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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A bit dated, but still a fun read.
Benjamin does a fantastic job of character description. A voyeuristic look at a bygone era of glamour, wealth, and prestige. Her finely-drawn Capote is a joy to read – she truly captures the essence of a quirky, needy personage. I couldn’t put this one down – and after reading it, re-read “In Cold Blood” and ordered the infamous essay “La Cote Basque 1965”. You’ll want to read that as well!
Great gossip.
I am now a Melanie Benjamin fan and have ordered another of her books. I enjoyed The Swans very much.
I’ll be the first to admit this book was something completely different for me. Normally I read a lot of paranormal, and historical romance, as well as fantasy (when this is what you also write it’s good to keep up with genre trends) but this was different because it’s about real people. I actually went on the internet and looked them up so I had faces to go with the names. All in all I have to say, sometimes it’s good to step away from what’s familiar and appreciate another writer’s talent. ‘The Swans of Fifth Avenue’ is certainly one of those books.
I knew who Truman Capote was (who doesn’t adore ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’?) but I didn’t know anything about the group of socialites who befriended him when he came to New York. The author gives a fascinating glimpse into what it was like to be one of these women (the swans of the title) whose only expectation was to marry well, look perfect, and make sure they were seen in all the right places by, and with, all the right people.
On the surface it seems odd that they would befriend someone like Truman Capote, but on closer examination, maintaining the perfect life is actually quite ugly. And being friends with Truman isn’t so odd after all. Unfortunately they all gossip too much and tell bitchy stories. Not only about each other, but also their other friends and acquaintances, but when Truman commits the unforgivable sin of betraying their secrets in a thinly disguised story, they severe all ties with him.
It’s hard to know which is the greater tragedy, that these women were foolish enough to trust Capote to begin with, or his apparent bewilderment when they close ranks against him, and refuse to let him into their lives again.
‘The Swans of Fifth Avenue’ is a great read for those interested in the foibles and petty malice of human nature, as well as a look at the lives of the iconic women of the era.
I love historical fiction, based on actual events. This is a great book of that genre. It features; Truman Capote, in his glory days. Recently acclaimed for writing; “In Cold blood,”
and a pet of many a famous socialite. You’ll feel like you are there. It may even leave you hungry for more, which I find the best historical fiction does.
Intriguing. I didn’t know any of this about Truman Capote and Babe Paley and their times. I was so interested i looked them all up and read more. Very much the human condition and tragedy. People who seem to have everything but struggle to be happy and cannot overcome their fatal flaws. I thought about this book a lot. It made me appreciate all the options for women.
Brilliant imaginative account of the relationship between Truman Capote and his swans, especially Babe Paley.
Interesting chronicle of the rich and famous of the ’50’s and ’60’s in New York.
No cause for envy. Truman Capote really livened things up for his Swans.
It helps a lot if you understand NYC society and what life was like for wealthy women in the 1950s. Truman Capote is quite a presence in this book
A great look at New York and Truman Capote. Sad also in how wealthy women were trained to “be there for their man”, but educational.
I loved this book. I knew Truman Capote had a falling out with his socialite group, but I’d never heard the whole story. The characters are wonderfully written — I felt as if I were right there in the story. I’ll read it again!