Hearts and dreams evolve in the shadow of the once-magnificent Penn Station.Vera Keller, the daughter of German immigrants in turn-of-the-century New York City, finds her life upended when the man she loves becomes engaged to another woman. But Angelo Bellavia has also inadvertently opened up Vera’s life to unexpected possibilities. Angelo’s new wife, Pearl, the wealthy daughter of a clothing … of a clothing manufacturer, has defied her family’s expectations by devoting herself to the suffrage movement. In Pearl, Vera finds an unexpected dear friend…and a stirring new cause of her own. But when Pearl’s selfless work pulls her farther from Angelo and their son, the life Vera craved is suddenly within her reach—if her conscience will allow her to take it.
Her choice will define not only her future but also that of her daughter, Alice.
Vera and Alice—a generation and a world apart—are bound by the same passionate drive to fulfill their dreams. As first mother and then daughter come of age in a city that is changing as rapidly as its skyline, they’ll each discover that love is the only constant.
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Camille Di Maio’s books never fail to move me. Her talent for historical fiction has enraptured me from her very first book.
The Way of Beauty is no different. Starting at the turn of the century and then the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement, we follow the life of Vera, and later her daughter Alice, as they live and grow through these changing times. Choices they make and the lives they lead will have a butterfly effect that will shape them into the women they will become.
Taking place in the heart of New York City, the lives of these women are unsurprisingly relevant to issues women see today. To read and see these parallels was an experience I sincerely enjoyed, and The Way of Beauty is yet another beautiful work of fiction with elements of real history woven in. Another 5 star for di Maio.
I received an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are mine.
Goodness! Camille Di Maio’s books keep getting better and better. The writing in The Way of Beauty is magnificent. It pulled me right in and made me feel I was right there in NYC’s Penn Station. The vivid descriptions of Penn Station had me stopping to do an online search of the historic building and the eagles that sat atop the building. It was indeed a beautiful train station. I wish I could say I had a favorite character in this book but I can’t. And that’s because I loved them all. Each one captured my heart in their own way. The way of beauty is right here in this book, the beauty of words so wonderfully written that all you can do is sigh as that last page is turned. I was completely satisfied with the story and was sad to have it end. Truly wonderful!
I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I picked up this novel and finished it in less than 24 hours. From the first page, I was pulled into this story of two women, a mother and daughter, as each comes of age in the shadow of New York’s Penn Station. The Way of Beauty is a stunner of a novel that takes place in two different, but important historic eras. It was sobering to read about the plight of the poor, working class immigrants in New York, as well as the Suffrage movement. We also have both World Wars playing a part in the characters’ lives.
This is a story about family, both the one you are born into and the one you create, friends, loyalty and love. Vera could have easily made different choices but instead embraced friendship and the new world that her new friendship with Pearl opened to her. Alice, her daughter, also faced choices and her background and the way she was raised, ultimately impacted her path.
I hated to see this novel end. Beautifully written, with characters you become emotionally attached to, I highly recommend this novel for anyone interested in New York’s history, the Suffrage movement, Penn Station, or just a beautifully written novel you won’t want to put down.
#TheWayofBeauty #NetGalley
This is absolutely one of the best historical fiction novels that I’ve read in a long time. The characters are well written and believable and the setting of NYC’s Penn station is a perfect focal point to tie the two main characters together. I highly recommend this book!!!
Vera is the daughter of German immigrants who are forced to move when Penn Station is build in NYC. When she is older, she falls in love with the young man who runs the newsstand but he marries a suffragette who becomes a friend. When Vera realizes that Angelo is also in love with her, she disappears from his life. One generation later, her daughter Alice has a dilemma because she is in love with two men. Both main characters live in the shadow of Penn Station and this historical site is an important part of both stories.
Vera and Alice are both tying to to fulfill their dreams. As first mother and then daughter come of age , they’ll each discover that love is the only important thing in life. I loved this book and highly recommend it!
