In this captivating novel, New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis takes readers into the glamorous lost art school within Grand Central Terminal, where two very different women, fifty years apart, strive to make their mark on a world set against them. For most New Yorkers, Grand Central Terminal is a crown jewel, a masterpiece of design. But for Clara Darden and Virginia Clay, it … Virginia Clay, it represents something quite different.
For Clara, the terminal is the stepping stone to her future. It is 1928, and Clara is teaching at the lauded Grand Central School of Art. Though not even the prestige of the school can override the public’s disdain for a “woman artist,” fiery Clara is single-minded in her quest to achieve every creative success—even while juggling the affections of two very different men. But she and her bohemian friends have no idea that they’ll soon be blindsided by the looming Great Depression…and that even poverty and hunger will do little to prepare Clara for the greater tragedy yet to come.
By 1974, the terminal has declined almost as sharply as Virginia Clay’s life. Dilapidated and dangerous, 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, 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.
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A wonderfully woven story of two women separated by time but linked by their love of beauty expressed in art and their determination to save what they simply can’t live without. Expertly researched and detailed, here is a book for devotees of historical fiction, the art world, and all things Manhattan.
Bursting with delicious period detail, in The Masterpiece Fiona Davis takes us behind the scenes of New York’s Grand Central Terminal to reveal a forgotten world of art and intrigue. Oozing with sophistication and packed with a delicious cast of characters (including the building itself), this is a hugely enjoyable and cleverly crafted historical novel.
Another great read by Fiona Davis, cementing her place in the world of historical fiction. This one illuminated the little-known art school that was housed at Grand Central in the early part of the 20th century and the better-known struggle to save the station from destruction in the 70s. Mix in love, women’s issues, and a touch of mystery, and Davis will have another hit on her hands!
Fiona Davis is a master of making the past come roaring to life with rich and luxurious detail. The Masterpiece is her best yet. With formidable women, dazzling prose, and the glamorous backdrops of the New York art scene in the 20s and 70s, this is a must-read.
With her two previous novels, The Address and The Dollhouse, Fiona Davis established herself as the master of plumbing the depths of New York’s landmarks for the secrets that lie beneath. Now in The Masterpiece, Davis turns her talents to Grand Central Terminal, with a powerful dual narrative about an artist who taught at a prestigious art school in the station in the 1920s and a single mother working at Grand Central in the 1970s who discovers the remains of the art school. Davis seamlessly weaves the compelling narratives of these women against a backdrop of vivid historic detail, once again setting the standard for bringing New York’s past to life.
In a story as masterful as its title, Fiona Davis paints a captivating picture of the once famous art school in New York City’s iconic Grand Central and its brilliant female artist, interweaving this little-known past with New York City of the 1970s where another woman works to preserve the legendary structure from potential destruction. As the women at the heart of The Masterpiece rescue Grand Central and its art, they rescue themselves in a compelling demonstration of the way in which history reverberates in the present.
Riveting, sophisticated, and utterly sublime, The Masterpiece is an exquisite novel, as smart as it is beautifully written.
There are a few authors that I automatically buy their books without reading a description. Fiona Davis is now firmly on that list! After reading The Dollhouse and The Address, I knew The Masterpiece was going to be amazing and I was not disappointed! This story has a little mystery and romance set amid the glorious Grand Central terminal. Historical fiction lovers, this is a must read!
An enthralling tale of love and art, lost and found. Fiona Davis has written another beautiful valentine to New York City, this one about two women, fifty years apart, both struggling and fighting to find themselves in a time and place not always kind to the displaced or lonely. A fascinating, tender, mysterious and ultimately deeply satisfying novel.
What would an art school teacher and an information booth attendee have in common besides Grand Central since the women lived 50 years apart? You would be surprised.
Clara taught illustration at the art school when it was in its hey day, and Virginia needed to work since she had been recently divorced. Since Virginia had no skills, the information booth was the best the temp agency could do for her.
The connection Virginia had to Clara was a drawing she found in the abandoned art school on the seventh floor of Grand Central. We, the reader, move back and forth from both time periods and learn about both women’s lives, their secrets, and Grand Central.
Virginia found drawings all over the school’s rooms and found one drawing in particular that was of interest and signed by Clyde. This particular drawing had some odd characteristics, and someone didn’t want Virginia to have it.
THE MASTERPIECE was focused on the artists of New York and the history of Grand Central. Ms. Davis did impeccable research about Grand Central’s history as well as characters based on real people and others fictitiously portrayed.
