The Girls at the Kingfisher Club: A Novel

by Genevieve Valentine

“Dressed up in the thrill and sparkle of the Roaring Twenties, the classic fairy tale of ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’ has never been more engrossing or delightful. Valentine’s fresh, original style and choice of setting make this a fairy tale reimagining not to be missed” (Library Journal, starred review).

Jo, the firstborn, “The General” to her eleven sisters, is the only thing the Hamilton girls have in place of a mother. She is the one who taught them how to dance, the one who gives the signal each night, as they slip out of the confines of their father’s Manhattan townhouse and into the cabs that will take them to the speakeasy. Together they elude their distant and controlling father, until the day he decides to marry them all off.

The girls, meanwhile, continue to dance, from Salon Renaud to the Swan and, finally, the Kingfisher, the club they've come to call home. They dance until one night when they are caught in a raid, separated, and Jo is thrust face-to-face with someone from her past: a bootlegger named Tom whom she hasn’t seen in almost ten years. Suddenly Jo must balance not only the needs of her father and eleven sisters, but her own as well.

With The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, award-winning writer Genevieve Valentine takes her superb storytelling gifts to new heights, joining the leagues of such Jazz Age depicters as Amor Towles and Paula McLain, and penning a dazzling tale about love, sisterhood, and freedom.

• ISBN10: 1476739099
• ISBN13: 9781476739090
• Publish Date: 30 June 2015 (first published 3 June 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

Fond of:
I didn't know much, if anything about The Twelve Dancing Princesses (of which this story is based on) and appreciated that my ignorance did not have to factor into the enjoyment of The Girls at the Kingfisher Club.

The characters were fun and well developed. Each sister had a unique personality that I got to know well. Although I enjoyed the dynamics between Jo, Lou and Tom most of all.

Not fond of:
Jo was described as "showing her age" and had the beginnings of grey hairs. She couldn't be more than thirty and the descriptions made her sound like the spinster aunt. Perhaps it is because I just turned thirty myself, but I found it a bit annoying.

I rarely say this but I wanted a Tom Hanks Meg Ryan ending. I wanted Jo and Tom to end up together and have that happy ending. To realize they were meant to be, and because I did not get Sleepless in Seattle I was a little disappointed.

Final Thoughts:
A cute retelling in the era of prohibition and with a Jo/Laurie (aka Little Women) kind of love story was an entertaining book to read.