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 has quickly become one of my favourite authors. The Way of Beauty is her third novel and does not disappoint. Di Maio continues to demonstrate her excellent research skills and build that information into a highly readable story. Excellent character development drives this inspiring history of how the women in the suffrage movement of the early 1900’s paved the way for the rights of women today. It’s also a wonderful tribute to Penn Station!
Based around the historic Penn Station building in NYC, The Way of Beauty is a wonderful story that captivated me with its themes of love, loyalty, second chances, and making the most difficult choices. Plus, there was fascinating insight into the suffragette movement a century ago. Camille Di Maio has done it again!!
I really enjoyed this beautifully written story. The author did a great job with the characters – Vera, Alice, Angelo, Will, and Pearl. It’s a story of love and family, but also of tenacity and perseverance. Pearl’s commitment to the women’s suffrage movement was inspiring and gave me a new appreciation for the women who made it possible for the women of the future to vote. I also admired Vera for her dedication to her father – it could not have been easy as a single woman caring for her ailing father. The majority of the story takes place in and around Penn Station – the author did an amazing job in her descriptions of the station, especially in relation to the eagles. This was the first book I have read by this author – after my experience with this book I will definitely be seeking out more of her books! I was provided with an ARC from the author via NetGalley.
When a book completely moves you and motivates you to make a difference or be a better person you know it’s going to be one of the best. I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. All thoughts for this review are my own.
THE WAY OF BEAUTY follows the lives and dreams of three remarkable women: Vera, Pearl and Alice as they navigate their lives in New York City. Vera, young at heart and a natural, loving mother starts her story as a young immigrant. She dreams of making a life and family with Angelo and settling in New York City. She loses and finds love, ignites all with her passion for her friend and her child and raises a strong woman of her own. Vera grows physically, emotionally and exponentially throughout the novel. Pearl- true heroine. She is a mother but her first love belongs to the plight of others. She provides strength and ferocity to the novel. Someone to be a pillar and provide a compass to the future. At times I wanted to tell her to settle down but at the same time urged her to fight. She was compassionate intelligent and smart. Alice. The dreamer. The one who will make it. I loved Alice and knew she would be the glue that held the family together.
Loved the backdrop of Penn Station. The images of the underground tunnels, the clocks and the hustle and bustle of people coming and going transported me to New York. I was part of it. My heart broke for the demise but cheered for the progress
I loved how the stories wove together. How there was a seamless coupling of all stories and the flow.
This was true epic family saga. My favorite. I think Camille is in a class of their own but Fans of Maeve binchey will love the story, fans of Leila Meacham will love the generational growth and family ties and fans of Kate Morton will love the ambience.
Written at a time when we need strong women to look up to and lead us. absolutely beautiful!!!
“As a woman, it was hard to discover what you WANTED to be when the world told you what you were SUPPOSED to be.”
A fantastic story of three women, spanning from 1900 to 1963, who work to change the rights of women across the country.
Pearl Pilkington’s life mission was women’s suffrage. She was outspoken and forceful, yet kind and gentle,and helped anyone in the world to better their life.
In 1912, Pearl and Vera meet under unusual conditions.
Vera, a young German girl and close friend of Pearl’s husband Angelo, is offered to be in charge of Pearl’s son, William. This will allow Pearl to continue on with her mission and provide for a steady income for Vera. This will also help Vera’s family. Her father works as a sandhog, digging under the East River and her mother, a factory worker. They live across from Penn Station, where people can come and go from NYC. Vera knows every part of this station.
As times move forward, William is forced to return to the care of his Grandparents and Pearl and Angelo divorce. Vera and Angelo marry and their daughter Alice is born. Vera and Angelo have never forgotten William and always hope to reunite with him.
Alice, is similar to the lady that she has heard so much about and often wonders “what would Pearl do?” Her goal of attending college classes and to become an architect one day, is due to Pearl’s missions. Alice has loved living by Penn Station and watching and wishing on dreams at this wonderful place.
The world has changed in the 1960’s and as buildings with historic value age, and technology develops, the needs of the country change and the Penn Station of long ago was torn down in 1963.
“Our wrinkles tell our story, etched out like a road map. That’s the way of beauty. Birth, middle age, decline.”
The details in this beautifully written novel are incredible, making a review difficult.
It’s an amazing book, that you will love!
I have read and enjoyed all of Camille Di Maio’s books and this one did not disappoint. I was fascinated with the historical background of Penn Station in NYC. This was something I was not that aware of. I felt I was there with the characters as their lives evolved over the years and their love for the station.
I found the characters well developed. I stayed up very late each night as I could not put this book down. I would highly recommend this book to friends and fans of historical fiction.
I received this book through a FB group giveaway in exchange for am honest review.
I loved Vera and Angelo’s story. I appreciated the history of NYC told through the story. It truly is a love letter to NYC.
