It took me a bit longer to reward than expected but I found this a fascinating read about history of a huge part of the 20th century New York and its women, a reflection of possibility of freedoms that began to be available to women in this country. Very enjoyable and well researched with so much air of intimacy and personal experience.

A history of the famous/infamous Barbizon Hotel for Women in New York City and several of the famous/infamous women who stayed at the hotel. This was a very good, easily readable introductory history to the Barbizon and it's impact on women's history and the impact the hotel and others like it had on the freedom it gave women to be their own person and live on their own but still have a safe harbor in New York. The Barbizon attracted women from all classes and women like the Unsinkable Molly Brown, Sylvia Plath and Grace Kelly all stayed at the Barbizon as well as loads of unnamed secretaries and models. Bren does a good job of explaining the architecture of the building, the groups of women who stayed and the impact it had on the NY City skyline.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. This is the history of one of the most famous hotel in New York City. In it's hay day, it was the place for young women to live. It represented a safe place for all the young women trying to make it in the world. Some of the women were very successful, but other women rebelled against the restrictions of the time. Women had a certain role to play, and if you did not fit into that role it was very hard for you. Even the young women who lived there were expected to settle for a husband and children. This book is a history of the hotel, a history of women's rights and a history of some of the women who stayed at this famous hotel. Through the years, the hotel changed owners and it gradually went downhill. I really liked this book-it was well written with a lot of interesting facts about the Barbizon!

In the 1920's, the Barbizon opened as a women's only hotel in the middle of New York City. These exclusive residents catered to their every need as they sought careers, husbands, or just freedom. This book chronicles the story of the hotel, it's interaction with Mademoiselle magazine, and the famous people who lived within its walls.

I grew pretty bored with this book about halfway through. The book felt extremely repetitive and went over the same few people over and over. I wanted to hear a variety of stories and felt that the book lacked the variety needed for more than a short story or essay. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.

I've been intrigued by the Barbizon since my 11th grade English teacher said it was the real-life counterpart to "The Amazon" in <i>The Bell Jar.</i> Without a doubt, this was engaging and well-researched. I didn't gulp down the whole thing in one sitting, but I did read large chunks of it whenever I returned to reading this book. A good primer on the history of the former hotel and the times of its residents.

I'll stop short of saying it flowed nicely because Bren kept returning to specific years in the 1950s (specifically 1953, the year Sylvia Plath stayed), damming the narrative. But Plath was the main reason I wanted to read the book so I didn't mind too much that the focus was on her and her ilk.

This non-fiction book is an interesting look at the evolution of women’s independence and rights throughout the decades beginning in 1927 through current occupancy focusing largely on the 1930s through the 1950s. The Barbizon Hotel was a women only hotel in New York City that offered a safe environment for single women coming from all across America to the glamour of New York City. In a male dominated world, these young women were seeking independence, careers, and/or fame. While some achieved their dreams, for many young women the allure and excitement of the big city was not always all that they had hoped for it to be. There are references to many famous women whose names are easily recognized, however the majority of the thousands of women that the passed through the Barbizon doors were average young women from large and small towns filled with hopes and dreams in an environment of changing societal norms. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to friends and family members.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.
The Barbizon was a glamorous haven for women of all classes and professions. The famous, the ordinary, actresses, secretaries, writers and models graced the rooms of this hotel and its exclusivity provided a safe and comfortable haven. Some, arriving with a dream and a suitcase in hand became celebrities and household names; Joan Didion, Liza Minnelli, Joan Crawford, Grace Kelly, Sylvia Plath, Molly Brown and Barbara Chase, who broke the color barrier. Their lives are sprinkled throughout the pages of this book and provide an intriguing snapshot in time for the reader. This iconic building has stories to share and Pauline Bren provides a fascinating chronicle.
A highly recommended testament to this very grand hotel.

What do Rita Hayworth, Molly Brown, Joan Crawford, Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren, Liza Minnelli, Ali MacGraw, Jaclyn Smith, Phylicia Rashad, and a slew of writers like Sylvia Plath and Meg Wolitzer have in common? The Barbizon Hotel.


