Anna Davis

The Shoe Queen by Anna Davis was an interesting read. Set in Paris during the 1920’s, it captures the glittering life of the authors and artists that had flocked to this city, and the swirling dedication to living life to it’s fullest that this war-torn generation had committed itself to. This party life-style was paid for by the haute mode and rich Americans that also arrived in Paris at this time. Drinking, fun and outrageous behavior was the style of the day.

There is much name show more dropping throughout the 400 pages of this book. Celebrities of the day such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemmingway, E.E. Cummings and Coco Chanel all appear at one time or another. Other characters are obviously based on real people that were living in Paris during the 1920’s.

The fashions and styles of the day are described in great detail, particularly the shoes. But, unfortunately, what this book was lacking was a good story. The main characters are a self-centered, shoe obsessed, spoiled rich girl and her wet blanket of a husband. It was hard to have any feeling about the disintegration of their marriage or have any sympathy for either of them. There was some effort to show that she, at least, had grown and matured by the end of the book, but by that time, I hardly cared.

So, an interesting read about Paris in the 1920’s, but disappointing that the author couldn’t have provided a stronger storyline to compliment this marvellous setting. show less

The Jewel Box is set in London in the spring and early summer of 1927. Grace Rutherford is a copywriter for an ad agency by day, but by night she’s Diamond Sharp, a girl-about-town and newspaper columnist. She starts an affair with Dexter O’Connell, a famous American writer, while simultaneously attracted to John Cramer, another American writer abroad, who befriends Grace’s sister Nancy, a widowed mother of two The “present” is interspersed with scenes from the “past” (the show more War).

The Jewel Box is an exceedingly charming book. Anna Davis takes the reader to a world where people drank gin fizzes and smoked cigarettes in long holders at places with names like the Tour Eiffel or the Kit Kat Club, when people danced the Charleston and women wore their hair in Louise Brooks-style bobs. Grace/Diamond IS the flapper of the 1920s, but, like everyone else of her generation, she’s haunted by the past. How does one, as Grace reflects, “draw a line under recent events and move on?”

Characterization is very strong in this novel. O’Connell and Cramer, I noticed, are very much like F. Scott Fitzgerald, in many ways—I won’t go into them so as not to spoil the story overmuch. Suffice it to say that The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night probably had a lot of influence on this book—not so much in terms of overall writing style as in plot. The back of this novel says that it’s about secrets and lies, but it’s also about betrayal, too—betrayal of the most insidious kind. In fact, you might end up even despising Grace a little bit.

As the author says in interview questions at the end of the book, there’s a specific reason why she set the book in the spring and summer of 1927. The “past” in mentioned often, but it’s sort of glossed over. Maybe that was the author’s intention—to take the focus and put it on the happy events in Grace’s life, not the ones that brought so much heartache. As it is, this novel is written in a light-hearted, funny tone (especially the “excerpts” from Diamond’s column that start off each chapter). There’s an “introduction” to The Jewel Box at the end (kind of contradictory, but whatever), a short piece on the history of the columnist, and a rather silly list of discussion questions. Much more interesting are the questions the author answers at the end of the novel, which explains a lot about the impetus behind the writing of The Jewel Box. In all, this is a hugely compelling novel, one which sometimes gave me a lot to think about. show less

Oh this is a delight. A solid 3.8 stars. A snappy historical fiction novel set in London in the late 1920's. It has parts that hark back into the mid 19-teens and WWI to illustrate plot points and character background / motivation but it is well done. There are elements of romance but they are set well within the plot/storyline and enmeshed in the ongoing relationships of the characters. The period is fairly well drawn and you get a sense of the dichotomy between the racy well to do set and show more the dreary work a day world of those trying to make ends meet after the war. The author does this with an adept hand through various means.

If you enjoy a novel that drops you into the 1920's, gives you a taste of the nightlife of London, some snappy dialogue, and shows you life of women of the period - pick this up toot suite! show less

The Jewel Box by Anna Davis is an informative leap back through time to the year 1927. Diamond Sharp aka Grace Rutherford is a witty girl of the moment, or “it“ girl. She is flapper by night and career girl during the day. She gives us a window into what it was like to be a women during this year of fast moving change. The story hinges on her involvement with two handsome American men who are authors.

Diamond Sharp is portrayed as being selfish and covetous of her sisters beaus. Grace show more Rutherford is just a career focused daughter and sister seeking true love. It is riveting reading discovering how these two sides of Grace work together while seemingly at cross purposes to help Grace mature and find the happiness she has been searching for.

The format of this book is narration interspersed with personal letters and columns from Diamond Sharp’s weekly social commentary on all that is new and fashionable. It is also a story within a story as the American authors comment on the book they wrote together, The Vision. Because of this I would even give the book a second reading right after the first. There are multiple love stories to untangle as well as following Grace’s capitulation between her two love interests and understanding what role The Vision plays in all of this.

This book is faced paced immersion into the life and times of a 1920‘s woman. It is worth waltzing through more than once. You will be informed and entertained simultaneously. You will feel you just danced a Charleston by the story’s conclusion. Because I wanted to be fascinated and was not let down in any way, this book gets my big thumbs up. show less