NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Aviator’s Wife returns with a triumphant new novel about New York’s “Swans” of the 1950s—and the scandalous, headline-making, and enthralling friendship between literary legend Truman Capote and peerless socialite Babe Paley.People’s Book of the Week • USA Today’s #1 “New and Noteworthy” Book • Entertainment Weekly’s Must List • LibraryReads Top Ten … Entertainment Weekly’s Must List • LibraryReads Top Ten Pick
Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley. Her flawless face regularly graces the pages of Vogue, and she is celebrated and adored for her ineffable style and exquisite taste, especially among her friends—the alluring socialite Swans Slim Keith, C. Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness, and Pamela Churchill. By all appearances, Babe has it all: money, beauty, glamour, jewels, influential friends, a prestigious husband, and gorgeous homes. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman—a woman desperately longing for true love and connection.
Enter Truman Capote. This diminutive golden-haired genius with a larger-than-life personality explodes onto the scene, setting Babe and her circle of Swans aflutter. Through Babe, Truman gains an unlikely entrée into the enviable lives of Manhattan’s elite, along with unparalleled access to the scandal and gossip of Babe’s powerful circle. Sure of the loyalty of the man she calls “True Heart,” Babe never imagines the destruction Truman will leave in his wake. But once a storyteller, always a storyteller—even when the stories aren’t his to tell.
Truman’s fame is at its peak when such notable celebrities as Frank and Mia Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, and Rose Kennedy converge on his glittering Black and White Ball. But all too soon, he’ll ignite a literary scandal whose repercussions echo through the years. The Swans of Fifth Avenue will seduce and startle readers as it opens the door onto one of America’s most sumptuous eras.
Praise for The Swans of Fifth Avenue
“Exceptional storytelling . . . teeming with scandal, gossip and excitement.”—Harper’s Bazaar
“This moving fictionalization brings the whole cast of characters back to vivid life. Gossipy and fun, it’s also a nuanced look at the beauty and cruelty of a rarefied, bygone world.”—People
“The era and the sordid details come back to life in this jewel of a novel.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
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Slow-just couldn’t get into it. Didn’t finish.
I can’t say that I liked anything about this book. I hate not to give a book a fair chance so I kept reading. But I would not recmmend it
Eye-opening book about famous people who you “think” you know all about. Sad lives.
Excellent thought provoking read.
I have always devoured any writings devoted to Truman Capote and his “Swans”. The story of the life shattering rift between Truman and Babe has always fascinated me. This book was so detailed, so well written, I’ve reread it several times. Fabulous pictures are a bonus! I highly recommend this book.
Not one of my favorites.
One felt like Babe, Slim and her friends were present on each page. Couldn’t wait to read more about them.
Historical fiction read. Interesting stories about the women of the 50s and 60s, the fashion icons. Terrible picture of Truman Capote. Fast and easy read.
This is the best account I have ever read about Truman Capote and his “Swans.” I was a kid when all this was going on, but my mother and I were devotees of Vogue and Bazaar, as well as. Dick Cavett and his ilk, so we had glimpses of this world, and it fascinated us.
I have read Capote’s work on the subject, Frank Langella’s biographical account, Gloria Vanderbilt’s work, as well as any number of “tell all” articles about this unique post-war, pre-sexual revolution, super-rich bubble of time. This, although “fiction”, is the most cogent and sympathetic account of a time and ethos that will never be again.
Like reading a gossip magazine; but with an ear pressed to the wall to hear the real story. An imagined play by play of Truman Capote and the women he called the Swans. Well written. While I wanted to feel bad for one of these characters, I ended up feeling they each in some way, got what they deserved, based on the fact of the choices they made. A good reminder that all choices come with some sort of payment due.
I love this book. It took me back to an era I lived in, but in a world apart from where I lived. This is a touching and in depth look into Truman Capote, his swans, those mega rich, classical society dames of New York and how their lives became intertwined, and then unraveled.
It was fun to read about the very different lives these women and some men have led including their sometimes twisted relationships. The life of Andy Warhol is important to this book along with other famous and powerful people.
A gossipy book about New York high society of the 50s. It causes one to think about the lifestyle of very different people and a gifted, complex author.
The book was well researched, entertaining and insightful.
It was ok — if you want to understand more about what Truman Capote mayhave been like, this might work for you.
Gossipy, Vanity Fair-ish, so a titillating read about people I remember only from magazine photos from my youth. An equalizing escape into a world and class of society that turns out not worth the effort to feel jealous about
The author has really done her research. For anyone who has read Truman Capote, but only saw him on TV during his later years, it explains a lot about the disconnect between the writing and the person.
I know I read but can’t remember what it was about. Sorry – I finished according to my Kindle library so it must have been ok.
I found this novel particularly timely. I was reading Swans at the timei of Kate Spade and Bourdain’s death. As onlookers we see only the glamour, perfection and wondrous lives. The sadness, insecurities and loneliness people in the limelight harbor is not visible. I thought the author did a good job peeling away the many layers of these folks exposing their vulnerabilities.
It was a good read. Fun times in NYC. And I loved looking at the images of the socialites. Some characters I knew, others I needed to google. It would have been nice to have some phots included in the novel.
Fascinating story about Truman Capote’s friendship with New York elites. It made me want to read more about it, as well as reading the Capote story that brought his world crashing down around him.
The story of Truman Capote and his swans. An excellent evocation of New York society in the Sixties.