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Against the unforgettable backdrop of New York near the turn of the twentieth century, from the Gilded Age world of formal balls and opera to the immigrant poverty of the Lower East Side, bestselling author Susan Vreeland again breathes life into a work of art in this extraordinary novel, which brings a woman once lost in the shadows into vivid color.
It’s 1893, and at the Chicago World’s Fair, Louis Comfort Tiffany makes his debut with a luminous exhibition of innovative stained-glass windows, which he hopes will honor his family business and earn him a place on the international artistic stage. But behind the scenes in his New York studio is the freethinking Clara Driscoll, head of his women’s division. Publicly unrecognized by Tiffany, Clara conceives of and designs nearly all of the iconic leaded-glass lamps for which he is long remembered.
Clara struggles with her desire for artistic recognition and the seemingly insurmountable challenges that she faces as a professional woman, which ultimately force her to protest against the company she has worked so hard to cultivate. She also yearns for love and companionship, and is devoted in different ways to five men, including Tiffany, who enforces to a strict policy: he does not hire married women, and any who do marry while under his employ must resign immediately. Eventually, like many women, Clara must decide what makes her happiest—the professional world of her hands or the personal world of her heart.
Review:
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I am really drawn to stories from the turn of the 20th century, so I was looking forward to reading Clara and Mr. Tiffany, by Susan Vreeland. As much as I loved the setting of old New York City, the historical details, and the characters, I found the book to be a bit slow. Not much happens over the course of the novel.
What I Liked:
Setting:
The book is set in New York City in the "Gilded Age" of the early 20th century. I loved the optimism of the time. This was a moment in history when immense public work projects were set in motion. Iconic symbols of New York such as the subway system, the Flatiron building, and the New York public library were being constructed.
But the novel also showed the great disparity between the wealthy, white establishment and recent immigrants. There were depictions of overwhelming poverty in tenements where it was so crowded that people rented space in the hallways of apartment buildings!
Historical Details:
I loved the historical details of how people lived. Many young people, such as Clara, lived in boarding houses. This was practical, but also showed the reader how many people had so little that they could carry everything they owned in just a suitcase. In a time before Marie Kondo was needed, Clara had just a few changes of clothes, one or two books, and some small mementos.
Role of Women:
The book shed light on the difficulties women faced in the early 1900's. If you married, you were at the mercy of your husband. Married women could not work to earn their own money. And if their husbands had financial problems, women were the ones scrambling to feed their children and secure a place to live.
Even though Clara had a job, she had to face disparities in working conditions, pay, and autonomy with the male coworkers. This played out when the men at her factory went on strike and demanded that Mr. Tiffany get rid of female employees.
Characters:
I really loved Clara. In a time where married women were not allowed to work, she chose art over a more traditional life. She wanted to be remembered for her art, and not defined just by her romantic relationships. I liked that the author didn't paint her as tragically lonely, or unfulfilled. She certainly did need to fight for recognition, but she lived an unconventional, rich life.
Mr. Tiffany was also a complicated character. Often oblivious to the hardships of his workers, he remained focused on bringing art and beauty to the people. Of course, most people could not afford his extravagant designs. There was a constant pressure to lower the quality (and price range) of his products from his business partners. But he and Clara were most in sync when designing beautiful stained glass lamps. The scenes of their collaboration were mesmerizing.
There were several characters in this novel that showed just how difficult it would have been to be gay at that time. George, and his friends, are mostly artistic types who seem to have a life of leisure. But underneath their frivolity was tension. If they were known to be gay, they would have been arrested.
What I Didn't Like:
Story Arc & Pacing:Because this book was based on the real life events of Clara Driscoll, the story sometimes meandered without much happening. Clara's life was interesting. But the big events in her life happened over many years. Sometimes there seemed to be smaller conflicts presented as filler between these larger milestones. I wish the author would have chosen a smaller window of time to focus on. This would have strengthened the pacing.
Rating:
Release Date: February 11th, 2011
Author: Susan Vreeland
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Length: 432 Pages
Source: Public Library
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: If you enjoy historical fiction, there is much to love in this book. I would recommend getting this at the library.
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