The Manhattan Girls
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- Create Date：2022-08-20 07:52:53
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Gill Paul
- ISBN：0008530947
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Summary
It’s a 1920s version of Sex and the City， as Dorothy Parker—one of the wittiest women who ever wielded a pen—and her three friends navigate life， love， and careers in New York City。 Perfect for fans of Fiona Davis， Beatriz Williams， and Renée Rosen。
New York City， 1921: The war is over， fashions are daring， and bootleg liquor is served wherever you go。 It is here that four extraordinary women form a bridge group that grew into a firm friendship。
Dorothy Parker， renowned wit， member of the Algonquin Round Table， and more fragile than she seems。 Jane Grant， first female reporter for The New York Times， who is determined to launch a new magazine。 The Broadway actress Winifred Lenihan， beautiful， talented， and a casting-couch target。 And Peggy Leech， magazine assistant by day， brilliant novelist by night。
Romances flourish and falter， while their goals sometimes seem impossible to reach， and their group friendship deepens against the backdrop of turbulent New York City， where new speakeasies open and close， jazz music flows through the air， and bathtub gin fills their glasses。
They gossip， they comfort each other， they offer support through the setbacks。 But their biggest challenge is keeping their dear friend Dottie safe from herself。 。 。
In this brilliant new novel from the bestselling and acclaimed author of Jackie and Maria and The Secret Wife， readers will fall right into Jazz Age New York and into the inner lives of these groundbreaking， influential women。
New York City， 1921: The war is over， fashions are daring， and bootleg liquor is served wherever you go。 It is here that four extraordinary women form a bridge group that grew into a firm friendship。
Dorothy Parker， renowned wit， member of the Algonquin Round Table， and more fragile than she seems。 Jane Grant， first female reporter for The New York Times， who is determined to launch a new magazine。 The Broadway actress Winifred Lenihan， beautiful， talented， and a casting-couch target。 And Peggy Leech， magazine assistant by day， brilliant novelist by night。
Romances flourish and falter， while their goals sometimes seem impossible to reach， and their group friendship deepens against the backdrop of turbulent New York City， where new speakeasies open and close， jazz music flows through the air， and bathtub gin fills their glasses。
They gossip， they comfort each other， they offer support through the setbacks。 But their biggest challenge is keeping their dear friend Dottie safe from herself。 。 。
In this brilliant new novel from the bestselling and acclaimed author of Jackie and Maria and The Secret Wife， readers will fall right into Jazz Age New York and into the inner lives of these groundbreaking， influential women。
Reviews
Alan Porter
，
Well written。。。if you like a sit com。。。。not a patch on her previous works。。。。for me disappointing for a Gill paul novel。
Julia Richardson
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To read this is to immediately fall in love with this very eclectic group of women。 Dottie， Winifred， Jane， and Peggy are unlikely friends， but find that together they can face anything that is thrown their way！ I love the author's gift of describing scenes so you feel you are actually there， and you truly believe you are along with the ladies on their adventures。 Simply a wonderful book！ To read this is to immediately fall in love with this very eclectic group of women。 Dottie， Winifred， Jane， and Peggy are unlikely friends， but find that together they can face anything that is thrown their way！ I love the author's gift of describing scenes so you feel you are actually there， and you truly believe you are along with the ladies on their adventures。 Simply a wonderful book！ 。。。more
Joan Weinert
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Was fortunate to receive an Advanced Read of this book。 This is definitely a chick flick story。 It takes place in New York City 1920’s。 War is over and prohibition and speakeasies abound。 Story is about Dorothy Parker， a writer， who I didn’t know much about， and found out she was definitely someone who needed people。 She needed people around and she loved to be loved。 Her other friends were Jane Grant who was the first female reporter for NY Times and who helped launch the New Yorker Magazine; W Was fortunate to receive an Advanced Read of this book。 This is definitely a chick flick story。 It takes place in New York City 1920’s。 War is over and prohibition and speakeasies abound。 Story is about Dorothy Parker， a writer， who I didn’t know much about， and found out she was definitely someone who needed people。 She needed people around and she loved to be loved。 Her other friends were Jane Grant who was the first female reporter for NY Times and who helped launch the New Yorker Magazine; Winifred Lenihan a very talented actress and who fell into the casting couch situation， and Peggy Leach who worked at a magazine and wanted to become an author。 Story of their ups and downs with men and their friendship and life。 They were a group of their own who tried to take care of each other and help each other with their problems。 It was a pretty good story。 。。。more
Mary Picken
