The Address A Novel Fiona Davis 9781524741990 Books
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From the author of The Dollhouse and The Masterpiece comes the compelling national bestselling 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.
When a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house the Dakota, leads to a job offer for Sara Smythe, her world is suddenly awash in possibility—no mean feat for a servant in 1884. The opportunity to move to America. The opportunity to be the female manager of the Dakota. And the opportunity to see more of Theo, who understands Sara like no one else...and is living in the Dakota with his wife and three young children.
One hundred years later, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities Fresh out of rehab, the former interior designer is homeless, jobless, and penniless. Bailey's grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden, yet Bailey won't see a dime of the Camden family's substantial estate; instead, her “cousin” Melinda—Camden's biological great-granddaughter—will inherit almost everything. So when Melinda offers to let Bailey oversee the renovation of her lavish Dakota apartment, Bailey jumps at the chance, despite her dislike of Melinda's vision. The renovation will take away all the character of the apartment Theodore Camden himself lived in...and died in, after suffering multiple stab wounds by a former Dakota employee who had previously spent seven months in an insane asylum—a madwoman named Sara Smythe.
A century apart, Sara and Bailey are both tempted by and struggle against the golden excess of their respective ages--for Sara, the opulence of a world ruled by the Astors and Vanderbilts; for Bailey, the nightlife's free-flowing drinks and cocaine—and take refuge in the Upper West Side's gilded fortress. But a building with a history as rich, and often as tragic, as the Dakota's can't hold its secrets forever, and what Bailey discovers inside could turn everything she thought she knew about Theodore Camden—and the woman who killed him—on its head.
The Address A Novel Fiona Davis 9781524741990 Books
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 1985 because I found poor Sara’s story so sad. The ending of The Address was spectacular because Davis cleverly connects the two tales and includes a surprise I never saw coming. It was perfect.
My favorite part of the book was the inclusion of so much historical detail regarding The Dakota. It is fascinating to me that the walls are stuffed with thick horsehair and the space between each floor contains three feet of mud. Davis explains why each apartment is shaped differently, and the complex effort it took to accomplish that feat. She also mentions the ghosts that reside there, and the numerous famous people that lived there over The Dakota’s life. She includes so many more fabulous stories and descriptions, but I do not have enough time nor space to include them all. Her Author’s Note at the end was welcome as she explained the events she altered a bit for the sake of her story. I always appreciate when an author takes the time to elaborate on his or her inspiration and to clarify purposeful historical inaccuracies.
The Address is a superb read. I look forward to my next trip to New York City when I plan to walk by The Dakota and pay attention in person to the many details I learned while reading this wonderful book.
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The Address A Novel Fiona Davis 9781524741990 Books Reviews
Sara comes to New York from England to be the managerette ( a term I had never heard before) of the Dakota which is getting ready to open. The book spans 2 time frames, 1884 and 1985 and the stories of the 2 main characters, Sara and Bailey are intricately tied together. Bailey has been in rehab, paid for by her former employer. Melinda, her cousin, offers her a place to stay in her apartment in the Dakota and Bailey will oversee the horrific renovation that Melinda has initiated.
The book is full of interesting history as it relates to the Dakota and some disturbing history as it relates to prisons in New York in the 1880's The book starts out slow but definitely picks up. My one issue is that I would have liked Melinda's twin brother Manvel's character to have been more developed in the book.
It is quite fascinating at the end when the reader discovers that 2 of the characters are not at all what they seemed during the majority of the book. (think good guy/bad guy which applies to both a male and a female character)
If you enjoyed "The Dollhouse", you will enjoy this book.
I am so fortunate to have a very good friend who owns an apartment in the Dakota and therefore I have stayed there many times when visiting New York. It's a magical place. Years before I'd met my Dakota friend I'd read "Time and Again" by Jack Finney (a must read, BTW) and had always hoped to see the inside of the building because I loved the book so. And then several years later I ended up becoming a good friend of a long time owner of one of the largest of the existing apartments. It has never been subdivided since the Dakota was built. As for the book, I thought it brought to life what the Dakota is and was. The author told an interesting tale, one that started a bit slowly for me, but tension built pretty quickly, especially in the sections where she is telling the story that takes place in the 1880s. In the end it's a tale of love, betrayal and murder, which holds the readers interest and the suspense does build towards the climax. A quick, enjoyable read.
I'd more accurately give this 3.5 stars, but it didn't rise to the level of a full 4. Unlike many other readers, I didn't find the mystery that engaging and the characters never got beyond cliched. The writing was more amateurish than I'd expected, so the whole thing had the feel of a hastily penned potboiler with uneven dialogue, somewhat unbelievable characters (acting in unbelievable ways), some historical people popping in (Nelly Bly) and an otherwise fairly conventional storyline that culminates in one surprise, albeit not a very interesting one.
Fiona Davis’ novel THE ADDRESS tells a captivating story about life in Manhattan’s historic Dakota building. Set in the late 1800s and in the 1980s, two tales told back and forth, about the tangled web created by Theo Camden, one of the fictional architects of the building, and how the unfortunate circumstances of his involvement with the building in what was then the new frontier of the Upper West Side. Mr. Camden lured Miss Sara Smthye from her job at the London’s exclusive Langham Hotel to a new position at the soon-to-open one-of-a-kind apartment building and she took a chance on what would be an adventure that was much more than she bargained for. Flash forward to the 1980s and we read about the descendants of Mr. Camden, one legitimate and one not, who are in their own fine mess. Bailey, just out of rehab is trying to turn her life around and her ‘cousin,’ Melinda, who could use a stint of her own, or at the very least a lesson in kindness, instead she is making a design mess of the gorgeous apartment she inherited at the Dakota where her long lost grandfather once resided.
There are so many juicy characters in the storyline and both eras are filled with life. Davis is a magnificent storyteller and adds much richness to both setting, intrigue, and character development. Settle in for the lively history of a bygone era and get lost in the halls and walls of this iconic building while imagining how the residents who once called it home lived.
4.5 stars
Fiona 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 1985 because I found poor Sara’s story so sad. The ending of The Address was spectacular because Davis cleverly connects the two tales and includes a surprise I never saw coming. It was perfect.
My favorite part of the book was the inclusion of so much historical detail regarding The Dakota. It is fascinating to me that the walls are stuffed with thick horsehair and the space between each floor contains three feet of mud. Davis explains why each apartment is shaped differently, and the complex effort it took to accomplish that feat. She also mentions the ghosts that reside there, and the numerous famous people that lived there over The Dakota’s life. She includes so many more fabulous stories and descriptions, but I do not have enough time nor space to include them all. Her Author’s Note at the end was welcome as she explained the events she altered a bit for the sake of her story. I always appreciate when an author takes the time to elaborate on his or her inspiration and to clarify purposeful historical inaccuracies.
The Address is a superb read. I look forward to my next trip to New York City when I plan to walk by The Dakota and pay attention in person to the many details I learned while reading this wonderful book.
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