Ratings4
Average rating2.8
"After a failed apprenticeship, working her way up to head housekeeper of a posh London hotel is more than Sara Smythe ever thought she'd make of herself. But 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, her world is suddenly awash in possibility--no mean feat for a servant in 1884. In 1985, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities. Two generations ago, Bailey's grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden. But the absence of a genetic connection means Bailey won't see a dime of the Camden family's substantial estate. Instead, her "cousin" Melinda--Camden's biologicalgreat-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 and history of the apartment Theodore Camden himself lived and died in, after suffering multiple stab wounds by a madwoman named Sara Smythe. One hundred years 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 free-flowing drinks and cocaine in the nightclubs of New York City--and take refuge and solace in the Upper West Side's gilded fortress. But a building with a history as rich--and often tragic--as The Dakota's can't hold its secrets forever, and what Bailey discovers in its basement could turn everything she thought she knew about Theodore Camden--and the woman who killed him--on its head."--
Reviews with the most likes.
As with Fiona Davis' previous book, The Address is about (historical fiction) of a building in NYC and the stories of those who lived there. In this case, the building is The Dakota, the first “high rise” apartment style living for the wealthy (built in 1884). The focus is on Sarah Smythe, a woman in charge of housekeeping at a venerable hotel in London. She captures the attention of Theodore Camden, one of the Dakota's architects. She accepts his offer of a similar job in NYC at the soon to be opened Dakota. The span of the book seems much longer than the actual little more than a year as their relationship quickly becomes personal and Sarah is captivated by the married Theodore. Alternating chapters focus on descendants of Camden who are still living in the original Dakota apartment where another drama is taking place. The storyline is interesting and made me want to keep reading and discover how the two stories merged. The ending was bittersweet.
A very promising plot ruined by shoddy execution.
I was sorely tempted to not finish this book because it just seemed so tortured. The characters are flat and unlikeable, their interactions stilted and the pace is far too slow given how little actually transpires. And its the worst kind of historical fiction: where the author plays fast and loose with the facts, restructuring reality to suit the plot. Ugh.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review.