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Gill Paul’s book is set during the1920’s Prohibition era in New York。 These were the days of Lucky Luciano， bootleg booze， flapper girls and the rise of speakeasies。 Amidst this is the Algonquin Round Table， or the ‘Gonk’ as its habitués refer to it; home to the literary set that includes Dorothy Parker， Robert Benchley and other New York City writers， critics， actors， and those with sufficient wit to enjoy the chatter。The Manhattan Girls tells the story of four of these women whose lives were c Gill Paul’s book is set during the1920’s Prohibition era in New York。 These were the days of Lucky Luciano， bootleg booze， flapper girls and the rise of speakeasies。 Amidst this is the Algonquin Round Table， or the ‘Gonk’ as its habitués refer to it; home to the literary set that includes Dorothy Parker， Robert Benchley and other New York City writers， critics， actors， and those with sufficient wit to enjoy the chatter。The Manhattan Girls tells the story of four of these women whose lives were connected by the Algonquin。 Dorothy Parker is certainly the best known， but the others have strong stories too and together they are a formidable force。 Jane Grant is a reporter for the New York Times; the first they have had。 She covers women’s issues for The NYT and she is bright， organised and driven。 Winifred Linehan is an actress， best known for playing the title role in George Bernard Shaw’s premiere Broadway production of Joan of Arc。 She would go on to become the first director of the Theater Guild’s School of Acting in New York。 Peggy Leech is a would-be writer， working on ad sales at a women’s magazine。 She will go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for her history books not once， but twice。Through the mechanism of a weekly bridge club， Gill Paul tells the story of these women， their friendship， their partners and spouses and the difficulties they had in making their way as women in a largely men’s world。Dorothy Parker struggles in her marriage to Eddie， a drinker and an abuser。 No stranger to drink herself， Dorothy finds it hard to be alone and her fragile mental health is always something the women have to watch out for。 Jane Grant is married to Harold Ross and they are great friends with the theatre critic Alexander Woollcott， a thoroughly waspish and unpleasant man。 Jane and Harold dream of founding a magazine for New Yorkers。 Peggy Leech wonders if she’ll ever find a relationship in which she can be treated as an intellectual equal and Winifred Linehan epitomises the problems faced by women in the arts long before the Me Too era。Gill Paul beautifully blends fact and fiction together （the afterword does make it clear which is which） to create a glitzy， glamorous and dramatic portrait of these women and their lives， underscored by some seedy moments and a bunch of badly behaved and often undesirable men。It’s a well done blend of what did happen and what could have without too many liberties and it offers great insight into what the ‘Round Table’ must have been like。 At the centre， Dorothy Parker perches like a thin Raven， brilliantly witty， fragile and unstable， just wanting to be loved。Verdict: I really loved reading about these fabulous women， their friendship， goals and aspirations in one of the most evocative eras of our time。 It’s easy to get caught up in this book and Gill Paul makes the 1920’s come alive through the eyes and perspectives of each of these four women for whom their friendship was an anchor that kept them afloat。 。。。more
Diana N。
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The roaring 20s， but the issues in this book really could have been set in any time。This book is definitely a girls club （bridge style） that is full of drama。 It follows 4 different women that all fit into classic personalities。 Dottie the drama queen， Winifred the gorgeous actress， Jane the feminist， and Peggy the smart one brought a TV drama like quality to this book。Overall this book was just a drama， but so tough women's issues like abortion， rape， and suicide were touched on。Even though I e The roaring 20s， but the issues in this book really could have been set in any time。This book is definitely a girls club （bridge style） that is full of drama。 It follows 4 different women that all fit into classic personalities。 Dottie the drama queen， Winifred the gorgeous actress， Jane the feminist， and Peggy the smart one brought a TV drama like quality to this book。Overall this book was just a drama， but so tough women's issues like abortion， rape， and suicide were touched on。Even though I enjoyed the drama， I just wanted more substance from the plot。 If you like TV dramas or sitcoms this book is for you。Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review。 。。。more
Wendy Cheairs
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This book is about the 4 fast friends， the Manhattan Girls: Dorothy Parker， Peggy Leech， Jane Grant， and Winifred Lenihan。 These are career women that don't have a lot in common but become a fantastic support system in a male dominant world。 The book offers points of view from each of the women， which I did want to see more of as we progressed through the book。 I enjoyed the Algonquin Round Table and how it is still a battle even today。 （Women trying to get noticed， climbing the social and corpo This book is about the 4 fast friends， the Manhattan Girls: Dorothy Parker， Peggy Leech， Jane Grant， and Winifred Lenihan。 These are career women that don't have a lot in common but become a fantastic support system in a male dominant world。 The book offers points of view from each of the women， which I did want to see more of as we progressed through the book。 I enjoyed the Algonquin Round Table and how it is still a battle even today。 （Women trying to get noticed， climbing the social and corporate ladders， being appreciated， and having to sacrifice more than their male counterparts。）I was gifted this advance copy by Gill Paul， Avon Books UK， and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review。 。。。more
Emma Hardy
