Dakota. The additional timeline is approximately 100 years later as Bailey Camden recovers from her own life-changing events that lead her to a jo...
This book bounces between 1884 and 1985. It is centered on the Camden family. The generational connections are brought out as the story unfolds. Also prominent in the novel is the "Dakota", a magnificent apartment building built in New York City in 1885. The first building to be built on Central Park and famous years later as the building that John Lennon lived in when he was killed. As this building passes from generation to generation, within the Camden family, more questions are raised and mo...