The Swans Of Fifth Avenue

by Melanie Benjamin

"A novel about New York's "Swans" (socialites) of the 1950s--and the scandalous, headline-making, and enthralling friendship between literary legend Truman Capote and peerless socialite Babe Paley"--

Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley and her friends, the alluring socialite Swans. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman, desperately longing for true love and connection. Enter Truman Capote. Through Babe, Truman gains unparalleled access to the scandal and gossip of Babe's powerful circle. Babe never imagines the destruction Truman will leave in his wake-- even when the stories aren't his to tell.

• ISBN13: 9780345528698
• Publish Date: 26 January 2016
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 21 April 2017
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Delacorte Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

I have always enjoyed Melanie Benjamin's novels, as retellings and fictionalized accounts of famous persons has always been a soft spot of mine. Thus, I went a little fangirl when I saw she was coming out with a new novel. In the past (and what is true for most women's fiction), the novels had focused on a female lead, Alice Liddell, Lavinia “Vinnie” Bump, and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, but this time it was a duo, Truman Capote, and Babe Paley.

Babe Paley was a name unknown to me, Truman Capote, is the author to one of my favorite books, In Cold Blood. with the time period of this book focusing around the years around said novel's publication, I knew The Swans of Fifth Avenue was a "must read" for me.

Obviously, The Swans of Fifth Avenue had a large focus on Truman Capote and the rise and fall surrounding his success. As a fan (though not in an Annie Wilkes kind of way) knew a bit about that. Although, I feel because his flamboyance was such an interesting diving board I think Babe and the other swans got lost in the mix and wished I had a little more of their characters by themselves and not always huddled around Capote.

That being said, The Swans of Fifth Avenue read like a marvelous exposé. It wasn't serious, it dared to have fun and was a jolly good read. The descriptions of the 50s and 60s were exquisite, and could easily picture Babe going about her everyday life. Melanie Benjamin also superbly conveyed the emotions Babe was going through which usually directed me into the annoyance of another character, such as her cheating husband or on again off again BFF Truman Capote.

Despite being "a jolly good read" The Swans of Fifth Avenue did have its heavier moments, particularly towards the end. It was here that the air became thick like pea soup and wanted to hurry along to escape the pain of characters I had come to care about. It truly was a perfect mix of ups and downs.

Overall, Melanie Benjamin has created another fantastic universe in the pages of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and is a wonderful escapism with a behind the scenes look.

Note: I received an advance copy via Netgalley