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Oooh this just oozes 1920s life， the glitz， the glamour， the city life。 Felt completely immersed and underdressed in my trackies reading this。A great story with fascinating women，， and plenty of turbulence。 This author really has that way of these characters being alive again， and breathing air。Glamourous， gorgeous。
Tami （Books Bengals and Coffee）
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Gill Paul takes us back to 1920s Manhattan where we meet 4 distinctly different women trying to make it in a male dominated world。 The Manhattan Girls is a character study。 Its a book that takes it's time and envelopes us in the atmosphere of New York City - back to the time when jazz was hip， bootleg booze was free flowing and womens fashion was a must。 This book has been compared with Sex and the City and I would agree with that statement。 Dorothy， Jane， Winifred and Peggy are the Manhattan Gi Gill Paul takes us back to 1920s Manhattan where we meet 4 distinctly different women trying to make it in a male dominated world。 The Manhattan Girls is a character study。 Its a book that takes it's time and envelopes us in the atmosphere of New York City - back to the time when jazz was hip， bootleg booze was free flowing and womens fashion was a must。 This book has been compared with Sex and the City and I would agree with that statement。 Dorothy， Jane， Winifred and Peggy are the Manhattan Girls。 Dorothy is a writer， Jane is the first female reporter for the New York Times， Winifred is an actress and Peggy is an assistant at a magazine。 The ladies have different backgrounds and opinions， but they are steadfast in their friendship for each other。 The issues they faced are not unlike the ones for women today。 We watch them as they develop their careers， navigate society's expectations and sexism。 And they support each other as they search for love。 Paul takes 4 woman， puts their very different lifestyles together， and comes out with a pleasant story of friendship and loyalty。 The story left me noting that even 100 years later we have not changed so very much。Many thanks to NetGalley， William Morrow and Gill Paul introducing me to all aspects of twenties Manhattan - from the flapper culture to Prohibition to speakeasies to gangsters and bootlegging。 From Fifth Avenue to the Algonquin hotel to Central Park and Broadway， this one is surely for NYC fans。 And I have to admit after reading， I did a little googling to take another look at these fascinating women （a true sign of an engaging historical fiction book）。 。。。more
Jane Hunt
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A seamless blend of fact and fiction delivers a historically detailed， beautifully characterised story about four women in New York during the 1920s。 The vivid setting and vibrant characters make this an entertaining read full of emotion， poignancy and friendship in a changing world。I love the historical setting and the dynamic between the four women。I received a copy of this book from the publisher。
Alibeyazeşyaservisi12
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https://www。hemenustabul。com https://www。hemenustabul。com 。。。more
Stacie ||readingbetweenthevines
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I have two auto read authors when it comes to historical fiction and Gill Paul is one of them！ As someone who loves reading about the roaring twenties， I just loved this， The Manhattan Girls had such a Sex and the City vibe， following four women， through their relationships and careers。 The women found a bridge club where they meet and gossip and talk about their goals。 I love how different each of these women were， but I absolutely adored their friendship， and how they rallied around each other I have two auto read authors when it comes to historical fiction and Gill Paul is one of them！ As someone who loves reading about the roaring twenties， I just loved this， The Manhattan Girls had such a Sex and the City vibe， following four women， through their relationships and careers。 The women found a bridge club where they meet and gossip and talk about their goals。 I love how different each of these women were， but I absolutely adored their friendship， and how they rallied around each other when needed！ From Dottie’s wittiness， Jane’s ambition， Winifred’s talent and Peggy’s loyalty to her friends， these women were absolutely phenomenal to read about。 I also loved the speakeasies， and bootleggers and just everything about the twenties！ I think my only *complaint* about this were the men， some （most） of them were so infuriating！While Gill Paul’s books are always about notable women in history， I somehow have never heard of any of the ladies involved in The Manhattan Girls， but look forward to learning more about them！ Thank you so much to Avon Books UK and Gill Paul for an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for review！ 。。。more
Caitlin Radziseski
