City of Girls

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Gilbert, Elizabeth, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Gilbert, Elizabeth
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Traverwood Branch

Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s. Told from the perspective of an older woman as she looks back on her youth with both pleasure and regret (but mostly pleasure), City of Girls explores themes of female sexuality and promiscuity, as well as the idiosyncrasies of true love. In 1940, nineteen-year-old Vivian Morris has just been kicked out of Vassar College, owing to her lackluster freshman-year performance. Her affluent parents send her to Manhattan to live with her Aunt Peg, who owns a flamboyant, crumbling midtown theater called the Lily Playhouse. There Vivian is introduced to an entire cosmos of unconventional and charismatic characters, from the fun-chasing showgirls to a sexy male actor, a grand-dame actress, a lady-killer writer, and no-nonsense stage manager. But when Vivian makes a personal mistake that results in professional scandal, it turns her new world upside down in ways that it will take her years to fully understand. Ultimately, though, it leads her to a new understanding of the kind of life she craves - and the kind of freedom it takes to pursue it. It will also lead to the love of her life, a love that stands out from all the rest. Now eighty-nine years old and telling her story at last, Vivian recalls how the events of those years altered the course of her life - and the gusto and autonomy with which she approached it. "At some point in a woman's life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time," she muses. "After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is." Written with a powerful wisdom about human desire and connection, City of Girls is a love story like no other.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Luxury, lightheartedness and tragedy combine in Gilbert's latest submitted by eapearce on August 7, 2019, 12:03pm Many may know Elizabeth Gilbert from her famous memoir Eat, Pray, Love, but my favorite of her works is The Signature of All Things. However, City of Girls comes in a close second! This is a richly woven story about a freethinking woman living in New York in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. A seamstress, her descriptions of the costumes and wedding gowns she sews are sumptuous and her tales of nightclubs, dance halls, and showgirls kept me turning the pages. The story is not all lighthearted however. The onset of World War II introduces tragedy to many lives, including the narrator's, and changes the course of her future in ways that she never expected. I highly recommend this latest from Gilbert!

A Peek into 1940s NYC Theater Life submitted by kirterry on August 8, 2019, 8:26pm The first two-thirds of this book offers a backstage look at a struggling theater company and pre-WWII New York nightlife, filled with memorable characters, enticing drama, and witty banter. The book ends in a much more quiet fashion, but it does justice to the main character, who remains independent and progressive (for her era) throughout.

Great historical fiction submitted by A2AE on July 27, 2020, 6:25am I read this months ago and still think of the wildly colorful and eccentric characters, clever lines from the book, and the vividly described scenes from 1940s New York. It’s a great book that I’m looking forward to reading again.

Absolutely loved it! submitted by mandevil on April 18, 2021, 4:46pm Beautifully written, heartfelt, tragic, wonderous

Fun Summer Read submitted by ktscott on July 18, 2021, 5:40pm Another fun summer read-- not too intense and feels fun to read on the back deck in the summer sun, or in this particular summer of 21, in the house hiding from the rain. Truly a fun read, an engaging narrator, and a strong woman. Enjoy this read!

Exquisite! submitted by emeryca on June 19, 2022, 9:11am This book is a goddam delight. Laughing aloud and also feeling the characters’ personal growth as she navigates sex and sexism, personal responsibility, and new york.

Fun read on a story less told submitted by Bethybeth07 on June 25, 2022, 9:14pm Absolutely enjoyed every page of this book. Loved the historical elements to it and the writing style was exquisite. I wish there were more!

Theatre in the 1940s submitted by hiker15 on August 10, 2023, 6:55pm Fun look at a niece moving to the big city and staying with her aunt who is in the theater. It was an engaging read as I wanted to see what ended up happening to her and to the rest of her theater friends.