The Way of Beauty
Fiction
Lake Union Publishing
2018-05
Paperback
384
Publisher via GetRedPR
Hearts and dreams evolve in the shadow of the once-magnificent Penn Station. Vera Keller, the daughter of German immigrants in turn-of-the-century New York City, finds her life upended when the man she loves becomes engaged to another woman. But Angelo Bellavia has also inadvertently opened up Vera's life to unexpected possibilities. Angelo's new wife, Pearl, the wealthy daughter of a clothing manufacturer, has defied her family's expectations by devoting herself to the suffrage movement. In Pearl, Vera finds an unexpected dear friend...and a stirring new cause of her own. But when Pearl's selfless work pulls her farther from Angelo and their son, the life Vera craved is suddenly within her reach--if her conscience will allow her to take it. Her choice will define not only her future but also that of her daughter, Alice. Vera and Alice--a generation and a world apart--are bound by the same passionate drive to fulfill their dreams. As first mother and then daughter come of age in a city that is changing as rapidly as its skyline, they'll each discover that love is the only constant.
My review:
My first novel by Ms. Di Maio, and it definitely won't be my last! This is a fascinating look into the making (and breaking down) of Penn Station in NYC, complete with compelling characters and wonderfully descriptive settings. I was immediately sucked into the story, and relished my time reading what was to become of these characters. Being that I'm not from New York City, I was not even aware of the controversy surrounding the tearing down of Penn Station to make room for Madison Square Garden. I know I will look at that site fondly when I am in the city next month (my hotel is on the next block). These are characters you want to root for, and while there was the obligatory romance(s), it was handled so skillfully that I didn't even mind (see, there is a way to incorporate romance into novels that won't make me run the other way!). I loved the parts about the suffragette movement, and wouldn't have minded even more of that story line.
A great historical fiction novel about the rise and fall of Penn Station (1900-1960) with a fabulous cast of characters you will treasure! If you like this genre, or live anywhere near NYC, pick this one up and savor it.