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Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for sending me an ARC of The Manhattan Girls in exchange for an honest review。The Manhattan Girls centers around four women named Dorothy Parker， Jane Grant， Winifred Lenihan， and Margaret "Peggy" Leech， navigating life in Manhattan during the glittering early 1920s， I enjoyed several aspects of this book including the relationships between the four women as well as the surprise that this book was based on true events。 I got towards the end of the book wh Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for sending me an ARC of The Manhattan Girls in exchange for an honest review。The Manhattan Girls centers around four women named Dorothy Parker， Jane Grant， Winifred Lenihan， and Margaret "Peggy" Leech， navigating life in Manhattan during the glittering early 1920s， I enjoyed several aspects of this book including the relationships between the four women as well as the surprise that this book was based on true events。 I got towards the end of the book when The New Yorker was being developed when I finally put together that the book was based on true events。 The events in this book are agonizingly raw and real， from Dorothy's attempts at suicide to the infidelity in each of the ladies' relationships。One of the only aspects of this book I didn't enjoy was that the flow of the book felt stunted in some places and like the story was not moving forward but was instead stagnant。 I also didn't like Alec， although I almost feel like readers aren't meant to like him。 He is extremely crass and unfeeling towards all of the characters。 He is middle class just like the rest of the characters but acts like he is upper crust and he isn't。My favorite couple in the story was Jane and Harold。 Their relationship was beautiful and I genuinely felt for the development of their relationship over the course of the story。 I also enjoyed the character of Peggy。 I felt like she stood out from the rest of the ladies because she wasn't as interested in men as the others。 She wanted to make something of herself。Overall I would give this book 4 stars！ I would also encourage readers to look up trigger warnings for this book， including suicide attempts， abortion， rape， and infidelity。 。。。more
Thebooktrail
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Discover the locations in The Manhattan GirlsA novel to transport you deep in the heart of Dorothy Parker’s circleWhat a wonderfully fresh and fascinating novel！ Oh this isn’t your usual novel， it’s a visit with four new friends， drinkingcocktails， plyaing cards， eating good food， hooking up with dubious men and just loving life！I was immediately thrust into bustling and glamourous New York。 With a cocktail in my hand and my flapper dress blowing in the wind， I ran from one speakeasy to the nex Discover the locations in The Manhattan GirlsA novel to transport you deep in the heart of Dorothy Parker’s circleWhat a wonderfully fresh and fascinating novel！ Oh this isn’t your usual novel， it’s a visit with four new friends， drinkingcocktails， plyaing cards， eating good food， hooking up with dubious men and just loving life！I was immediately thrust into bustling and glamourous New York。 With a cocktail in my hand and my flapper dress blowing in the wind， I ran from one speakeasy to the next before finding my way back to the Alconquin Club to play cards with four new friends。 One of these friends is Dorothy Parker – a poet and wit。 I knew nothing about this woman to be honest but I feel I really got to know her during this novel。 I was there sitting beside her playing cards， laughing at her jokes， hugging her friends and I had a great time！The Manhattan Girls of the title are Dorothy， Jane， Winifred and Peggy。 Jane is the first female reporter for the New York Times， Winifred is an actress and Peggy is an assistant at a magazine。 Quite an unikely bunch you might think， but what fun getting to know them！ This is the kind of group you really want as friends。 Different， but always there for you。 They always have your back even if you share different opinions or even morals。 What happens in these meetings， stays in these meetings – it’s a bit like Fight Club but with glitz and glamour of the 1920s。As well as a really good time with some very iconic women， this was a spotlight on the life and times of women in 1920s New York。 Whatever your status or wealth， women at this time had struggles。 They fought for equality at work and， indeed at home。What I love about Gill Paul， is the way she takes a real event or person from history and then gives them a voice。 Some of this might be imagined but it’s as if she went back in time and sat with Dorothy Parker and had her whisper in her ear。 It’s evocative， fresh and fun。 A rolicking good read and I need to see this on the big screen！ 。。。more
Tanya
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A spirited portrayal of Jazz Age New York City and four independent， strong women。 Gill Paul’s latest， The Manhattan Girls， brings to life New York City during the Roaring ‘20s as well as Dorothy Parker and three female friends， all apparently part of the famed Algonquin Round Table。 Per usual， Paul’s prose shines， her characters are fascinating， and I loved learning tidbits of NYC history。 I found myself invested far more in the stories of Parker’s friends， however， about whom I knew far less p A spirited portrayal of Jazz Age New York City and four independent， strong women。 Gill Paul’s latest， The Manhattan Girls， brings to life New York City during the Roaring ‘20s as well as Dorothy Parker and three female friends， all apparently part of the famed Algonquin Round Table。 Per usual， Paul’s prose shines， her characters are fascinating， and I loved learning tidbits of NYC history。 I found myself invested far more in the stories of Parker’s friends， however， about whom I knew far less prior to reading this tale， and would have liked more of a focus on their backgrounds and futures。 Also， for me， the plot/pacing really lagged about a quarter of the way through。 I was ultimately glad I continued reading， but this was not my favorite of Paul’s books。 Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC。 Opinions are my own。 。。。more
Lauren Boczek
