The Masterpiece
Historical Fiction
Dutton
August 7, 2018
Advanced Reader Copy
368
Publisher via BookExpo and First to Read
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 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 review:
3.5 stars
First off let me say that I adore the fact that Fiona Davis writes about New York City landmarks, but with little known facts about them. Who knew that what we now know of as Grand Central Station was not only due to be demolished in the 70's, but that it housed an art school in the 20's! Jackie Onasis was one of those impassioned protestors to the high rise scheduled to be built on the site. We follow two women from each of these decades in this story. Clara is a teacher at the Grand Central Art School, and just wants to be recognized for her art, in spite of the fact that she is a woman in a field of men. Virginia is a struggling mom who takes a job at Grand Central in the 70's and discovers the old art school. Not only does she want to find out more about the mysterious Clara Darden, but she takes up the cause to save Grand Central. There was a lot to like about this one. I particularly loved the descriptions of the art school and terminal, as well as the campaign to save the landmark. I thought it was well researched, and for the most part the dual story line worked well and the writing flowed. I did feel that it got off to a somewhat slow start, and I wasn't as enamored with Virginia as a character until things started coming together at the end.
A well researched book about Grand Central Terminal taking place over fifty years, this one will be appreciated by historical fiction lovers, particularly those interested in NYC landmarks and the art school housed within the terminal.