This story is as beautiful as the cover. The Way Of Beauty captures love in all its forms thru 3 generations of women. Reading this story you are immediately transported back in time and walked thru Penn Station and down the streets of New York. Camille Di Maio puts her female characters in the forefront giving them strength, courage, and love. Detailing the hardships of the working woman, the soft, caring struggles of motherhood, and the courage and bravery it takes to love their husbands and children all while fighting fiercely for the rights of women in America. I absolutely loved the timelessness of The Way Of Beauty and look forward to reading more of Camille Di Maio!
I really enjoyed this book. It starts out slow but gains pace as the book continues.
The characters are very engaging and the book is full of romance, mystery and history. I highly recommend this book.
Vera touched my heart from the beginning, the struggle of being so poor and the one light of her life… Angelo. I don’t want to spoil things, but Vera’s most ardent wish is foiled almost before she realizes how much she wants it, and brings a new friend, who opens her eyes to the suffrage movement and rights for women. And though she may not have Angelo in quite the way she hoped, she loves him and his son fiercely. The writing transports you to the time, not so long ago when women had to choose between love and their rights. Camille Di Maio’s dialogue, descriptions, and relationships create a complete picture of the era and struggles. Great book club book.
Rebecca Rosenberg
THE SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON
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That I loved this book, is no surprise, since I read my first Camille Di Maio, novel, The Memory Of Us. This is book number four, for me.
This story spans from 1900 to 1963, covering the lives of three women, who lived through the construction and destruction of Penn Station in NYC. It is the story of the immigrant struggle, poverty, love and loss, and of three generations and their spiritual connection to this architectural treasure.
It’s NYC, as it established itself as a city were dreams were formed and realized and history was written.
I loved the strong women of this story, that fought to better themselves and the women of this country, and the men that loved them enough to help them do this. One Camille Di Maio novel, will have you shopping for the others, as I did.
Thanks to the author and Lake Union Publishing, for this wonderful read!
This is a fabulous story that will take you through almost every genre wrapped up with a big red bow around it. A multi-generational saga that blends historical fiction, romance, suspense and life itself for the Keller, Bellavia and Pilkington families and how they tie together. The story takes you through the “Suffragette” Movement with the trials, tribulations and determination of two amazing women, Vera and Pearl, with their optimism and hearts so big for the sake of making a difference and just how far they’ll go for what is right and just. New York City and it’s Penn Station play an integral part to this story as the era moves forward through the early to mid 1900’s. The writing style and Camille DiMaio’s ability to deliver a story will hook you right from the start. This book checks all the boxes for fans of Historical Fiction and for those who may be enjoying it for the first time. A story of hope, love, laughter and tears that will capture you.
In Camille Di Maio’s third novel, The Way of Beauty she continues developing her reputation as an author savvy in both research techniques and character development and with the ability to combine these elements into a relatable story.
The Way of Beauty is told in two points of view, but rather than the usual alterating POV, she lets their stories unfold chronologically through all that happens in America between two World Wars and ties their journey to Penn Station, a masterpiece of the Beaux-Arts style and one of the great architectural works of New York City.
First we have Vera who begins her journey in poverty and watches the building of Penn Station, always feeling sheltered by the giant eagles that adorn its facade. As Vera ages, the story is taken over by her daughter, Alice. Vera and Alice achieve goals of becoming artists, though Vera in particular, continues to work in a department store while working as an artist on the side. One of the best aspects of The Way of Beauty is how Di Maio ties the suffrage movement into her story. Both women intersect with suffragettes and feminism, so that by the time Alice has a daughter, Libby, she too is involved in similar activities.
As Vera declines in age, so does her beloved Penn Station—to the point she’s forced to watch its demolition in 1963 to make way for Madison Square Garden and Pennsylvania Plaza.
This book serves as a monument in itself to the suffrage movement and the women—and men—who fought for the vote and other women’s rights. It also serves as a eulogy to Penn Station. On a smaller scale, it celebrates the lives of individuals, their loves, their families, their accomplishments.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and it’s setting in and around Union Station. The characters are hard to forget.
I loved the beauty found in this book. The early women’s movement, the struggles of immigrants, the war, friendship, first love, enduring love and most of all family. This is not a story of our throw away society, it is a beautiful story of our society as it should be…take care of and maintain and always, love.
I so enjoyed every character, the beautifully described buildings and struggles of class and hardship. More than anything, this is a story about love. Ms. DiMaio’s writing is flawless, and detailed. You can feel the emotions jumping off the page.
Thanks to Ms. DiMaio and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Picture 1900’s New York City, Penn Station is brand new, shining like a beacon to the people of the city. I could picture the beautiful stone, the newspaper stands, and the people rushing to get to the destinations. The excitement of this was rushing off the pages into my heart. It is a time of fear with a war looming in the future but yet the people of New York were excited about this new creation in their town. I could also picture the streets of New York, the different languages being spoken, the unique accents, the people working and rushing through the city, the entire book seemed alive to me.
The Way of Beauty is the story of Vera and her daughter Alice. Vera is the daughter of a German immigrant coming to New York she meets Angelo and he takes her under his wing treating her as a little sister while Vera falls in love with him. Their story continues as they both grow up, get married, have children, work hard, and discover what true love really is. Alice is their daughter and she is learning the ways of the world while trying to find her own way.