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A poignant & captivating story of four women & their friends as they navigate the Prohibition-era streets of Manhattan！ “The Manhattan Girls” is a work of art。 I adored reading about Dottie， Jane， Winifred & Peggy - all strong， independent women in an era when it was less than popular for women to have lives outside of the home。 I am embarrassed to say that I failed to realize these characters all existed in real life until about halfway through the book， which made it all the more enthralling o A poignant & captivating story of four women & their friends as they navigate the Prohibition-era streets of Manhattan！ “The Manhattan Girls” is a work of art。 I adored reading about Dottie， Jane， Winifred & Peggy - all strong， independent women in an era when it was less than popular for women to have lives outside of the home。 I am embarrassed to say that I failed to realize these characters all existed in real life until about halfway through the book， which made it all the more enthralling once I did。 I enjoyed researching the cast of characters once I finished & reading more about their achievements & adventures。 A must-read for lovers of historical fiction！ 。。。more
Demelda Penkitty
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NEW YORK CITY， 1921An impossible dream。The war is over， the twenties are roaring， but in the depths of the city that never sleeps， Dorothy Parker is struggling to make her mark in a man’s world。A broken woman。She’s penniless， she’s unemployed and her marriage is on the rocks when she starts a bridge group with three extraordinary women – but will they be able to save her from herself？A fight for survival。When tragedy strikes， and everything Dorothy holds dear is threatened， it’s up to Peggy， Win NEW YORK CITY， 1921An impossible dream。The war is over， the twenties are roaring， but in the depths of the city that never sleeps， Dorothy Parker is struggling to make her mark in a man’s world。A broken woman。She’s penniless， she’s unemployed and her marriage is on the rocks when she starts a bridge group with three extraordinary women – but will they be able to save her from herself？A fight for survival。When tragedy strikes， and everything Dorothy holds dear is threatened， it’s up to Peggy， Winifred and Jane to help her confront the truth before it’s too late。 Because the stakes may be life or death…The 'girls' may seem on paper an unikely bunch but how I enjoyed getting to know them。 This is the kind of group you really want as friends。 Different in their ways and opinions but always there for you。 They always have each others backs。 These fabulous ladies come together as a bridge group and form a friendship that lasts through thick and thin。This is only my second Gill Paul book but I really love how she can take someone from history and give them a voice。 Whilst some of their story is imagined you still feel as if Gill has travelled back in time and interviewed Dorothy Parker。 It is plain to see Gill has done her research well and the setting， atmosphere and surroundings convey the period well。 There are also mentions of some literary greats， too such as Hemmingway， Wilde and Shaw。 While Dorothy Parker is at the centre of this story the other ladies all get their share of the limelight and their friendships are woven together succinctly。 This is a very enjoyable read that would transfer well to film， I would definitely be first in line for my ticket。 。。。more
Judy Odom
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4。5 stars which I will gladly round up to 5 as I found myself totally immersed in the book and hated it to end。Gill Paul takes you to the Roaring Twenties where the world is changing。At the center of the story is Dorothy Parker a sharp witted， sharp tongued woman who you cant help but cry and cheer for 。 Dorothy is surrounded by her friends Jane， Winnifred and Peggy all who have had their place in history。The Manhattan Girls is historical fiction at its best that not only is about the changing w 4。5 stars which I will gladly round up to 5 as I found myself totally immersed in the book and hated it to end。Gill Paul takes you to the Roaring Twenties where the world is changing。At the center of the story is Dorothy Parker a sharp witted， sharp tongued woman who you cant help but cry and cheer for 。 Dorothy is surrounded by her friends Jane， Winnifred and Peggy all who have had their place in history。The Manhattan Girls is historical fiction at its best that not only is about the changing world for women and those who helped shape it but friendship and loyalty。Gill Paul is a master at writing and getting you drawn into the stories of strong women and The Manhattan Girls is no exception。Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK， Avon for a spell binding read。 。。。more
Monika
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Whoever described this as the "Sex in the City" of the 1920's was completely correct。 The author does a great job of creating 4 characters that are different from one another， but their friendships makes sense。 I do wish the ending had bit more of an explanation such as Alec and Janes relationship。 Whoever described this as the "Sex in the City" of the 1920's was completely correct。 The author does a great job of creating 4 characters that are different from one another， but their friendships makes sense。 I do wish the ending had bit more of an explanation such as Alec and Janes relationship。 。。。more
Anne
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Quite wonderful - review to follow for the blog tour。。。
Kathleen Gray
