BUZZ BOOK: This NYC author uses iconic buildings as characters

Author Fiona Davis has carved out a successful niche for herself in a somewhat unlikely area of fiction: buildings. That is, she writes compelling historical fiction that centers on a New York landmark and the characters that populate it during different time periods. For her first novel, “The Dollhouse,” she wrote about the now-defunct Barbizon Hotel for Women; in “The Address,” it was the exclusive Dakota apartment building. Her latest, “The Masterpiece” (Dutton), out now, focuses on Grand Central, a location she chose after taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the mag- nificent terminal.

“At first, I wasn’t sure if a transportation hub was a good fit,” says Davis, “But my research led me to a couple of gems in its history that I couldn’t resist.”

The book focuses on two women, 50 years apart. In 1928, there’s 25year-old Clara, who attends the art school that existed on the top floor of the east wing for two decades. In 1974, there’s Virginia, who works in the information booth of a dark and gritty Grand Central that’s at the heart of a fierce battle over landmark status. “I love the way it’s changed over time, from a gleaming, busy landmark in the 1920s, with its turquoise ceiling and shiny marble walls, to a dark, dirty, dangerous place during the 1970s, when the city was almost bankrupt and the terminal’s landmark status revoked,” says Davis (inset). “I love the fact that New Yorkers like Jackie Kennedy Onassis came to its rescue and saved it from being destroyed. Today, many people aren’t even aware of how close we came to losing it. The narrative arc of the terminal reflects that of the city, one of my favorite themes to explore.”

Next on her docket: A book set at the Chelsea Hotel in the early 1950s and late 1960s. “It’s from the points of view of an actress and a playwright during the McCarthy era, and I’m very excited to get it out next summer.”