Flossie
Jayne is an aspiring artist. When Louis
Comfort Tiffany comes to her art school to recruit women to fill the gaps left
by striking men, she jumps at the chance, declaring herself a “New Woman.” She is frustrated by working so hard with her
mother, a “seamstress to the stars” of 1890s New York City, only to have her
father gamble away their hard-earned money.
Flossie leaves home, takes up residence in a boardinghouse, and begins
employment. As a single child, she yearns
for relationships with others that would develop into a “family,” and works to
liven things up at the boardinghouse.
Reeve
Wilder, a hermitic newspaper reporter, is appalled at the very idea of the “New
Woman,” and in researching for a series of articles on the subject, learns that
Flossie and her friends are not heretics, but decent people just trying to make
their way in the world.
It
was fascinating to learn about the process of making stained glass windows, and
the Tiffany Company’s place in the Chicago World’s Fair, but this book is much
more than that. It was about the growing
up that Flossie had to do as a young woman living on her own. She had to face the truth about her judgment
of others, her abilities as an artist, and her motivation for remaining on her
own. Although she faced many
disappointments, she came through a stronger person, and always likable.
The
transformation that happened in Reeve was pretty amazing. He went from being pretty reclusive to being
a person who sought out friends and enlarged his areas of interest. Much of that was due to Flossie’s pointing
out the truth to him.
The
first thing I loved about the book was that it was so big. Lots of pages to get lost in! I loved the cover design, replicating stained
glass. The interior photographs of the
actual places where the events took place added a lot to the enjoyment of the
story. I also liked that it had small
chapters. It was easy to squeeze in a
chapter amidst life’s busyness.
If
you like historical fiction, this is a great choice for you. I loved that the author took a little-known
fact to us now, and constructed a whole story around it.
I
received a copy of this book from the author/publisher, in exchange for an
honest review, which I have given.
Deeanne Gist has rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere with her very original, very fun historicals. Add to this four RITA nominations, two consecutive Christy Awards, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.
With three-quarters of a million trade books sold, her awards include National Readers’ Choice, Book Buyers’ Best, Golden Quill, Books*A*Million Pick of the Month, Romantic Times Pick of the Month, Award of Excellence, and Laurel Wreath.
She has a very active online community on her blog, on Facebook, Pinterest, and on her YouTube channel.
Gist lives in Texas with her husband of thirty-two years and their border collie. They have four grown children. You can find out more at her website http://www.iwantherbook.com.
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