Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "The Chelsea Girls" by Fiona Davis, Dutton, July 2019

Kudos to Fiona Davis, Author of "The Chelsea Girls" for writing such intriguing, intense, captivating, riveting, enthralling, historical and entertaining novel. The Genres for this Novel are Historical Fiction and Fiction.  The author writes about The Chelsea Hotel and its history, and the entertainment industry. In a good portion of the novel the McCarthy era, and witch hunt for Communists is mentioned.  Fiona Davis vividly describes the architecture, landscape, and characters in her novel.  The dramatic cast of characters are described as complex and complicated. There are betrayals and danger. Friendship is one of the themes in this novel, and the timeline is approximately 20 years. 

Hazel Ripley first meets Maxine Mead in a USO tour during World War Two in Italy. The two work together to entertain the troops and then do a radio show. Up to this point, Hazel has been an understudy in the theater.  Both seem to work well together.

The Chelsea Hotel has been historically known as the hub for creativity. Writers, musicians, actors, artists, and others have been known to stay there. New York City is where the Chelsea Hotel is located. After the war, Hazel goes to The Chelsea hotel hoping to be a playwright. Hazel does write a play, and Maxine returns to become one of the actors in the play.  Unfortunately, the political times are not stable in the entertainment history.  Senator Joseph McCarthy is looking at the industry for communists. There is a book that blacklists suspected people in this industry. 

In this amazing story, there is espionage, love, betrayal, danger, and shattered dreams and hopes.  I highly recommend this intense thought-provoking novel.

After reading The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis, I had to get my hands on everything she wrote. I feel so lucky to have gotten a galley of her newest book The Chelsea Girls - it was fabulous. I loved the theater perspective and I love how much I learn when I read a Fiona Davis book.

This book is about so much more than it appears on the surface. One main character is the Chelsea Hotel where Maxine and Hazel live in NYC. The Chelsea has been a safe haven for artists of all kinds through the ages. The personalities of its residents create atmosphere for the action. Another main character, the theater, is also vitally important to the story as both a setting and for atmosphere. Maxine and Hazel are both complex, multi-faceted characters, so totally believable that the reader gets invested in their well-being very quickly. Underneath the story of two women who meet and become friends is the story of a turbulent time in America when McCarthyism and the Red Scare caused chaos among the entertainment business, especially. The story swept me up quickly and caused me to fear for Maxine and Hazel and their hopes and dreams.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I am such a fan of Fiona Davis books and this one was another really good one. I was not that familiar with this time period and it was very interesting to learn something new while meeting memorable characters that this author is so good at creating. I enjoyed the behind the behind the scenes detailed look at what living at the Chelsea Hotel during this time period was like. 4 stars for this one.

The Chelsea Girls is the first book that I’ve read by Fiona Davis but won’t be the last. This story begins in 1945 in Naples as Hazel Ridley, former Broadway understudy meets Maxine Mead, USO actress.. The two form a bond in Europe that continues after the war in New York City. Hazel, moving on from acting, writes her first play while living at The Chelsea. Maxine, returning from a failed Hollywood film career, takes on the lead role. But nothing goes right for Hazel. It’s 1950, and the McCarthy era is in full swing and on the hunt for communists on the Great White Way. Hazel and Maxine get caught up in the times, ending Hazel’s promising career but seemingly catapulting Maxine to stardom again in Hollywood. The two meet again in 1967 after the witch hunt dies, but Hazel, no longer an innocent finally sees her “friend” clearly. I enjoyed learning a little about this period of time. I can’t recall reading any other story that addresses the McCarthy era. I also love stories of female friendship. And stories that have New York City as the backdrop. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Davis.

I was provided an e-copy of this book for an honest review from the publisher. Thank you! #netgalley #thechelseagirls

Fiona Davis has done it again! Another historical fiction book with wonderful detail to time, place and characters. I have read all of her books and will continue to recommend them!

While I have read quite a bit of historical fiction, it tends to be more about WWII. I have not read anything about the McCarthy era and Russian spies.. The topic was great, and I usually really enjoy books by Fiona Davis. Unfortunately, I felt there were some lulls in the book that didn't quite keep me as engaged. However, there were some pretty good surprises thrown in that pulled right back in.

Overall, a good book with a serious topic but plenty of drama.