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An interesting novel of the family we make centered on four strong women forging careers and love in 1920s Manhattan。 Each of them tell their story- Dorothy Parker， Jane Grant， Winifred Lenihan， and Peggy Leech。 They've all been undesrestimated， they all face the glass ceiling and they all support each other。 The best thing- these were all real people。 I was familiar with Dorothy Parker but not with the others so this was the best sort of learning experience。 Each of them is worthy of their own An interesting novel of the family we make centered on four strong women forging careers and love in 1920s Manhattan。 Each of them tell their story- Dorothy Parker， Jane Grant， Winifred Lenihan， and Peggy Leech。 They've all been undesrestimated， they all face the glass ceiling and they all support each other。 The best thing- these were all real people。 I was familiar with Dorothy Parker but not with the others so this was the best sort of learning experience。 Each of them is worthy of their own novel and I found myself googling for more info about each。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 A good read for fans of historical fiction。 。。。more
Hali M
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A historical fiction on the lives of four career women of the Algonquin Round Table in 1920s Manhattan， Dorothy Parker， Jane Grant， Peggy Leech and Winifred Lenihen who became fast friends。
Emma
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Introducing you to a cast of wonderfully colourful characters with the four-leading role as follows: Jane Grant is a reporter for the New York Times。 She is married to Harold Ross and their dream is to start their own magazine。 Dorothy “Dottie” Parker， is a writer of short stories and poems and a bit of a troubled soul。 Winifred Lenihan is a Broadway actress and described as one of the “10 most beautiful women of the world"。 Margaret “Peggy’ Leech who is an advertising agent at Conde Nast and wr Introducing you to a cast of wonderfully colourful characters with the four-leading role as follows: Jane Grant is a reporter for the New York Times。 She is married to Harold Ross and their dream is to start their own magazine。 Dorothy “Dottie” Parker， is a writer of short stories and poems and a bit of a troubled soul。 Winifred Lenihan is a Broadway actress and described as one of the “10 most beautiful women of the world"。 Margaret “Peggy’ Leech who is an advertising agent at Conde Nast and writer。 In New York in 1921， where the prohibition means the majority of the population are now lawbreakers as they take to drinking in Speakeasys。 The cast of this story are all part of the ‘circle’ at the famed Algonquin Hotel and whilst the men play poker， these four brilliant women come together to form a weekly Bridge Club。 However， it's not so much about the game， as it's about forming solid friendships， drinking cocktails and having a good ole gossip。 Each of these women has their own stories to tell and not every story is an easy one to tell。 This is a tale of love， loss and most importantly， friendship and what a whirlwind of a ride this book took me on！ The characters in this book are real， however， Gill Paul has cleverly embellished their dialogue and thoughts， mixing fact with fiction to create this brilliant story。 This is the type of book which can， and will send you down the Wikipedia rabbit hole – I love looking up facts from historical fiction。 Do you do this？ I hadn’t heard of these women before， which is quite shameful as they are superb strong characters who have all made their mark in history， so thank you to Gill Paul for bringing them to my attention， and with the aid of the reading and watching list at the back of the book， I am going to be learning more。 。。。more
Lori Sinsel Harris
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The 1920s in New York City！ Right there I am hooked！ The 1920s are my favorite era to read about， and with the storyline based in the city of New York there is only one thing that could top this and that would have been if it was based in Paris in the 20s。 Speakeasies， bathtub gin， women's rights， jazz， flappers， this story has it all。 Centered around the sometimes tumultuous friendships between four very different women， living， working and playing in New York City。 The women， Dorothy Parker， P The 1920s in New York City！ Right there I am hooked！ The 1920s are my favorite era to read about， and with the storyline based in the city of New York there is only one thing that could top this and that would have been if it was based in Paris in the 20s。 Speakeasies， bathtub gin， women's rights， jazz， flappers， this story has it all。 Centered around the sometimes tumultuous friendships between four very different women， living， working and playing in New York City。 The women， Dorothy Parker， Peggy Leach， Winifred Lenihan and Jane Grant are four very real women who were a part of the "Round Table" group or "Vicious Circle"as they were sometimes called， who would meet at the Algonquin Hotel （the Gonk） during the twenties for literary discussions， flirting， joke telling and tremendous amounts of illegal alcohol consumption。 When the men of the group form a poker club the women decide to form their women's only bridge club which would meet each week at a different woman's home。 This brought together the four women who formed lasting bonds of friendship over very little card playing and lots of drinking。 Dorothy Parker is the main character and probably the most well known or publicly known of the four women。 Here we get a look behind the scenes of her life and what went into the making of her fantastically biting sarcastic wit。 Dorothy's life by no means was a calm， sedate one。 Abortion， divorce， and overdoses were only a part of Dorothy's erratic life。 The three other women， maybe lesser known， but equally as important lives had their own upheavals， broken relationships， career conflicts， they faced all the very real problems women of those times faced。 They were smart， witty， strong-willed women trying to break through social barriers in a man's world。 I loved this book， I don't know which woman I liked the most， I think I related to Jane more than the others， her hard， practical approach and driving ambition caught me from the start。 We know there was a success story in her future （if only a partial success） since the New Yorker magazine still exists today。 Overall this is just a wonderful read， interesting characters， atmospheric setting is perfect。 Great for any fans of the roaring twenties。 I recommend this one highly。 Thank you to Avon Books and to Net Galley for the free ARC， I am leaving my honest review in return。 。。。more
