Magnolia Palace, The: A Novel

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Mr. Rossi dropped the tool on the table beside him with a loud clatter. "Very well." He lit a cigarette but didn't move from the spot, as if ready to begin again right away.

Both of the young female main characters are models with unstable financial situations, without anyone to depend on other than themselves. And on top of that Lillian is falsely suspected of murder. Whether 1919 or 1966, both women have precarious social standings, but the pair ultimately demonstrate integrity when faced with the opportunity to be dishonest and deceitful. The Magnolia Palace is a remarkable endeavor by the talented Fiona Davis. Davis walks us across an unexpected bridge of thought that spans from 1919 after the Great War and its impact on society to the Mod Years of the 1960's and beyond. It serves as a split screen depicting those who held on covetously to the past and those who blindly chased the future. Authors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. I always enjoy books by Fiona Davis as I learn about NYC’s historic landmarks while reading a well written historical fiction. Her books are also perfect for book clubs. The summary for The Magnolia Palace delves into the plot, characters, and themes of the novel, providing a comprehensive understanding of the book’s nuances.

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Another brilliant historical thriller from Davis, this time set in a Gilded Age mansion in New York City. You will fall in love with Lillian, the penniless young artist's model surviving the Spanish Flu of 1919, and Veronica, the young mod model of the 1960s, and Davis's deftly written and beautifully woven feminist storytelling." - Tara Moss

I appreciated Davis’s spotlight on the two women, on how difficult it is for women to survive in New York. She gave prominence to the building itself. This massive home which was built for the purpose of donating it as a museum to NYC. The book is like a docent to the museum. He'd been warned. The other sculptors must have told him, after he'd already booked her for the job, that she was yesterday's news, no longer the darling of Bohemia. Overall, I found the story fascinating and am eager for another story by Fiona Davis. I think anyone with an interest in the architectural landmarks of NYC will enjoy this book. What roles are in your repertoire? Is any more real than another or is each for a different place, person or moment? When have you wanted to keep hidden a part of who you are and why did you need to? Do you find you are truer in the physical world or in the virtual word? Is there a truer for you or simply range of being? Unknown StoriesThis Magnolia Palace is loosely based off of actual events. I really enjoyed the beginning of the story, but it started to drag in the middle. I almost didn't finish the book, but in the end the two stories merged together and it turned out fine.

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE is a gem with a mystery, a murder, a famous family, and memorable characters you will connect with and a book you will not want to miss. 5/5

Fiona Davis

Step into the world of intrigue, mystery, and historical fiction with Fiona Davis’s sixth novel, The Magnolia Palace. The magic of Fiona Davis is the tenderness with which she crafts her settings, so that they bloom into characters themselves. We come to know them. We come to love them. And they help us to understand our place in time. The Magnolia Palace is a love letter to art and history. An intriguing, beautiful read.” Yes, that's better." But his face didn't register approval. She knew why. Her hips and legs no longer resembled the earlier statues he'd seen of her. The clean lines once heralded as the classical idea of perfection were now more padded, to put it gently. Since Kitty's death, she'd felt a consistent, gnawing hunger in her gut that would only be satiated with butterscotch candies and lemon meringue pie. Her skirts had hidden the ripples of fat at that first meeting. "Maybe let the cloth down, all the way over the legs." I savor every glorious new Fiona Davis novel and The Magnolia Palace has it all—two intriguing heroines, two fabulous time periods to get swept up in, and a delicious mystery that keeps you on tenterhooks. I loved every minute of it!”

Many historical fiction authors are skilled at finding and researching hidden stories and bringing them to the fore. Take My Hand and Horse are two recent historical novels that I enjoyed immensely as I read about individuals whose stories hadn’t been lifted up, whose names were not commonly known. I found these descriptions of the art in both 1919 and in 1966, added to my enjoyment of the novel. In addition they brought out the personalities of the characters studying the art. They made me think about which paintings most captivated each character. Rich with family drama, tangled romance, cryptic clues and long-buried secrets, The Magnolia Palace is sure to be loved by Fiona Davis's devoted and new readers alike. A can't-miss for anyone who has sauntered through an art museum and found themselves tempted to peek behind a painting or two..." - Sarah Penner She put a hand to her head. The exhaustion of the past several months weighed down on her. "You know, I might take a break, if you don't mind." A book that's as beautiful as it is mysterious. The dual POV keeps the reader on their toes until the entire story comes together.”

As the story unfolds, Richard and Lillian’s relationship takes a sharp turn as Richard withdraws from his courtship with Helen and asks Lillian to move to Boston with him. Lillian is torn between her feelings for Richard and her dream of becoming an actress in Hollywood. She fears that if she reveals her past as Angelica to Richard, he may reject her.