Hazel and Maxine are two actresses sent overseas to entertain soldiers in World War 2. Their bond grows past the stage as the two get to know the chaotic and unjust world around them. Once the war ends, the two go in different directions, but are destined to meet up again at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. Hazel proceeds to write a play based on her life overseas and Maxine helps it come to life.

It isn't long before you are knee deep in the world that is the Chelsea Hotel. However, it isn't a world untouched by current events. Hazel finds herself in the middle of the McCarthy Red Scare drama. As it swallows those around her, she fights for herself and her show. With Maxine as her best friend, Hazel survives. But she doesn't know things aren't what they appear to be with some of the people around her.

Based on real events and some real people, you'll read a story of friendship and integrity. You'll see the consequences of decisions made out of love- no matter how much they hurt the ones we love and protect. I couldn't put this book down. I was immediately engrossed and felt like I was a resident of the Chelsea Hotel. I loved and hated characters. I felt my heart break with the betrayal I didn't want to happen. I was taken aback by twists in the story I didn't see coming. This was my first Fiona Davis book, but it will not be my last. She crafted an engrossing story and proceeded to unfold it all around me.

The Chelsea Girls tells the story of two women who meet on a USO tour at the tail end of World War II, and then move to New York City to work on Broadway, while living in the famed Chelsea Hotel. But despite their success and the thrill of working and living in such a creative circle, there is an undercurrent of unease. McCarthyism is taking hold in the country, and suddenly, it seems as though everyone—and particularly those in the entertainment industry—are under suspicion. And in danger. The book is a fun, engaging, and surprising romp through the theater world of 1940s and 50s New York, as well as a more serious reminder about a very tense time in history when you never knew who you could—or couldn’t trust. The fear of Russian spies lurking around every corner felt very real—as did the mounting pressure of the FBI. It reminded me very much of City of Girls in a lot of ways, and is a book you’ll read quickly and hungrily.

Fiona Davis is absolutely one of my favorite voices in historical fiction and her latest, The Chelsea Girls, proves why. This time around, Davis takes on post WWII communism and does so within the world of theater and performing arts in NYC. Deviating from the dual timelines of her past work, The Chelsea Girls begins in Italy where Hazel & Maxine meet on a USO tour and then a few years later, they are reunited in NYC at the Chelsea Hotel to work in theater together. Underneath all the friendship and artistic expression, the art world has come under siege due to rising fears of communism (the red scare).

Davis has quite the knack for discussing important parts of history while also lending her unique voice to the story and creating three dimensional characters that truly leap off the page. I learned a ton about a time period I knew little and also appreciated the fictional component of the friendship immensely.

Thank you to Dutton for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

New York’s infamous Chelsea Hotel has been the scene of a lot of scandals, triumphs, joys and heartbreak over the years.  Hazel Ripley and Maxine Mead are just two of the women who’ve passed through its iconic red brick façade, and they have problems bigger than the ghosts haunting the hotel’s walls to contend with.

They met in Italy as USO performers during World War II – Hazel an eternal understudy an aspiring playwright, Maxine a starlet wannabe who left her traditional family behind for dreams of a stage life. They develop a deep and true friendship as the tour goes on, bonded over saving a young German who has been named a conspirator by the Italians - and his eventual murder.

After the War, Hazel’s lucky break blooms thanks to a connection made while staying at the Chelsea.  Doors fly open for her thanks to the magic of the hotel’s social atmosphere; her first play Wartime Sonata, becomes a huge hit, with Maxine transformed into an overnight sensation as the play’s lead.  Both women fall into relationships  – Maxine with the married, abusive Arthur, Hazel with Charlie, a handsome boy from their wartime past.

But at the height of McCarthyism, it’s hard to put forth anything that might translate to seeming commie-sympathetic – which is an easy way to end up on the blacklist.   Maxine and Arthur have ties to the Party – ties that helped pluck Maxine from obscurity, and ties that might run even deeper than that.  Hazel meets with harsh scrutiny as they are soon as the play goes into production, and, as their burgeoning careers balloon, their worlds – as well as their lives – may be in danger.

Lisa Fernandes and Shanon Dyer  read The Chelsea Girls and are here to share their thoughts on the novel.

Lisa: Well, I loved this one!

Shannon: Me too! It's definitely one of my top reads of 2019!

