The Chelsea Girls

The Chelsea Girls gets off to a very fast-paced start as Hazel, a perennial Broadway understudy lands in Italy to join the USO Tour, and she is catapulted immediately onto the stage. The action doesn't let up as Hazel and her new friend Maxine find themselves coming to the aid of a German boy suspected of being a spy. Hazel and Maxine's days with the USO tour are rendered with the sort of alternating mystique and heartbreak that you might expect of adventures in a new place, but one that is broken by war.

However, when the war ends and the two return to the states - Maxine to a burgeoning career in Hollywood and Hazel to New York City and her mother's oppressive disappointment, the story seems to lose some of its spark. The Chelsea Hotel show more and its denizens are well-wrought but Hazel's entrance onto the scene and her "inspired" career in writing and directing is too easily come by to the point of feeling contrived.

The two friends reunite to stage Hazel's Broadway debut, but there are forces at work that stand to rob Hazel of her fifteen minutes of fame. The communist hunting House Un-American Activities Committee puts Hazel in a different kind of spotlight, and leading lady Maxine's behavior becomes more and more bizarre until everything comes to a head on opening night. Unfortunately, both female main characters seem to grow more wooden instead of less as the story progresses. Hazel's responses to her circumstances seem to be ill-placed, not occurring when would seem natural but being delayed and then awkwardly inserted for dramatic effect.

Despite its failings, though, The Chelsea Girls successfully tackles an era of history that is often glossed over. Davis captures the paranoia running rampant in politics during the McCarthy era, the fear that an offhand remark could ruin a life, and the witch trial-esque interrogations where the only option seemed to be to name names or be taken to be a communist yourself. Between that and a well timed twist that I definitely wasn't expecting, I'd still recommend this book. show less

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis takes us back in time with Hazel Ripley and Maxine Mead. From 1945 through the late 1960s we join Hazel and Maxine on their journeys. Hazel joined the USO in 1945 to finally get a chance to be on stage instead of being an understudy. She meets Maxine Mead in Italy where she is the star performer of their all-female troupe. A terrible incident forms a bond between the ladies that aids them in their careers. The Chelsea Hotel in New York City is a haven for creative types (writers, artists, musicians, actors, singers, etc.). Hazel ends up at the Chelsea Hotel in 1950 when she needs a place to write a play that is bursting to come out. Maxine needs an escape from California and soon joins her. Hazel’s show more play is about to be produced when communism rears its ugly head and FBI agents are patrolling the Great White Way. The 1950s is not the best time to be in the entertainment industry as Senator McCarthy begins his witch hunt for communists. Many careers are ruined in McCarthy’s search. I thought The Chelsea Girls was well-written with developed characters. The author provides detailed descriptions which brings the characters and scenes to life. The pacing was gentle which went with the story. I like how the author made the Chelsea a character. It became a living and breathing entity. We get to know its history of the establishment along with the various characters who have lived and worked there. I enjoyed the variety of intriguing and lively characters that inhabited the hotel. It was interesting learning more about Broadway and how a play comes to life. Fiona Davis captured the time period along the feelings of the people being questioned and persecuted by McCarthy. The emotions poured from the pages. It was fascinating to read about this time period. It is not an era that is usually addressed in fiction. I liked that there was a good twist later in the book. We get to see two women whose friendship is tested during a tumultuous time. I do not want to say too much and spoil the story for you. The Chelsea Girls is a complex novel that transports readers to New York City during the 1950s and early 1960s. I am curious where Fiona Davis will take us next time. show less

The Chelsea Girls

A intriguing and satisfying story of a iconic hotel, female friendships and a dark era of our political history.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Hazel Ripley first meets actress, Maxine Mead on a USO Tour in Naples, Italy. It was 1945 and the start of a lifelong friendship arising from the bonds of shared heartbreak and devastation inevitable in wartime.

After the war, Maxine heads to Hollywood and Hazel returns to New York City to pursue a career as a playwright. Having heard about the history of the Chelsea from Maxine during their USO days, Hazel decides a move to the Chelsea Hotel might be just what she needs. She soon meets Lavinia Smarts the well-connected grand dame of the Chelsea, who offers to read Hazel’s show more play. With help from Lavinia, Hazel’s play is on the brink of hitting Broadway.

Maxine shows up fresh from Hollywood and is immediately cast as the lead in Hazel’s play. The two soon discover that the greatest obstacle to putting a show on Broadway is not the production, but the politics. Senator Joseph McCarthy has started a witch hunt for communists, and those in the entertainment industry are in his crosshairs. Actors, writers and producers are all dragged in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee and pressured to name names of suspected Communist.