Both the history of Grand Central and the characters wove a pull-you-in story line. Did you know that Grand Central had been in jeopardy of being torn down at one point in history?
New York is a fascinating place historically, and I always enjoy going back in time to learn of bits and pieces of its hidden history.
I also enjoyed the descriptions of the life styles, the parties, and the clothing. I am a nostalgic at heart.
Ms. Davis has created another beautiful “masterpiece” that historical fiction fans, New York City fans, mystery fans, and artists will love.
Make it part of your “required” summer reading. 5/5
This book was given to me as an ARC. All opinions are my own.
The Masterpiece is another exceptional Work of Historical Fiction by Fiona Davis, I loved the two well researched historical time periods of the 1920’s and 1970’s. Ms. Davis always mixes history, mystery, suspense and just a little romance in her unshakable women’s lives. Her characters no matter what the adversity, they face what comes and stand firm. The art and architecture storylines were also educational and enjoyable. I recommend this title as well as The Dollhouse and The Address all are excellent. I look forward to reading more books by Fiona Davis. My thanks to the author and Penguin for a making this book available for me to read and review.
Grand Central Terminal is an iconic landmark in New York City. This is the setting of this beautifully described book. It is told from 2 points of views and 2 different time periods. Clara was an artist in 1928 teaching at the Grand Central School of Art and Virginia a single mother working at Grand Central Terminal in 1974. The dual story lines work perfectly together and both narrators are strong, independent women who both are dealing with personal challenges. I enjoyed learning about the time period during the time Grand Central Terminal was saved from demolition. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton. All opinions are my own.
Fiona Davis’s books are such a delight to read. The blending of past and present (or in this case, past and less past) story lines to uncover a solution to a mystery of the past, tied to one of New York City’s great monument buildings, is a clever construct and one that educates and entertains in equal measure. This is my third foray into Davis’s world, and while I enjoyed it, I must confess that I did not find it quite as consistently compelling as the first two.
I vastly enjoyed the more historical story this time. Clara Darden and her 1920s New York felt alive and resonant in a way that Virginia’s 1970s city simply did not. It wasn’t until the Big Reveal that I finally felt a real connection to Virginia’s world. From there until the end I was thoroughly engaged and the book was as lovely as the earlier novels.
I don’t know what it was about Virginia and her world that felt flatter to me – there was no obvious failing, I just never fully fell into her character or story line. I did quite enjoy her daughter Ruby and the cast of supporting characters around her at the Grand Central Terminal; for some reason they all felt fuller than she did.
Still, despite my lukewarm feelings about her, I found the book to be enjoyable overall if a bit more uneven than I expected based on my previous reads. Fiona Davis remains an author to be watched – I really enjoy the historical look at New York’s preeminent buildings and the mysteries that are presented and resolved within the context of the novels. I can’t wait to see where she takes us next!
Thank you to Penguin’s First to Read program for my review copy.
All the stars!!! Seriously, I couldn’t be more excited about The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis. This was my first time reading a book by her and it will clearly not be my last.
What it’s about: Told in dual timelines, we get the stories of Clara Darden who is a female painter and illustrator in the 1920’s, and the story of Virginia Clay which is set in the 1970s and largely deals with the fight to save Grand Central Terminal. Throw in a mystery about a watercolor and an anonymous painter named “Clyde” and we have quite the story. I loved how both timelines came together to form one story and the progression of both stories as their separate entities.
The Masterpiece is truly historical fiction at its finest, and I was fascinated with everything about Grand Central Terminal and The Grand Central School of Art. I know this is a work of fiction, but it definitely seemed like there was a lot of truth to the story as well and it blew me away more than a little bit.
Davis has some of the best writing I have ever experienced, and I found myself completely enamored with the story. This book was an incredibly quick read and offers so much more than just historical fiction. There is so much wisdom on relationships, and a nice little dose of romance as well. Not all the characters are completely lovable, but I loved them all just the same in different ways and for what they all do for the story. Complex characters, a terrific plot, and some fun surprises make this a 5 star read plus more.
This book is also incredibly witty and made me laugh out loud multiple times. I experienced a full spectrum of emotions while reading it and I didn’t want the story to ever end because I loved it so much.