Lisa:  I’m glad to hear it! Did you have any familiarity with the Red Scare and McCarthyism before reading the book?  I had some knowledge of the era due to researching Lucille Ball’s life.

Shannon: I read a bit about it in college history classes, but I didn't know much beyond the basics.

Lisa: The book definitely does an extremely good job in humanizing the nightmare – sort of like a feminist Trumbo. Have you read any of Ms. Davis’ other books?  I admit this one is my first.

Shannon: I've read and adored all three of her previous books. The Dollhouse is my personal favorite, but this one is a close second. I hope you plan to check out her other books. I think you'd enjoy them.

Lisa: Someday I will!  Hazel was my favorite character in this one, without a doubt – she reminded me of Judy Garland on several levels.

Shannon: You know, I didn't get a Garland vibe from Hazel, but I loved her as a heroine. She had some insecurities, mostly due to her mother's inability to say anything the least bit kind to her, but she didn't let them hold her back. She discovered her calling and went after it!

Lisa: I think it might’ve been her determination – and the abusive stage mom that evoked those similarities.  Maxine seems to be a more feisty go-get-‘em type at first, but at core she’s weaker, softer, and much more self-sacrificing.

Shannon: Maxine was harder for me to embrace than Hazel was. Her exterior was tougher for sure, but I agree she was a much weaker person on the whole. I didn't find her self-sacrificing as much as I found her selfish. Still, she was the perfect foil for Hazel.

Lisa: I think the book was kind of shooting for a self-sacrificing feeling with Maxine, especially when it came to her final choice at the end of the book, but yep – she was a walking example that getting and having it all is a hollow thing when you lose your dignity.  It helped to explain the strength of their bond and the pyrrhic sacrifice that Maxine makes for Hazel.  A little communication would’ve helped everyone, but alas!  On another topic - oof, the men these girls get tangled up with!  I adored Charlie though.

Shannon: Charlie was fantastic! At first, I wondered if he was going to be super weak-willed, but he didn't turn out to be that way at all.

Shannon: Speaking of the men, I was completely flabbergasted to discover what drew Maxine and Arthur together. I just wasn't expecting that at all.

Lisa: That was an unexpected twist.  I knew there had to be a deeper reason and a deeper purpose that bound them together, because Arthur was simply awful to Maxine; and even though Maxine was a fairly guilty, weak person I knew intimidation couldn’t have been the only reason why they became involved.  Davis had a way of making The Chelsea feel very modern and exciting, and then very run-down and dissolute – a good way of making the hotel feel real and like a breathing character all its own.  It reminded me of the Eloise books, and her point of view on the Plaza.

Shannon: I'm not all that familiar with The Plaza, but this way of breathing life into a historic building is one of Ms. Davis' trademarks. I come away from her writing with a much deeper knowledge about the locations she writes about, and the Chelsea Hotel is no exception.

Lisa: The book includes short, act-prefacing chapters featuring the ghosts of the Chelsea.  Did you know where these chapters were leading before they revealed their reasoning?  I loved the spooky atmosphere they left behind.

Shannon: I had a glimmer of an idea where those chapters were leading, but I ended up being wrong about most of it. I fell in love with those chapters though. I think they added an extra layer of mystery to the story, and mystery is something I'm almost always in favor of.

Lisa: What’s your final grade?  I’m going with an A  - a gorgeous novel, written perfectly, a tragedy with purpose that entertains while educating about the pain of the blacklist.

Shannon: It gets a solid A from me, too. The writing is phenomenal, and I was completely sucked into the plot. There were so many plot lines at work here, and Ms. Davis managed to weave them into a stunning tale of love, intrigue, and friendship.

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The book The Chelsea Girls tells the story of two women working on Broadway in the midst of the Red Square. It is an interesting story that tells the story of their friendship, beginning with how they met in the USO and how their friendship develops. I appreciated that this book easily passed the Bechdel test and was an accurate depiction of female friendship and the highs and lows that go with it. I also appreciated that it was set against the context of the Red Scare, which is a less popular context in current historical fiction. It also dealt with the Red Scare with appropriate historical complexity. However, I felt that some of the plot developments were a bit contrived and unbelievable, especially in act 2. I also felt that some of the winks at the audience when real historical figures entered the story were a bit distracting. However, it was an enjoyable book, and the depiction of friendship was particularly compelling.

thanks to Netgalley, publisher and Fiona David for this ARC. I loved this book. Interesting was the Chelsea hotel and the characters who lived there. A bit of history from the McCarthy years took me by surprise, so I learned some things with this one. A definite 4 star summer read.

