Summary:
For the nearly nine million people who live in New York City, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different.
For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future, which she is certain will shine as the brightly as the constellations on the main concourse ceiling. It is 1928, and twenty-five-year-old Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art. A talented illustrator, she has dreams of creating cover art for Vogue, but not even the prestige of the school can override the public’s disdain for a “woman artist.” Brash, fiery, confident, and single-minded—even while juggling the affections of two men, a wealthy would-be poet and a brilliant experimental painter—Clara is determined to achieve every creative success. But she and her bohemian friends have no idea that they’ll soon be blindsided by the looming Great Depression, an insatiable monster with the power to destroy the entire art scene. And even poverty and hunger will do little to prepare Clara for the greater tragedy yet to come.
Nearly fifty years later, in 1974, the terminal has declined almost as sharply as Virginia Clay’s life. Full of grime and danger, from the smoke-blackened ceiling to the pickpockets and drug dealers who roam the floor, Grand Central is at the center of a fierce lawsuit: Is the once-grand building a landmark to be preserved, or a cancer to be demolished? For Virginia, it is simply her last resort. Recently divorced, she has just accepted a job in the information booth in order to support herself and her college-age daughter, Ruby. But when Virginia stumbles upon an abandoned art school within the terminal and discovers a striking watercolor hidden under the dust, her eyes are opened to the elegance beneath the decay. She embarks on a quest to find the artist of the unsigned masterpiece—an impassioned chase that draws Virginia not only into the battle to save Grand Central but deep into the mystery of Clara Darden, the famed 1920s illustrator who disappeared from history in 1931.
My take: 3 looks
Originally reviewed May 21, 2019
In the late 1920’s, Clara is the only female art instructor at the Grand Central School of Art. She is a talented artist in her own right, but as an illustrator, as well as a woman, finds it difficult to break into the male-dominated art world of New York. All traces of Clara, her art, and her life disappear in 1931.
Years later, newly divorced Virginia takes a position in the information booth at Grand Central Terminal. When lost one day, she stumbles upon the many-years-closed art school, and a wonderful piece of art done by the mysterious artist Clyde.
So sets the groundwork for this fun and easy read. Bringing history into the narrative is well done, showing the heyday of Grand Central through to the efforts to save it as as an historical landmark. Davis penned such a strong character in Clara that I actually looked to see if she were a real person. Virginia’s story line was a bit slow for me, but the addition of her daughter and brother perked up the story a bit toward the middle.
When these two paths started to converge, I felt that it may have been a bit rushed, hitting the conclusion nicely, but without much background, support, and narrative. I liked where it ended, but I wanted to know more about the path everyone took to get there. There was such wonderful detail in the majority of the book, I just wanted more toward the end. With that said…
It is a wonderful summer read, and I recommend it.
Recommended.