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
We meet Vera who lives with her father who has some medical issues . She’s about to meet her friend, Angelo. She thinks that Angelo will ask her to marry him but instead she’s meeting his fiancée, Pearl. Angelo thinks of Vera as a little sister due to the death of his little sister, Stephania who at age 5 drowned in a current at Brighton Beach. Pearl asks Vera to lunch to nanny for her son, William as she continues to stump for women’s right to vote
This was my first book of Ms. Demaio’s but by far, it’s her BEST BOOK. The characters will stay with me for quite a bit. i loved all the characters especially Angelo, Pearl, Vera and William.
Excellent book! This is a must read. The struggles woman went through to be able to vote. How do you love two men at the same time. Sometimes fate steps in and decides for you which you should chose. I will never be able to be in Penn Station in Manhattan again and not think of this book
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for letting me read such a good book.
This book pulled me in from the very first page and did not let go. It was not disappointing in any way. Well written, great characters and oh the history. It was wonderful. The love stories, awesome. I felt like I was in NY and have never been out of AL. Union Station sounds like it would have been so much fun back then.
The love that Vera felt for Angelo was so beautiful. That she worked for Pearl and Angelo was brave in my opinion. Pearl was her friend and William, Pearl’s little boy, had Vera’s heart from the start. What will happen between Vera and Angelo? Between Pearl and Vera and Angelo?
Then there is Vera’s daughter, Alice. Will she live happily ever after with Emmett or William? Will she find the kind of love her parents did?
This was such a good story. I love reading a book where I learn things and this one was filled with a lot of history and love and a bit of sorrow. It was one that was so hard to put down. Camille Di Maio did a fantastic job writing this. I loved reading her Author’s Note at the end. It was very interesting to me. The whole book was just so good.
I wondered about the title until I read this: The way of beauty. We are born shiny and new, and people marvel at us. How we smell. How we look. They celebrate when we take our first step. Fanfare all around.
And perhaps the way of beauty was not a one, two, three process. Birth, life, death. Maybe there was a fourth stage-renewal.
Those two things from this book explained a lot to me about The Way of Beauty.
From women’s rights to tearing down and rebuilding. From birth to death. This book had so much. It was full of things that will make you smile, laugh, cry, envy, remember forever. At least it will for me.
I loved, The Memory of Us by this same author and look forward to reading more by her. This was a 5 star book as was The Memory of Us. I am so glad I had the honor of reading this great book. Thank you so much for writing it. I sure hated for it to end. But it ended as great as it started.
The Way of Beauty by author Camille Di Maio is another heart touching book filled with emotion and generational history. The characters of Vera and her family, Angelo and Pearl, and later, Alice and William will lead the reader into the secret longings of their hearts and lives. It is important to understand the eras of time and the daily struggles of poor families in the US during times of war and social transition. The book is also about friendships and loyalty to those we love, even when it means putting our own personal dreams aside for the good of others who we care about. The story blends the youthful dreams of future possibilities with the disappointments of their current day.
I won’t post spoilers, but Vera has a very hard life growing up and is greatly relieved to find work as soon as she is old enough in order to help her family. After her mother dies, she is the main caregiver for her father who has severe health problems which are the result of his work in the tunnels of Penn Station. The one person Vera felt was her closest friend marries a rich young suffragette. Soon Vera is working in their home and refusing to allow her feelings for Angelo to cause problems for him and Pearl or to affect her admiration of Pear and her dedication to making rights for women a possibility.
The way of beauty is a way of living in honesty and with love and respect between mothers and daughters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.