The Barbizon opened in 1928 just when the roaring twenties peaked. It was a hotel for ‘only women’, and during its long history, the beauty of its clientele attracted the attention of many famous men. Who would hang out to get a glimpse of New York’s latest arrivals. Men were never allowed beyond the mezzanine lobby but the hotel on Sixty-Third Street only drew the most prolific crowd.

If a young woman made her way past the interview with the front-desk assistant manager, she was placed into an A, B, or C category depending on her age. Also required were letters of reference regarding moral character, not to mention looks and background. If she passed these tests, she would be escorted to a tiny room consisting of matching bedspread, curtain, and wallpaper with a single bed, dresser, armchair, floor lamp, a small desk, and a wall radio. This was often more than the average small-town girl had at home where she might share space with a sibling. Rates were $10-$22 a week. The Barbizon was luxury and for its residents, it could be home for weeks, months, or even years.

This is where young women were sent to stay in New York because it was known to be a ‘safe’ place, where the elevator operators changed in the evenings to all-female to ensure no men were allowed on the upper floors. There was a front door bouncer to watch out for the female residents, and he took his job seriously. Women who aspired to ‘be somebody’ felt free to study, dance, act, sing, write, or take flight because their haven was the Barbizon.

Mademoiselle magazine used the Barbizon for the winners of their guest editor program and this book highlights many of these young women and their stories. While most only spent one week to a month at the Barbizon, the experience would change their lives as they pranced around to parties and fancy outings supported by the magazine. Most of these women were college students and would return to their homes with even grander dreams than one could imagine after the Mademoiselle experience.


The author paints a Barbizon tapestry highlighting the enormous number of features the establishment offered to the needs of its residents. There was never a need to leave the full-service Barbizon. It had a dry cleaner, hairdresser, swimming pool, fashion designs, library, soundproof rooms for musicians and roof gardens.

Of course, each decade required changes to accommodate the latest trends and social requirements. Through the great depression, a world war, and into the fifties the hotel was home to young women artists, writers, and more.

This is an epic tale, and while I’m a chronological thinker, revisiting previous decades and repeating information was a bit of a struggle. But the book is fun and informative and even a bit glamorous. Enjoy.

2.5 stars, rounded up.

Prior to picking up <i>The Barbizon</i>, I had never heard of The Barbizon Hotel. I enjoy non-fiction stories of women, glamour, and history, so deciding to read <i>The Barbizon</i> was easy. It started off at a good pace, explaining the many histories that The Barbizon Hotel was host to: the Katharine Gibbs secretarial school, the <i>Mademoiselle</i> magazine guest editor competitions, and the famed writers, artists, and socialites that graced its rooms. It was delightful to learn about Sylvia Plath, Grace Kelly, Betsy Talbott Blackwell and others. I could imagine being a 20-something, vibrant young woman from small-town America, walking into The Barbizon and being overwhelmed by femininity, New York City, and the vastness of my own potential.

About 50-60% in, the book fell flat for me. It started to feel repetitive and that it was going nowhere. I can't tell you how many times Bren mentions that Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, Betsey Johnson, et al stayed at The Barbizon. I wanted the book to be more linear, more heavily edited, and more fluid. The topic is interesting, but the book dragged too long.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

Favorite quote:
<i>"The hushed talk of her nervous breakdown, of disappearing under her mother's porch with a bottle of pills, the manhunt that followed, merely added to her mystique in an era, Peggy later realized, 'when neuroticism among women authors was almost a necessary badge of membership in the women's creative community.'"