Cathy
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A 1920s Sex and the City featuring Dorothy Parker and her three friends:Jane Grant， first female reporter for The New York Times， who is determined to launch a new magazine。Winifred Lenihan， Broadway actress; beautiful， talented， and a casting-couch target。Peggy Leech， magazine assistant by day， brilliant novelist by night。It is hard to know where to start。 In a way I wanted to read it quickly because I was enjoying the story so much。 But instead I didn’t。 I savoured the book and learning about A 1920s Sex and the City featuring Dorothy Parker and her three friends:Jane Grant， first female reporter for The New York Times， who is determined to launch a new magazine。Winifred Lenihan， Broadway actress; beautiful， talented， and a casting-couch target。Peggy Leech， magazine assistant by day， brilliant novelist by night。It is hard to know where to start。 In a way I wanted to read it quickly because I was enjoying the story so much。 But instead I didn’t。 I savoured the book and learning about the various women and the adventures that they had。All four of them go through difficult times， but Paul brings the period and these most interesting women to life。 I loved it。If you are interested in this period， I would urge you to read it。 。。。more
Stephanie
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Well-written historical fiction about four young women in the 1920s Jazz Age New York who are trying to develop their careers in a male-dominated and misogynistic society。 Themes of sexism， power dynamics， particularly in the theatre world with men abusing their authority over up and coming actresses， and depression and alcohol use are explored in the book。 But this is first and foremost a book about the friendship between the four female friends as they try to support each other as they share m Well-written historical fiction about four young women in the 1920s Jazz Age New York who are trying to develop their careers in a male-dominated and misogynistic society。 Themes of sexism， power dynamics， particularly in the theatre world with men abusing their authority over up and coming actresses， and depression and alcohol use are explored in the book。 But this is first and foremost a book about the friendship between the four female friends as they try to support each other as they share mutual challenges of finding love， including self-love， and developing careers and navigating societal expectations and rampant sexism。 These characters are based on real women - actresses and writers， most notably Dorothy Parker， the American poet and writer， and while I did not know anything about them， I enjoyed how diverse the characters were and how their personalities balanced each other very well。 Good plot， descriptive writing that took me to the 1920s， generally well-paced， and effectively told from the four women’s points of view。 A good entry to the historical fiction genre。Thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for an advance copy。 Opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Lynda
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This was so good。 Set in New York in the 1920’s during Prohibition ， I enjoyed every page of it and really wanted it to go on longer。 It’s quite slow paced， which suit this genre perfectly， and brilliantly written。 I was completely fascinated with the lives of the Algonquin crowd and the dissolute lives they led。 Although this is fiction the author has based it around fact but using poetic license。 The four women， as with most characters， in the book were real， and although Dorothy ‘Dottie’ Park This was so good。 Set in New York in the 1920’s during Prohibition ， I enjoyed every page of it and really wanted it to go on longer。 It’s quite slow paced， which suit this genre perfectly， and brilliantly written。 I was completely fascinated with the lives of the Algonquin crowd and the dissolute lives they led。 Although this is fiction the author has based it around fact but using poetic license。 The four women， as with most characters， in the book were real， and although Dorothy ‘Dottie’ Parker is the most well known Peggy Leech， Jane Grant and Winifred Lenihan did exist and the broad outline of their lives， as told in the novel， was factual。 The rest as they say is fiction， and what great fiction it is。 Briefly， chatting in the Algonquin Hotel the four women decide to set up their own bridge club， the start of their friendship that saw some sad and traumatic times but tempered with happier days。 Dottie was a renowned wit and poet but was in reality an unhappy woman who needed mental support as she navigated her way through trauma after trauma。 Jane was much stronger and alongside her rather weak husband is fighting to set up a magazine called The New Yorker。 Winifred is a respected Broadway actress who was ‘damaged’ by a casting couch rape。 Peggy is looking for love whilst dreaming of becoming a published author。 Together they support each other through some terrible times， broken romances， financial problems， suicide attempts and more…The characterisations of these four ladies is just wonderful。 I feel like I know every one of them intimately， their worries， their lives， their hopes and their wishes。 But alongside them there is a big cast of equally well written characters but I’m singling out just the one。 The most odious and revolting man I’ve seen on the pages of a novel for a while， Alexander ‘Alec’ Woollcott， and one I would happily have thrown out of a top floor window。 Seriously， I hated him！ It’s a testament to the writing that I felt such strong emotions towards him and some other characters。 Ostensibly this is a novel about friendship and that what stood out for me was just how supportive the women were of each other， although it’s Dottie who needed the most support。 A fabulous read and one I would definitely recommend。 Personally I would love to see a follow up about the rest of the Manhattan Girls lives。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Jill
