The Fifth Avenue Artists Society

I really enjoyed the first half of the book. The depictions of the artist society were delightful and I wish they still existed as they did then. The sights, sounds, smells, would have been a feast for the senses and the imagination. I feel like we rarely seek public critique or encouragement any more. Generally art we put online is to gain approval, not improvement. I really appreciate a book that has a writer and writing at the forefront.

The second half of the book lost me completely. It irritates me that a simple google search shows that The Bronx wasn't even named until several years after the book setting (in 1898). The language and behaviour of the characters is not historically accurate and made me cringe.

I really enjoyed this book, even more so after meeting the author and learning about her family history that is the basis for the story. I feel like I got a glimpse into turn of the century NY and the societies that they may have participated in. Great read!