But it is more than Hazel and Maxine’s Broadway dreams that may suffer. Under immense pressure they grapple with the terrible consequences, affecting their livelihood, their friendship, and their freedom.

REVIEW
Author Fiona Davis has carefully crafted a well-researched story of dreams and heartbreak. The book, like her others, is set in a historic and iconic New York landmark. The redbrick Chelsea Hotel on Twenty-Third Street is a handsome mix of Victoria Gothic and Queen Anne style. The atmospheric and eccentric hotel, home to artists, poets and actors, becomes a vital character in the novel. The majority of the story takes place in the 1950’s and is alternately told from both Maxine and Hazel’s point of view.

The writing is absorbing and Davis captures your attention with the emotional bonds between Maxine and Hazel as well as their grudges, lies and jealousies. She effortlessly blends the hotel, the characters and the politics of the time into a interesting and satisfying story.

THE CHELSEA GIRLS evokes the emotions of the era and weaves a cinematic tale which could have been ripped from the headlines of the day. Davis’ meticulous research included interviewing a 98-year old actress, who shared stories with her about the USO, WWII, and the injustice of the blacklisting and persecution of the McCarthy era. Fans of historical fiction and strong independent women characters will appreciate this multilayered story.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Dutton
Published December 8, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com show less

Since I started reading her novels, I've learned I could count on Fiona Davis to tell a good story and The Chelsea Girls is no exception. In this novel, she takes the reader into the world of Broadway of the 1950s, when the specter of communism and McCarthyism hung over the entertainment industry. The two main characters, Hazel and Maxine, are actresses who meet during USO tour during WWII. After the war, Hazel aims to be a playwright and Maxine eyes Hollywood stardom. However, as Hazel prepares for her first play to be staged on Broadway, with Maxine in one of the lead roles, both are draw into a web of blacklisting, spies, and intimidation as both of their careers are threatened. A good story, with plenty of dark history woven into it.

I read lots of historical fiction books but this is a time period that I haven't read much about in the past -- the early 50s when the government and McCarthy were trying to find and punish alleged communists in the entertainment business. I have read about what went on during this time period but this book makes it more personal and is about how it affected so many people in the entertainment business who were never able to find work again.

The three main characters of the book are:
-Hazel Riley who was a playwright. After acting as an understudy on Broadway and spending time in the USO in Europe during WWII, she finds that her true talent is in writing plays and gets a chance to open her play on Broadway.
-Maxine Mead is an actress. She show more met Hazel in Europe and they became close friends. She is going to star in Hazel's new play but will her secret life cause problems?
-The Chelsea Hotel is the third main character - it was New York City's creative oasis for the many artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, and poets who have called it home. As the witch hunt for communists in the entertainment industry gets more frenzied, it becomes apparent that it will affect the lives of Hazel, Maxine and the clientele at the Chelsea. Will any of them be able to survive?

I found reading about this time period to be very interesting and enlightening. This book shows not only the glamour of life on Broadway during this time but also the pain and degradation brought about McCarthyism and how it affected so many people. I enjoyed the two main characters and the friendship between them and was hoping for the best for both of them.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. show less

The first portion of the book has Maxine and Hazel meeting and becoming friends during a USO tour. After the war, Maxine becomes a movie actress while Hazel writes a play and sets about getting it to the stage. A turn of events has Maxine starring in the play, and Hazel directing. There are two backdrops to the story: the Chelsea Hotel, where both live, and the Red Scare and blacklist. Who are the heroes and who the villains of the story? As in live, these answers are not so clear cut, so you will come to care for most of the main characters, who are well-written. The ending (or, what I thought was the ending), was a little too pat, and fairy tale "happily ever after" for me. But then the story continues for a little bit--and the real show more ending, which is sad, is more realistic. I enjoyed the book. show less

I loved this book! Strong female friendships, history, intrigue, romance, conflicting loyalties – Davis covers it all. And if you have problem following the dual timelines, this book does not do that. While presented with the alternating perspectives of Hazel and Maxine, the superb character development makes all the characters very real to the reader.

Hazel and Maxine meet in 1945 while they are both on a USO tour and quickly become fast friends. When the war is over hazel and Maxine go their separate ways. But then in 1950 they reunite when Maxine, now a Hollywood starlet, moves to NYC and joins playwright Hazel at the Chelsea Hotel. Both seem destined for success until McCarthyism and accusations of being a Communist shake up the show more entertainment industry. Davis perfectly captures the sense of fear and intimidation that existed at that time.

I highly recommend this excellent book. This book was given to me by the publisher but all opinions are my own. show less