I’m probably going to gush, I loved this book that much! It is beautifully written and the characters become friends. I learned quite a bit about women’s right to vote and the consequences that went along with that. This story had it all, privilege, poverty, and the suffragette movement. This story made me want to learn more about te things written in it. There is everything in this story, love, friendship and family. I’ve never been to NY but the description of Penn station, at least what it was make me want to travel back in time to visit. I plan to buy this book for all my Mom, sister and all the readers in my circle. Wonderful book! I was given an early copy for an honest review. Thank you for the chance to read this wonderful book
Camille Di Maio is one of the freshest new voices in historical fiction, melding facts and fiction into heartfelt stories. New York City in the early 20th century is the backdrop for this wonderful story of love and family. The book centers around Vera and Alice, mother and daughter, who are both passionate women, driven by their dreams in a world that is ever-changing. The author did a great job of putting the reader into that setting, with the building of Penn Station, the suffragette movement, and the changing skyline and vibrancy of New York City.
Oh my! This book! There is so much to love about The Way of Beauty, from the beautiful cover to the amazing story on it’s pages. Camille Di Maio has written a beautiful saga about hopes and dreams against the backdrop of New York’s Penn Station. I felt as if I was in the story as I read the descriptions of Penn Station, the suffragettes and the differences in class distinction. I fell in love with Vera and Pearl and again with Will and Alice. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that it ended! I would love to know how Libby’s story unfolds!
The Way of Beauty is the incredible story of three women brought together by a passion for change, a fight for women’s rights and progress, and enduring love all manifested against the backdrop of Penn Station in New York City.
Pearl was born an aristocrat who became steadily and completely infatuated with the women’s suffrage movement. She enlists her husband, Angelo’s, long time friend, Vera to help with the care of her child. All while pursuing dreams of change.
Camille Di Maio captivates us with her intricately detailed dual narratives of past and present by Vera, and daughter, Alice. I am transported to Penn Station every time I read about the underground tunnels, the hustle and bustle of the city, the clocks, and the eagles. I love how she weaves the characters stories of loss, love, and family bonds together to capture class struggles, sacrifice, and determination. Camille provides all the feels and envelopes a love story in between.
Fans of historical fiction and women’s fiction will want to pick up a copy the second it comes to stores near you. You will not be sorry but you may have many sleepless nights because you won’t want to put it down.
This family saga begins with the dynamics of a unique friendship and spans four generations. The first generation will observe the construction of Penn Station shortly after the turn of the twentieth century. The second, third and fourth generations will later see its demolition in the 1960s. Early on, a friendship develops. Two women from two different walks of life. Both love the same man. One has loved him since she was a young girl. The other marries him. The events of that friendship form a lasting connection. Their story blends with the events during and after the war years, making this an interesting and bittersweet historical fiction. Another well-written and enjoyable novel by this author.
This is a very well written story of a family during the early 1900s. I enjoyed the way the characters personalities were developed and woven throughout the book. I love when a single book takes you through the lives of a multi-generational family.
This was my second book by this author. I look forward to reading more of her works.
In turn-of-the-century New York City, Vera Keller, whose parents are German immigrants, finds herself in love with Angelo Bellavia. Angelo works for his father’s newsstand outside of Penn Station. To Vera’s dismay, Angelo becomes engaged to Pearl Pilkington, who comes from an extremely wealthy family and becomes involved with the suffrage movement. Vera and Pearl become dear friends, but Pearl is so absorbed in the movement which takes her away from Angelo and Will, her son. Pearl’s solution is to hire Vera as a caregiver to Will. As time goes on, there’s an opportunity for Vera to grab the life she’s always dreamed of with Angelo. Fast forward to the next generation, and their daughter, Alice, is consumed by passions of her own, finds her path and determines what is most meaningful in her life.
I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend it! This is my first historical fiction novel by Camille Di Maio, and now I’m excited to read more of her work.
I loved this book!
Another wonderful book by Camille DiMaio. I loved her other two books so much, I pre-ordered this one. I love her characters, and the ones in this story are so interesting and inspiring. This story was set in my grandmother’s era, she was a suffragette, also. She always would reminded me of this time, before women could vote and what heroines these women were. So, especially, enjoyed this novel. Wonderful! Recommended Ms. DiMaio’s books to everyone!