Books › City of Girls: A Novel
City of Girls: A Novel
688 pages
A glittering, unapologetic romp through 1940s New York theater that celebrates female desire and the freedom of shedding shame.
What it feels like
Reading this novel feels like sitting down with a fabulous, worldly older woman over a stiff cocktail as she recounts the glittering, scandalous triumphs of her youth. The narrative moves at a brisk, theatrical clip, sweeping you into the sequined, smoke-filled dressing rooms of 1940s New York. It is a deeply atmospheric experience, drenched in the sensory details of vintage glamour, yet anchored by a surprisingly tender exploration of female autonomy and found family. The prose is witty, confessional, and utterly unapologetic, inviting you to revel in the messy, joyful reality of making mistakes. It will absolutely delight readers who love immersive historical fiction and stories about women who finally decide to stop being ashamed and start living.
- Mood
- nostalgic
- sparkling
- theatrical
- vibrant
- bittersweet
- Tone
- confessional
- unapologetic
- wry
- affectionate
- glamorous
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- female autonomy · shedding shame · found family · theatre and artifice · sexual liberation
- The writing
- Lush, witty, and highly conversational, reading like an intimate, late-night letter from your most fabulous, worldly aunt.
- The arc
- Moves from the dizzying, naive thrill of youth through the crushing weight of public scandal, ultimately settling into a profound, unapologetic peace.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave immersive, character-driven historical fiction about women who refuse to apologize for their desires or their mistakes.
Content notes
- sexual content
- slut-shaming
- wartime trauma
About the book
In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager. But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that it will take her years to fully understand. Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves - and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest. Now eighty-nine years old and telling her story at last, Vivian recalls how the events of those years altered the course of her life - and the gusto and autonomy with which she approached it. "At some point in a woman's life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time," she muses. "After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is."
Description from Open Library.
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