The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

 

Hello everyone. I hope your day is perfection.

When you are from New York State (notice I capitalize "state" as we consider it a specific place) and we say we're going to the city it doesn't mean Buffalo or Syracuse.  Going to the city means New York City. When I was a kid, we got all "the city" TV channels, along with small town locals. There is a downside to that...Crazy Eddie commercials.  Don't know what they are?  Count yourself lucky!  They were commercials for this guy that sold small appliances.  He was loud, gruff, and screamed at the camera.  He ended each commercial with "Crazy Eddie, his prices are insane!" You can see them on YouTube, but don't say I didn't warn you. 

My parents went to the city often, leaving us kids at home.  Sometimes we would go as a family. One time I went alone with my parents, no sisters. They wanted me to experience something very special, The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.  The building itself is amazing, but I don't remember it.  What I do remember is the music, beautiful, room filling, and live.  I remember the stage actually being three stages and they moved up and down.  Most of all, I remember the Rockettes.  They were so pretty and smiling.  They danced perfectly in sync. The costumes were like the best Christmas decoration you could ever imagine, full of color and sparkle. It was wonderful and many decades later, I still remember it.  What a fantastic tribute to those women, that decades later, a little girl (now practically old lady) still remembers them.

I recently read The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. This is the story of a young dancer, Marion, in 1956 who goes through the exhaustive audition process to win a spot as a Radio City Rockette.  She is shunned by her father who wants her to have the life of a lady, married, at home, having a family.  Marion wants to dance and experience independence.  The book includes a cast of interesting characters including a young doctor specializing in mental health.  He believes he has developed a way to profile criminals by their behavior and the clues they leave behind.  This proves useful as he and Marion are pulled into an investigation of a bomber who has been terrorizing the city for 16 years yet remains at large.

This book is historic fiction, but don't let that scare you off. The story is completely engrossing.  Loads of research has been done into Radio City's workings and what it takes to be a Rockette.  In addition, the history of the bomber is real.  This adds a mystery/thriller component to the tale of a young woman trying to follow her heart and live her life and not the one that others want for her. The book reads smoothly and moves along with just the right amount of description to transport you to 1956 Manhattan. You'll cheer for Marion and cry for her, this is the complete storytelling package.  You can kick up your heels for this book, a delight from beginning to end.

Now would be the perfect time for Crazy Eddie as this book is insanely good!

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a wonderful day.

When I moved out of my parents' house I settled in coastal Virginia.  I had saved a thousand dollars and thought it was a million.  I got a tiny apartment on the Chesapeake Bay.  I mean, on the bay...walk out the door and onto the beach.  If you've never lived on a huge body of water with a pretty sandy beach, you're missing out.  Do it while you're young, as you age the storms, traffic and frankly, the sand that travels into every ounce of carpet and every part of your body, becomes highly annoying. I found a job, making barely $12,000 a year and was convinced I was six months from becoming CEO.  One of the first purchases I made with my new "grand" lifestyle was a piece of high-end makeup.  An item, just one, I couldn't afford it but it was certainly necessary for someone in my elevated position. I went to a department store and bought a blush, an Estee Lauder blush.  It came in a beautiful cream color compact with a raised gold square in the middle with an etched scripted E.  I can hear the snickering out there, but that blush became such a symbol of my independence that I kept it for years.  If you watch the movie Home Alone, the mom pulls out the same compact while on the plane.  Now anyone who has a TV show has a cosmetics line, but back in the day, there were classics and Estee Lauder was among the best.

I recently read Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen.  This is the story of Estee Lauder as she tries to sell the creams she makes in the kitchen of her apartment.  She dreams of becoming a major player in the beauty industry and is determined to become the best. The story, told from the perspective of her best friend, Gloria, is endearing.  We learn that Gloria has a secret past which she wrestles with as it threatens to ruin her life.  Meanwhile, Estee has secrets of her own.  The story progresses as the women grow as people and in their careers, following Estee from selling one cream in the corner of hair salons to icon.  Gloria goes from being on the verge of being homeless to an executive in cosmetics buying for Saks Fifth Avenue. Each woman struggles to learn what happiness and success means to them.

This story is well written and rich with character development.  While historic fiction, it is far from a history textbook moving quickly telling its evolving story. In addition, it gives us a peek behind the scenes of the beauty industry and how it is very competitive.  If you've ever been at the makeup counter and received a "gift with purchase" or had a consultation, you need to read this book.  If you've ever gotten mascara in your eye, read this book. If you love lipstick, read...oh heck just read the book if you like makeup.  If you aren't a cosmetics enthusiast know that this is a good and interesting story with characters you will care about.

I wonder if I need to try Estee Lauder's wrinkle products...no comments necessary!