This didn't seem to be the right book for me. I picked it up because I liked the synopsis but the ending was frustrating. It's a dual perspective historical fiction novel about two women living in New York City at the Chelsea Hotel. I struggled with this book because I disliked one of the main characters and reading their perspective frustrated me. That being said the writing was well done and the historical accuracy was well done. I appreciated that this is a topic that's being discussed in literature now because many authors have avoided talking about the McCarthy Era. But in my opinion, we need to talk about it if we want to learn from it. I felt like one of the main characters was manipulative and the book was supposed to be about an amazing friendship but the women were constantly comparing themselves or being manipulative of their friend. The relationship was really unhealthy and neither owned up to it. Also the ending was disappointing. I think Floyd as a character deserved a better ending and Maxine was so selfish that I felt absolutely nothing at the end of the book.

This is a marvelous story that takes the reader from the war zones of Naples during WWII to Broadway, during the McCarthy era. We meet Maxine Mead, an up and coming actress, and Hazel Ripley, also an aspiring actress who has foundered in the role of understudies. They are part of an USO troop in Naples Italy, as the war is winding down.
Returning to New York, Hazel starts writing, working meaningless radio spots and Maxine is off to Hollywood And stardom. They reunite in NY at the iconic
Chelsea Hotel, and Maxine’s determination to star in Hazel’s debut play
This is a journey of best friends that embraces deep friendship, secrets, and betrayals that tear many lives apart. It was a dark and cruel time in our history and Fiona Davis managed to weave a wonderful story into those turbulent times. She has developed strong, likable and interesting characters, while introducing us to the historic Chelsea, and the glittering world of the Broadway era, post WWII.
I loved this book and am grateful to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC, for my honest review. It’s a 5 star effort!
#TheChelseaGirls #PenquinRandomHouse

In The Chelsea Girls, Fiona Davis continues her innovative take on historical fiction by weaving a famous New York City building into her plot. In this case, it’s the story of two women in the entertainment industry who lived in the Chelsea Hotel during the Communist witch hunts of the 1950s. Told through the alternating points of view of Hazel and Maxine, the story follows their lives from the 1940s through the 1960s and shows the effect McCarthyism had on them. It’s an engaging read that had me looking forward to the next book by Fiona Davis.

*I received this book from NetGalley and in no way shape or form does that affect my opinions.

*CW: Suicide, Abuse

As with Fiona Davis' previous novels, The Chelsea Girls blends two different storylines together seamlessly. This is a story of friendship, heartbreak, betrayal, and art in Post World War II America. We have the stories of Hazel Ripley and Maxine Mead, how they are separate but come together so well. I loved both stories equally, I especially loved how Hazel wanted to create her own name for herself and step out of the shadows of her family's name. With Maxine's story, some of it is told in diary entries which are distinguishable and then we get her actual story. Both Hazel's and Maxine's stories are heartbreaking. However, I do feel [that both stories do come full circle. This is the fourth Fiona Davis book that I have read, and it definitely will not be my last.

Life at the Chelsea Hotel is dominated by artists and actors with all the glamour and drama accompanying life in the arts. This book provides insight into the struggles of artists in the McCarthy era. Hazel is young, idealistic, and naïve as she joins the USO troupe to entertain soldiers. Maxine is older and worldly but the two women become close friends and their lives are entwined in amazing ways.

This is an interesting read about an era that is not often written about in historical fiction.

I received an advance copy of The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I have read all of the books written by Fiona Davis. I love how she tells the story. In this particular book she uses the accusations and investigations of Senator McCarthy and others. In my opinion this was the best of all she has written. That is saying something because I have really enjoyed every one of them. I can’t wait for her next book. Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to preview The Chelsea Girls.

Wonderful mix of perspectives of the residents of the famed Chelsea Hotel from World War II to the Red Scare and the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities hearings. Once again Fiona Davis has carried us back in time to a New York that was and characters that are hard to forget. Poignant and lyrical, this book follows two actresses as they went from being in USO shows to Hollywood and Broadway to the triumphs and tragedies of the effects of the Cold War and Communism Red Scare of the 1950s after winning WWII. Real events woven into this narrative make it hard to put down.