Overview
From New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble comes a thrilling historical novel about the inception of the Colony Club, the first women’s club of its kind, set against the dazzling backdrop of Gilded Age New York.
When young Gilded Age society matron Daisy Harriman is refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t cater to unaccompanied females, she takes matters into her own hands. She establishes the Colony Club, the first women’s club in Manhattan, where visiting women can stay overnight and dine with their friends; where they can discuss new ideas, take on social issues, and make their voices heard. She hires the most sought-after architect in New York, Stanford White, to design the clubhouse.
As “the best dressed actress on the Rialto” Elsie de Wolfe has an eye for décor, but her career is stagnating. So when White asks her to design the clubhouse interiors, she jumps at the chance and the opportunity to add a woman’s touch. He promises to send her an assistant, a young woman he’s hired as a draftsman.
Raised in the Lower East Side tenements, Nora Bromely is determined to become an architect in spite of hostility and sabotage from her male colleagues. She is disappointed and angry when White “foists” her off on this new women’s club project.
But when White is murdered and the ensuing Trial of the Century discloses the architect’s scandalous personal life, fearful backers begin to withdraw their support. It’s questionable whether the club will survive long enough to open.
Daisy, Elsie, and Nora have nothing in common but their determination to carry on. But to do so, they must overcome not only society’s mores but their own prejudices about women, wealth, and each other. Together they strive to transform Daisy’s dream of the Colony Club into a reality, a place that will nurture social justice and ensure the work of the women who earned the nickname “Mink Brigade” far into the future.
Review
Nora is struggling to be an architect. In the Gilded Age in NYC….Of course it is a huge struggle. Then there is Daisy and Elsie.
Daisy Harriman is refused a room at the Waldorf because they don’t cater to unaccompanied females, she takes matters into her own hands. She establishes the Colony Club, the first women’s club in Manhattan. And this is definitely not without barriers.
Elsie de Wolfe has an eye for décor, but her career is stagnating. So when she is asked to design the clubhouse interiors, she jumps at the chance and the opportunity to add a woman’s touch.
There are quite a few great characters in this tale but Nora is my favorite. She is truly ahead of her time. And the abuse she takes from the men…don’t even get me started!
I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars on this one. It has a slow start. But when I finished this book, I realized I had never read one about the subject of a woman architect, the first interior designer or the first women’s club. And it has such great detail! SOLD! Y’all need to get this! You will not be sorry!
Need a wonderful historical fiction with strong women characters…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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