The Lyons become the lions of fifth avenue: The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

Hi everyone!

So, today I'll be reviewing The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis.

As usual, this review is spoiler-free.

I have to say that I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.

Let's get into it so I can tell you why.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

PLOT

From the back of the book:

ABOUT THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE A Good Morning America Book Club Pick and a New York Times bestseller! “A page-turner for book lovers everywhere! . . . A story of family ties, their lost dreams, and the redemption that comes from discovering truth.”—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife In New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis’s latest historical novel, a series of book thefts roils the iconic New York Public Library, leaving two generations of strong-willed women to pick up the pieces. It’s 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn’t ask for more out of life—her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more, and when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she is drawn to Greenwich Village’s new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club—a radical, all-female group in which women are encouraged to loudly share their opinions on suffrage, birth control, and women’s rights. Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. But when valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she’s forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process. Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons, especially after she’s wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie’s running begin disappearing from the library’s famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-averse Sadie teams up with a private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage—truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library’s history.

Characters

There are three generations of the Lyons family in this book. Not all of them are major characters, but they all play a significant role in the story. Laura Lyons is someone I relate to only towards the end. She is courageous, modern and likeable, but she has been living in the wrong era. I feel sad about her life—there were a lot of things that were sexist and unfair about what she went through. And then there was some level of homophobia, which made me feel very uncomfortable to read about. Characters said some things that made me gasp with horror.

That's all I'm going to say about that.

The second main character was Sadie Donovan. I thought she was younger than the age she actually turned out to be, and oddly, found her relatable as well. Her wants, needs and desires, and her character is quite inspiring. If I could meet any character from a book, it would be Sadie Donovan. I'd literally just like to sit and chat with her about books over a cup of coffee.

Writing Style

I think this book works well with two points of view. Although I would've liked to see Laura's life after certain events, I understand why her story ended at the point where it did. I also felt like her story was in a way merged into Sadie's by that time, so it worked out.

What I liked

I loved the romance. I thought it was unique, and unexpected, yet well deserved and snugly fit in with the primary plot line.

What I didn't like

N/A

Genuinely, I don't have anything that I would like to change. I loved this book so very much.

Final Rating

Would I recommend this book?

Yes.

That's it for me.

I hope you liked my review of The Lions of Fifth Avenue, and found it helpful. I write reviews on books and makeup and I post twice a month, so if you're interested, check out my other posts!

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-May