I received this copy through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a fantastic read. The story follows the Barbizon hotel in New York from the building of it to what it now is today. I loved seeing the Barbizon through the years. The various women that shaped the hotel. The author took the time to work through the years of the Barbizon through the experiences of some famous women and some who were not. I really liked the in depth look at the running of the hotel. The changes that it went through at times broke my heart. I had not previously heard of the Barbizon and this was a great history of the hotel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
There have been many books lately about women who passed through the Barbizon. Here we have a history of the hotel itself. A great deal of time is devoted to Mademoiselle magazine and its Guest Editor program which funneled ambitious, young GE's through through the hotel. Many of its famous residents are discussed at length - Grace Kelly, Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion. Impeccably researched and well written, it fills in the history of the Barbizon. Occasionally, it drags a little and is a bit repetitive but definitely worth reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this title. I found the history of this hotel for women fascinating from it's conception and the tenement laws that lead to it's design through it's end as condominiums. This title focuses as much on the hotel's impact on the women who walked through it's halls as a chronical of the change in the outside world for women's rights and societal expectations. Famous guests who passed through the doors are a prime focus with names such as Titanic survivor Molly Brown, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, author Sylvia Plath, movie star Rita Hayworth, author Meg Wolitzer, designer Betsey Johnson, and so many more! My favorite thing while reading this title was the look at society's expectations on these women in New York alone and how that changed over the years which starts with the flappers and goes through the women's movement of the 60's and 70's.

I have already started to recommend this title to my colleagues and friends who have an interest in nonfiction titles, the guests who graced the halls of the Barbizon, and those who are hoping for something to go back to again and again. I will be recommending this addition to our library's nonfiction collection.

I really enjoyed the first 50% or so (note: references etc started at 80% on my Kindle) but once I hit the 1950s/Sylvia Plath section, I lost interest. I put it down for a fiction novel and had trouble picking it back up. Please note these are Interesting Times and I've dropped a lot of books this year. Overall recommended.

I received a free ecopy of the book from NetGalley. I never heard of the Barbizon Hotel before reading the book. I was fascinated by the concept. I definitely wanted to learn more. I, also, really enjoy non fiction.

The book is the stories of various woman who stayed or lived at the Barbizon. It focuses mainly on the celebrities, models, and women who worked for Mademoiselle. I was most fascinated about the stories of Sylvia Plath.

The book focuses mainly on the history of the hotel fron the 1930's - 1950's. A time when women's roles were so different. The book talks about women's roles, being single, getting married, depression, suicide, assault, racism, ageism, sex, eating disorders, and so much more.

The book is so interesting at times. There was so much information that I did not know about. It is very raw in talking about such sensitive subjects. It was so surprising, how many celebrities, that I remember, stayed at the hotel.

The book was sort of difficult to read. The chapters are very long. The grammar is not the best. It has some run off sentences. Yet, the content is fascinating.

It is a book that I will need to reread. There is so much to learn from the book. I am appreciative to the author for the opportunity to read the book.

A stunning history of American women seen through the scrim of The Barbizon in NYC. The residential hotel housed single women only, propelled to pursue their career dreams via post-WWI freedoms and the right to vote. The residents are enthralling ... from actresses Grace Kelly to Ali McGraw, writers Sylvia Plath to Joan Didion, along with fashion models and secretaries all clambering for success in the big city. A 20th Century historical gem!

Pub Date 02 Mar 2021

Thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#TheBarbizon #NetGalley

The Barbizon Hotel for Women has a storied history. People from Molly Tobin Brown (Unsinkable), to Grace Kelly, Sylvia Plath, and Ali McGraw all found refuge is the rooms that were forbidden to men. and reasonably priced so that young women had a save haven while trying to establish careers or looking for Mr Marriagable in NYC.

However, this alleged biography of a building strays from it's intention and veers into the stories of some of the women but more so, the story of Mademoiselle Magazine, a fashion bible for girls growing up in the 1950s to 1970s. How do I know this? Because it was my bible and the back-to-school issue that came out each August, double the size of the monthly magazine, packed with ads for dresses, wedding rings, and even bridal dresses.

The issue was made more special by the GEs who supposedly wrote it. It actually is impressive how many women who got their start as GE at Mademoiselle had successful writing career. However it always circles back to Sylvia Plath and the Bell Jar.

Honestly, I can see a really great RomCom movie made from this book. Lots of famous names and the fortunes of a roller coaster of the New York economy that supported then dumped the Barbizon as a landmark destination.. Anyone of the young women staying there would be a great central figure, likely dressed in an Ann Marie dress with matching coat striding along the upper East Side.