This is a romance story with so much amazing history. I loved everything about this book. The amazing setting, the realistic characters, and the enchanting story. The book came alive to me, I could hear the characters talk, I could picture the apartments they lived in, the jobs they worked, and the way their hearts opened up with love.
Vera Keller was in love with Angelo since she scraped her knee as a child and fell in front of his newspaper stand.
Vera thought she would one day be his wife, but realized that her station in life most likely would prevent that from happening. Her father worked as a Sandhog with men that built the underground train tunnels, and her mother worked in a garment factory. Both jobs ruined her parents’ health and their lives.
Vera grew up, and when she was seventeen, she thought meeting Angelo at their appointed time was going to be it. He was going to ask her to marry him, right? Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. He introduced Vera to his fiancee.
The good news, though, was that Pearl was a Suffragette, and she wanted Vera to help her. Being able to help Pearl would allow her to be close to Angelo. It was very difficult, though. Her heart ached every time Angelo smiled at her, but then Vera found out something that changed everything.
THE WAY OF BEAUTY is a beautiful book about love, family, Suffragettes, the building of Penn Station in New York and has characters you will fall in love with.
Vera was my favorite simply because of her innocence, goodness, perseverance with dealing with the trials she had to deal with as a woman at this time in both her personal life and public life.
Ms. Di Maio has written another amazing, warm, heartfelt, well-researched, detailed book, that takes you with the characters on their journey and into their lives.
All of Ms. Di Maio’s books warm your heart and allow you to feel her passion about causes and the human race.
THE WAY OF BEAUTY is a MUST read. You won’t be able to experience all the emotions that are inside unless you read it.
As for the title, it has the perfect word in it…BEAUTY. The book is a beautiful tribute to mankind, love, caring, and living a good life. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by NetGalley and the author in return for an honest review.
Romantic story about mother (Vera) and daughter (Alice’s) quest for love in NYC.
Vera had been in love with Angelo since she was a child, so at age 17, she was devastated when he introduced her to his fiancee, Pearl, a suffragette fighting for women’s right to vote. For this reason, Vera should have hated Pearl, but darn it, Pearl was just so darn likable that instead, Vera became a nanny to Pearl’s 3 year old son, William, from her first marriage.
It was “such a recipe for jealousy. But it was impossible not to like Pearl, despite circumstances.” – thought Vera.
Accepting this position as nanny to sweet, little William forever changed the course of Vera’s life. This story followed (1) Vera as she struggled with her feelings for Angelo while living in such close proximity to him, (2) the suffragettes fighting for the vote, and (3) later, Vera’s daughter, Alice, as she fell in love with two men and had to make the most difficult decision of her life. Throughout all of the plot lines, Penn Station was utilized as a historical backdrop and commonality affecting each of the characters in a different way, starting with Vera’s father who suffered from the Bends after working as a sandhog, digging the tunnels to make way for the underground train.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet, romantically tender, historical fiction novel full of intriguing characters and oh so many plots, then I would recommend The Way of Beauty. This was my first book by this author, and I look forward to more!
Thank you to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.
Location: New York City, New York
Words really cannot express just how much I loved The Way of Beauty by Camille Di Maio. This is a heartfelt historical fiction novel that really pulls at the heartstrings.
The Way of Beauty mainly tells the story of Vera and her daughter Alice, but also other people that are connected with their lives. There are quite a few main characters, but not in a confusing way (and we only see things from Vera and Alice’s POVs). The book is set in New York City during the women’s suffrage movement, and is spread across the years 1900 to 1963. We start with Vera’s story in 1900 and end with Alice’s story.
There is a lot of history about Penn Station in this book which I found very interesting. I love reading books set in NYC, and I really didn’t know much about Penn Station until I read this novel. And of course, it also talks about the women’s suffrage movement. The whole time I was reading the book all I could think of was Mary Poppins and “Votes for women!” The author says she did embellish a bit in regards to things the women in the book did as part of the suffrage movement, but it was fascinating and very enlightening all the same.
Final Thought: In total honesty I ugly cried a couple times during The Way of Beauty. It is such a touching book and I felt so connected to the characters that I didn’t want it to end. Apparently there are almost 400 pages to this book, but I was able to read it in about a day it was that good. I highly recommend to lovers of historical fiction and people who love novels set in New York. I can’t believe this is the first novel I’ve read from Camille Di Maio and I cannot WAIT to read more!
The Way of Beauty in 3-ish words: Heart-Warming, Spellbinding, & Unexpected
This was an absolutely beautiful read from the beginning until the end. I was sad to see it end. From the early 1900’s until the early 1960’s, the story follows Vera and her daughter Alice. Vera is so very strong and brave. Vera is the daughter of German immigrants and their life is far from easy. This story is so wonderfully written you feel as if you are part of the story The descriptions are so beautiful you see everything clearly. It is a story of love, loss, friendships, and extremely strong women. This is a story that makes you think and as a woman makes you grateful for all the pain, suffering, and strength of the women who came before you! I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. All opinions are my own.