Elizabeth Gilbert is a favorite of mine, and her newest novel did not disappoint. It is the racy yet charming story of a college drop-out in 1940 who moves to New York City to live with her aunt and find herself. It's full of decadence, history, and impossibly great characters.
Vivian Morris tells her life story as the narrator to her granddaughter, and what a story it is! Vivian cannot seem to go to classes at Vassar on any kind of regular basis, and she can't really get into finding a husband, so the poor little semi-rich girl moves in with her aunt in NYC. There she finds that she is to live in the apartment above an aging playhouse where her aunt and a colorful cast write, produce, and perform in plays that don't make much money. She loves this new, wild lifestyle full of booze and sex and sewing costumes for showgirls. Until a long-lost friend of her aunt's, Edna Parker Watson, and her playboy husband show up. Edna is an actress extraordinaire, and she agrees to do a play for them which ends up being titled City of Girls. It becomes a smash hit. While this is wonderful news in terms of money, it changes everything in the dynamic of the people who live above the Lily Playhouse. Vivian becomes attached to Edna, and soon life is so grand that she believes nothing bad can happen. Until it does.
The book not only gives a look into the lives of those in the playhouse, but it also tells of Vivian's fight for independence, employment, and love. It spans the years from her teens through her eighties, giving a memorable depiction of New York City during the 40's. If you need a little bad girl in your life, give a try!
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