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I have always enjoyed books by Gil Paul as he always brings to life women of history who are relatively known but not overtly。 I like how he delves into their lives to help us see why they are worthy of our attention in a story。 In “The Manhattan Girls”， we meet a group of women who are part of the Vicious Circle or group of writers， actors and actresses， and artists who meet at the Gonk or the Algonquin Hotel in New York City during the era of Prohibition。 I admit， that as I went along， I was f I have always enjoyed books by Gil Paul as he always brings to life women of history who are relatively known but not overtly。 I like how he delves into their lives to help us see why they are worthy of our attention in a story。 In “The Manhattan Girls”， we meet a group of women who are part of the Vicious Circle or group of writers， actors and actresses， and artists who meet at the Gonk or the Algonquin Hotel in New York City during the era of Prohibition。 I admit， that as I went along， I was fascinated about each of them and had to look up the various women who met together to play bridge each week and formed lasting friendships and a support group: Dorothy Parker （Dottie）， Jane Grant， Peggy Leach， and Winifred Lenihan。 All different in their own way， they seemed like an unlikely quartet but that’s what made them click。 The characters were multidimensional with back stories that created who they were both privately and publicly。 I felt the author gave great insight by transporting the reader back to the jazz age of speakeasies， bootlegging， women’s rights， and the whole attitude of social excess。 Some tough subjects were dealt with such as abortion， infidelity， alcoholism， but that made it very relatable for today。 I thoroughly enjoyed this story and could not put it down。 Telling each woman’s story and differing POV only added dimension。 For those who love historical fiction， this is of a time period not usually talked about and yet it also features the power of women。 Put this on your TBR。Many thanks to #netgalley #gilpaul #themanhattangirls #avonbookuk for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Ashley Godar
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I loved reading this as we follow the lives of four women living and thriving and sometimes failing in the prohibition era。 Even though there are some big ups， nothing huge happens but the events of each woman's life keep you reading and hanging on for what will next happen。 I would definitely recommend this book to a friend！ I loved reading this as we follow the lives of four women living and thriving and sometimes failing in the prohibition era。 Even though there are some big ups， nothing huge happens but the events of each woman's life keep you reading and hanging on for what will next happen。 I would definitely recommend this book to a friend！ 。。。more
Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews
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Ah， the roaring twenties （she says with a transcontinental accent）。 Art deco fabulousness。 Beauty and opulence shimmer in my mind from the very beginning。 Truly a decadent read， book friends。 From the cadence - to the decision to add watermark art at the beginning of each chapter， The Manhattan Girls gives us everything a book romantic needs and wants in a tome centered around the 1920's。 My mind's eye shimmers in black and white becoming technicolor with the words created by Gill Paul。 Simply w Ah， the roaring twenties （she says with a transcontinental accent）。 Art deco fabulousness。 Beauty and opulence shimmer in my mind from the very beginning。 Truly a decadent read， book friends。 From the cadence - to the decision to add watermark art at the beginning of each chapter， The Manhattan Girls gives us everything a book romantic needs and wants in a tome centered around the 1920's。 My mind's eye shimmers in black and white becoming technicolor with the words created by Gill Paul。 Simply wonderful！~Tanja*Thank you to William Morrow and Harper Collins for sharing this title with me。 Follow me on Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok 。。。more
Jamie Holloway
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I'm thankful I do not live in the 1920's， being a woman back then and our rights and how we were treated was horrible。 However， I found it fascinating how these group of women kept their friendship and spirits up and creativity despite all of this。 I'm thankful I do not live in the 1920's， being a woman back then and our rights and how we were treated was horrible。 However， I found it fascinating how these group of women kept their friendship and spirits up and creativity despite all of this。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Manhattan Girls
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Manhattan Girls&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Manhattan Girls&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0