Final Thought: I don’t want to talk about the plot too much because I think this book is best experienced going in blind like I did. Going into it, I had heard amazing things about Fiona Davis and knew I had to read this book no matter what it was about. If you like historical fiction then I highly recommend The Masterpiece even if you aren’t necessarily interested in painting or Grand Central. Even if you just appreciate her writing, this is definitely worth the read!
Every time I read one of Fiona Davis’s novels, I am drawn in to such a captivating story. The style of writing using parallel storylines – one historical and one more modern day – sharing the same space in different times really works. When the storylines finally converge there is a twist that enhances the mystery.
Having spent time in a Grand Central Terminal this book really captured my imagination. Now I want to go explore the upper levels of the building and find the art school! The characters were interesting and well-developed – they seemed very real.
Learning about hidden gems of stories in the history of NYC makes the city come alive in new ways. It makes me wonder what other interesting stories are just waiting to be told.
Well, I loved this book. It has my favorite dual-timeline–one set in the 1970’s and one set in the 1920s. Clara Darden, a talented illustrator is breaking new ground in the 20’s, securing a teaching position at a famous NYC art school. But, the men look down on her as a teacher and her work as an illustrator is seen as lowly compared to the male teachers/artists who work in oils. This thread alone is enough to satisfy me.
I’d just spent a day at the Brandywine River Art Museum seeing NC Wyeth’s illustrations for Treasure Island and more and learned that he never felt as though he fulfilled his full potential as a true “artist,” because he was so busy paying the bills with illustrations (that are absolutely amazing btw). And there was that exact same thing happening in this book… leap to the 1970’s thread. Virginia Clay is attempting to right her lurching life as her husband abandons her and her daughter is claiming her independence. Of course I can’t spoil how these two threads are woven together, but I can say readers will love, love, love this. While the story itself was wonderful, the fact that I’m now in love with antique illustrations speaks to the fabulous writing and unfolding of a plot that revolves around the hierarchy of the art world, way past and not so distant past.
This is a story of two women employed at Grand Central during different eras. Twenty-five-year-old Clara arrives in New York in 1927 with great talent and even more ambition as an artist and teaches at the art school tucked away in the train station. Clara’s dream is to illustrate covers for Vogue. As she chases her dream, Clara has the attention of two suitors. The love and passion for art moves her where she never thought she would go. She disappears and the circumstances around Clara’s disappearance remain a mystery until 1974, when Virginia, the now-dilapidated Grand Central Terminal’s newest information-desk clerk, starts exploring the long boarded-up art school. Like the train station, Virginia has seen better days. Her own story as a breast cancer survivor who’s been dumped by her rich husband closely parallels that of Grand Central Terminal, which is in danger of being shuttered in the name of progress. Virginia’s Mata Hari spy work and her college-age daughter’s photography skills play a key role in saving the station—and themselves.
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis is a historical novel set in New York City from the 1920s to the 1970s and encompasses separate, but connected stories of two women fighting through unfairness and injustice in order to find their power and sense of pride.
After a mastectomy and a divorce that followed, Virginia Clay finds employment at the information booth in Grand Central Terminal. While exploring, she made an unexpected discovery in an abandoned area within the landmark—a hidden painting. Virginia was desperate to learn the history of the painting and the artist behind it. Equally compelling her was her need to fight for Grand Central Terminal to be saved and retain its landmark status.
Clara Darden was an artist who worked at the Grand Central School of Art, a prominent commercial illustrator and a painter unrecognized for her talent due to her gender. Her life was riddled with lost loves, prejudice and fleeting moments of bliss.
Virginia, in the 1970s, hit many of the same roadblocks Clara came up against in the 1920s and 30s, demonstrating how not much had changed in the way of gender inequality. Both women were at the mercy of the men in their lives, but both persevered in spite of them.
Fiona Davis created a fictionalized story around real-life events and locations. Well researched and beautifully written, the book held my interest from start to finish.
Fiona Davis does it again! Her knack for bringing together the untold stories of hidden New York City with the spirit, fire and yearning of wholly realized female characters has resulted in another great book. Don’t miss these intertwined stories of Grand Central Station in two time periods — elegant, surprising, and highly recommended.
With The Masterpiece, Fiona Davis returns with another page-turning tale of that will transport readers, this time centered around New York City’s magnificent and storied Grand Central Terminal. Fiona Davis’ signature blend of past and present, history and architecture, secrets and discovery make every novel a must-read. With strong female characters, exquisite historical detail, and plenty of intrigue, The Masterpiece will delight!