If you have seen Stagedoor, the 1930s movie starring Katharine Hepburn, GInger Rogers, and Lucille Ball, you have already seen the movie but as a period piece. It could be brought forward a few decades and would be a great representation of the dreams of young New Yorkers back in the day.

One interesting side note, and really not given a deep enough reading, is "the Women", ladies who took up residence in the hotel and managed to hold on to their rent controlled apartments through many reconstructions, many attempts to oust them, time passing when they become an eyesore in the lobby and a warning of what happens when you don't snatch opportunity.

This was a subject with lots of potential staying within the walls of the building. The parallel story of the Mademoiselle GEs perhaps deserves it's own books with chapters of each starry eyed college coed who had one great adventure as a editorial assistant while staying in a nunnery of the Upper East Side.

I have always found The Barbizon utterly fascinating as well as its female residents. Given the great detail in history and origin I live vicariously through Bren’s efforts.

Lots of name dropping, the ties between Gibbs, Mademoiselle, allowing you to truly experience The Barbizon. I was immersed and could not stop turning the pages. If you are already educated on The Barbizon, you will certainly enjoy learning more of the illustrious residence. I wish I was of the era of this fascinating dwelling but thankfully in my minds eye I have a wonderful idea of what life would have been like among such amazing women.

Bren does illustrates how society and history changed for women as a whole during the this century.

Wonderful read, thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I was looking forward to this book, and for the most part enjoyed it. It was well researched and showed what life was like for women after WWI as they sought the right to vote and employment. The Barbizon was the first all women residential hotel in NYC and this book should find its place in women studies classes. The last half, however bogged down in repetition, and too much about Mademoiselle magazine. Still an informative and interesting history.

I was excited to find a book about the Barbizon Hotel. I remember my mother talking about taking the train from Cincinnati to NYC to shop, attend the theater and visit museums and stay at the Barbizon Hotel. I always held a somewhat mystique for me. It would have been in the 1950's that my mother and her friend would stay there.

It was interesting to learn the history of how a woman's only hotel came about and learn a bit about the residents. They tended to be those of the upper class.

The progression of the book was interesting for me. The first third or so held my interest as it talked about the women looking for work, such as models. As it progressed, it felt as though the book was more about Mademoiselle magazine whose guest college editors stayed at the Barbizon. The last third was very easy for me to put down as it became very repetitious. The editors need to tighten up the book. I am giving the book 3 stars though it is really 2.5. What could have been a great read was just a book about those who "have" and not as well written as it could have been.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest feedback.

Paulina Bren has brought to life in a few hundred pages the results of thousands of hours, pages, interviews, photos, and documents covering nearly a century of life in New York for women who made history there. Even more women may have slipped unnoticed through the Barbizon hotel, but they found a place in the world, a haven for women outside of the usual career path of wife and mother.

My Kindle is packed full of highlights, and I'm only a few chapters in. The contrast between The Unsinkable Molly Brown and The Flappers is intriguing. The GIbbs girls, the Powers models, the history of working women in America, the opportunities that arose, and the way these women came together in a giant residence hall, so to speak, in the biggest, brightest U.S. city, are subjects high school girls should be addressing in their term papers. And PhD candidates. This book is a doctoral thesis in and of itself, but far more readable than most academic fare. If I were a history teacher, or women's studies, I would include this rich, lively book. Dense with names and dates, places and events, yet readable and full of delights as well as tales of pathos, "The Barbizon" is a must-read. (I would assign it to our youngest daughter, but even at almost-age-25, she won't read anything I send her way.)

If anyone would bother to read a longer review with names, excerpts from the book, and other tidbits, I might take time to post them. For now, it seems to me shorter reviews are more popular than long ones.

This book is so exhaustively researched, so full of information and detail, I cannot even imagine the time and effort Paulina Bren invested in The Barbizon. For readers who think "too much information," it's easy to skim. For those who want the whole story, this is like an entire one-semester class in one area of women's history.
#HIghlyRecommended!