South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
2 young women, 2 eras of New York weave through ‘The Magnolia Palace’
Two young women in two eras separated by nearly 50 years try to survive in New York City in Fiona Davis’ sixth fascinating novel, “The Magnolia Palace.” It’s a story that melds history, wealth, art and family bonds set against the background of the Frick Collection at the Henry Clay Frick House.
Using the modeling world and how it has changed, yet also remains the same through the decades, allows Davis also to explore the struggles of young women to be taken seriously while adding an unvarnished look at the wealthy in “The Magnolia Palace.”
The novel begins in 1919 when Lillian Carter believes her career as one of the most-sought after models in New York is over. Using the alias Angelica, she became the era’s supermodel, a career she began when she was 15 years old, with her likeness used in sculptures and landmarks such as the Plaza Hotel and the Brooklyn Bridge. Now 21, she is in deep mourning for her recently deceased mother, scraping by with small jobs, no longer “the muse” she once was.
Through mistaken identity, Lillian ends up at the mansion of steel magnate Henry Frick, where she becomes the private secretary of his daughter, Helen. A scandal and hints of a murder plot force Miss Lilly — as she is known at the mansion — to flee.
In 1966, Veronica Weber comes from London to New York to be a model, and is assigned a photo shoot at the Frick mansion, now a New York museum known for its vast art collection. Veronica ends up stranded in the Frick during a snow storm, along with archivist Joshua Lawrence. A discovery of forgotten papers may provide clues to the location of a rare diamond that has been lost since 1919.
Alternating the plot between the two women’s stories allows Davis the opportunity to skillfully explore the changes in the city by focusing on two eras in the grip of change. The formalities of 1919 with its calling cards and class system give way to a more tumultuous 1966 and the Civil Rights Movement.
Davis delivers a sumptuous look at the Frick, which was built as a home for the wealthy family and their myriad servants with “the express purpose” that the house and its extensive
art collection would eventually be donated to New York as a museum. In “The Magnolia Palace,” Davis takes the reader by the hand, becoming a personal guide through the various rooms, up and down the staircases, viewing the breathtaking art while also giving a history lesson on the myriad pieces.
Vivid characters enhance “The Magnolia Palace” with the main focus on Lillian, who is a quick study despite her lack of formal education. Her years as a successful model taught her how to take on multiple personas, which serves her well as she deals with the imperious Fricks. Her experience also helps her hide her past as Angelica from the Fricks. Their home includes many sculptures and paintings of nude women, some with her likeness, but the family would never accept the real woman who had posed for their much-revered art.
The Fricks are arrogant, with an air of entitlement, though that term may not have existed then. But Davis avoids cliches while making the family three-dimensional. The unhappy Helen is intelligent but her main goal is pleasing her father, “her life a prism of others’ needs.” The aging Henry garnered a reputation as a ruthless businessman whose tactics resulted in several deaths. He now pits his children against each other, enjoying their sniping.
Davis smoothly layers fact onto fiction in the excellent “The Magnolia Palace,” which may inspire numerous visits to the Frick museum.
Meet the author
Fiona Davis will discuss “The Magnolia Palace” as the guest speaker during LitLunch, sponsored by the Broward Public Library Foundation, beginning at 11:15 a.m. March 18 in the Mary N. Porter Riverview Ballroom at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets begin at $120; visit bplfoundation.org/ litlunch for more information and to register. LitLunch also will include a silent auction and book signing and is a kickoff for the foundation’s annual Literary Feast April 1 and 2.