The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis – Book Review

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  The release date for the hardback version is August 7, 2018.

This is the second Fiona Davis book I have read, the first being The Address which was about the Dakota, a famous apartment complex in New York City.  The famous New York City setting for The Masterpiece is Grand Central Terminal.  When I requested and then received an early copy of this book, I was a bit apprehensive in that I really wasn’t interested in reading about Grand Central Terminal, however, while it is the backdrop to the story, the main focus of the plot is of two women, Clara and Virginia.

Clara’s story takes place mainly in the late 1920’s leading into the early depression years.  She is a struggling artist/illustrator trying to make it in a man’s world.  Virginia’s story takes place nearly fifty years later in the 1970’s.  She is newly divorced, has just landed herself a job at Grand Central Terminal and like Clara, is still trying to make it in a man’s world even though it is 50 years later.

My apprehension about this story soon faded when I quickly became enthralled in the women’s lives, which the author deftly brought to life.  The book moved along at a quick pace and before I knew it, I was done the book.

Really enjoyed this book and learned some things about New York City and Grand Central Terminal that I did not know.  This was definitely a four star read for me.